• The Korean Journal of Physiology
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.61-72
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• 1985

In order to compare the cardiac function of various groups of athletes, the resting electrocardiographic time intervals, amplitudes and vectors were analyzed in high school athletes of throwing(n=7), jumping(n=11), short track(n=8), long track(n=14), boxing(n=7), volleyball(n=8) and baseball(n=9), and nonathletic control students(n= 19). All athletic groups showed a significantly longer R-R interval(0.96-1.09 sec) than the controls (0.78 sec). Therefore, the heart rate was significantly slower in atheletes than in the control, but was not different among the different athletic groups. R-R interval is the sum of intervals of P-R, 0-T and T-P: P-R and Q-T intervals showed no difference among the control and athletic groups, but T-P interval in the jump, short track, long track and boxing groups was significantly higher than the control. R-B interval showed a significant correlation with T-P or Q-T intervals but no correlation with P-R or QRS complex. Comparing the amplitude of electrocardiographic waves, the athletic groups showed a lower trend in P wave than the controls. T wave in lead $V_5\;(Tv_5)$ was similar in the athletic and control groups. The long track group showed a significantly higher waves of $Rv_5$, $Sv_1$, and the sum of $Rv_5$ and $Sv_1$ than not only the controls but also the other athletic group. The angles of P, QRS, and T vector in the frontal and horizontal planes were not different among the control and all the athletic groups. Each athletic group stowed a lower trend in amplitude of P vector in the frontal plane, but in horizontal plane, throwing, jump, short track and baseball groups showed a significantly lower than the controls. The amplitude of QRS and T vector was similar in the athletic and control groups, but only the baseball group showed a significantly higher QRS vector in the frontal plane. In taken together, all the athletic groups showed a slower heart rate than the controls, mainly because of elongated T-P interval. Comparing the electrocardiographic waves and vector, the athletic groups showed lower amplitudes of P wave and P vector than the controls. Values of $Rv_5$ and $Sv_1$ strongly suggest that only the long distance runners among the various athletic groups developed a left ventricular hypertrophy.