Female endurance athletes: smaller hearts but similar relationship between ventricular size, fitness and fibrosis as male athletes
Female and male athletes demonstrate similar cardiac remodelling relative to fitness and no sex difference in myocardial scar. The female athlete's heart can show profound adaptation, and previous assertions that female hearts have lesser capacity for remodelling should be reappraised.
Authors
- Luke Spencer (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4153-9048)
- Jarne De Paepe (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1452-6276)
- Olivier Ghekiere (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9229-9489)
- Hein Heidbüchel (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9301-8127)
- André La Gerche (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3906-3784)
- Youri Bekhuis (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3903-5051)
- Kristel Janssens (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0004-3176-6751)
- Lieven Herbots (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7784-3610)
- Paolo D’Ambrosio (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8459-2140)
- Olivia Cullen
- Sofie Van Soest
- Guido Claessen (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8261-6666)
- S. Rowe (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7618-3040)
- Rik Willems (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5469-9609)
- Margarita Calvo-López (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6803-2242)
- Christophe Dausin (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7864-2968)
- Amy M Mitchell (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1475-2222)
- J. Bogaert
- Rik Pauwels (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0005-6287-5085)
Institutions
- University of Antwerp (BE)
- The University of Melbourne (AU)
- Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute (AU)
- Universitair Ziekenhuis Leuven (BE)
- St Vincent's Hospital Melbourne (AU)
- Jessa Hospital (BE)
- Antwerp University Hospital (BE)
- Hospital Clínic de Barcelona (ES)
- Province of Antwerp (BE)
- Hartcentrum Hasselt (BE)
- St Vincents Institute of Medical Research (AU)
- Australian Catholic University (AU)
- Hasselt University (BE)
- KU Leuven (BE)
Publication Details
- Journal
- British Journal of Sports Medicine
- Published
- 2025-04-29
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2024-109503
- Citations
- 7
- Primary Topic
- Cardiovascular Effects of Exercise
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 9.72
Funders
- National Heart Foundation of Australia
- University of Melbourne