Ultrasound Examination of Cardiovascular Profiles of Runners Participating in High Altitude Race and their Possible Influence on Performance: A Randomized Cross-sectional Study

Objectives: This work was aimed at investigating, by means of ultrasonography, the impact of cardiovascular parameters on the physical endurance of runners participating in high altitude race.

Experimental Design: This was a cross-sectional study.

Place and Duration of the Study: The study was carried out in Cameroon. Anthropometric and cardiovascular parameters were recorded at the Regional Hospital annex of Buea (Cameroon) on the 12th and 13th February while race times were recorded at Molyko Stadium of Buea, on the 15th February 2014.

Methodology: Out of 241 runners who finished the senior Mount Cameroon Race of Hope, 69 who were at least at their second participation, had voluntarily participated in the study. Haemodynamic parameters were collected through 2D transthoracic ultrasonography. Mann-Withney or Kruskal-Wallis tests and linear regression were used for statistical analysis. The significance level was set at p-value<0.05.

Results: The mean LVEDD, LVDV, LVSV, LVMMI, SF/EF and TAPSE were 2.7±0.3 cm/m2, 88.5±49.3 mL/m2, 53.4±30.7 mL/m2, 131.1±28.6 g/m2, 69.3±9.4% and 1.7±0.3 cm/m2 respectively. In males and females, LVDV (mL/m2) was 98.6±55.3 vs. 64.2±12.6 (p=0.011) while LVSV (mL/m2) was 61.6±33.2 vs. 33.9±6.2 (p=0.0004), respectively. The linear regression model revealed that the lower the altitude, the greater the race time i.e. the weaker the performance (p=0.005; r2=0.12). In addition increase of LVDV related with increase of residential (p=0.025; r2=0.12) and training (p=0.021; r2=0.13) altitudes.

Conclusion: Optimal values of haemodynamic parameters and/or high training altitude could be boosters of performance in endurance race at high altitude.