Abnormal exercise electrocardiograms in master athletes after three months of deconditioning

OBJECTIVE: To determine the effects of 3 months of voluntary deconditioning on cardiac function in master athletes. DESIGN: A prospective study. SETTING: Research participants at the University of Maryland School of Medicine and Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center PARTICIPANTS: Ten older (59 +/- 8 years, mean +/- SD), highly conditioned (maximal aerobic capacity (V) over dotO(2) max 50 +/- 5 mL/kg/min), aerobically trained athletes MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS: Three months after the cessation of training, three of the 10 athletes had unexpected, new, markedly asymptomatic, ischemic-appearing, exercise-induced ST-segment depression on their maximal exercise tests. After retraining, the ST-segment changes disappeared in two of the subjects, but it persisted, although at a higher work load, in one of the athletes. CONCLUSION: In three master athletes, voluntary cardiopulmonary deconditioning was associated with the development of new, asymptomatic, exercise-induced ST-segment depression on exercise EGG. The mechanisms underlying these new ischemic-appearing ST-segment changes accompanying detraining and their clinical significance are not known and warrant further investigation.