ELECTROCARDIOGRAPHIC CHARACTERISTICS OF ATHLETES OF MOUNT CAMEROON ASCENT: PREVENTION OF SUDDEN DEATH

Mountain ultra-marathons participants are exposed to multiple internal and external stressors, from exercise and environment that can affect the cardiovascular response such as electrocardiographic profile (ECG). The aim of this study was to determine the electrocardiographic profile of athletes participating on the mount Cameroon race. Fifty-nine athletes and 50 non-athletes (31±7 vs 24±3 years) participated to the study during the 17th edition of Mount Cameroon ascent on February 18, 2012. ECG of 12-leads rest was measured in athletes and non-athletes. Resting heart rate (54±3 vs 71±9 bats/min) was lower (P<0.001) in athletes than non-athletes. P wave duration (108.5±1.8 vs 100.7±1.7 ms), PR interval (170.4±27.2 vs 155.8±22.3 ms), and RR interval (1072.3±188.2 vs 875.6±128.4 ms) were significantly higher (P<0.001) in athletes compared to non-athletes. However, on Rhythm and morphology abnormalities, athletes developed a sinus bradycardia (88.1 vs 8%), sinus arythmia (76.3 vs 22%) and left ventricular hypertrophy (54.2 vs 6%) higher than those of non-athletes (P<0.001). For the abnormalities of ECG conduction, atrioventricular block I (11.9 vs 6%), incomplete Right Bundle Branch Block (5.1 vs 2 %), incomplete Left Branch Block (1.7 vs 0%), Left anterior fascicular block (1.7 vs 0%), T-wave inversion (V1-V6) (10.2 vs 8%), Short PR (3.4 vs 2%), Sus ST Segment shift (5.1 vs 4%) were similar in both groups. But, early repolarization (40.7 vs 16%) was significantly higher (P<0.001) in athletes than non-athletes. Mountain race athletes develop some cardiac ECG electric morpho-functional abnormalities