The effects of detraining on 'Athlete's Heart' observed in competitive athletes

Problem: Cardiovascular changes seen in athletes are most commonly benign. These physiological adaptations occur in athletes to increase the efficacy of the cardiovascular system. However, these changes may represent structural cardiac disease. This is important because researchers have found a link between underlying cardiovascular disease and sudden death in young athletes. Detraining may be used as an aid in differentiating between physiological and pathological processes in competitive athletes.;Results: The five articles reviewed consistently supported the effectiveness of a detraining period in reversal of cardiovascular changes seen in Athlete's Heart.;Conclusions: The current research available on detraining in athlete's and the effects it has on Athlete's Heart is fairly limited, however, the results were consistent. The studies that were reviewed had similar weaknesses including small sample sizes, limited use of control groups, and extremely varied deconditioning periods ranging from 6 weeks-13 years. More studies need to be performed with larger sample sizes, better use of control groups and long term follow-up periods, and more consistent deconditioning periods.;Methods: In this review, six studies and two review articles were found through the PubMed search engine obtained through the Weill Cornell Medical College Library website. Studies were reviewed and either included or excluded according to specific criteria. Each study was critiqued to investigate detraining as an effective method for reducing cardiovascular changes in athletes.