Left ventricular morphological and functional predictors of V̇O2peak: A 3-year observational study

Unnithan, VB ORCID: 0000-0001-5147-1679, Beaumont, A, Rowland, T, George, K ORCID: 0000-0002-5119-6651, Iacono, AD, Sculthorpe, N, Lord, RN ORCID: 0000-0002-5385-7548 and Oxborough, DL ORCID: 0000-0002-1334-3286 (2025) Left ventricular morphological and functional predictors of V̇O2peak: A 3-year observational study. Experimental Physiology. ISSN 0958-0670

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Abstract

The aim of the study was to identify central determinants of V̇O2peak using a 3-year longitudinal evaluation of left ventricular (LV) morphological and functional (global, tissue-Doppler and strain) outcome measures obtained at rest and during both submaximal and maximal exercise in a group of highly trained male youth soccer players (SP) and recreationally active male participants (CON). Once a year for 3 years, measurements were obtained in both the SP and CON groups (12.0 ± 0.3 and 11.7 ± 0.2 years of age, respectively, at the onset of the study). Cardiac ultrasound measures were used to identify LV morphological indices at rest and functional parameters during submaximal and maximal exercise. Training status (P < 0.0001) emerged as the only significant independent predictor of V̇O2peak, when considering LV morphological variables. At maximal exercise, early diastolic filling (E) was a significant (P = 0.001) predictor of V̇O2peak, irrespective of the influence of training status. Training status emerged as the significant predictor of V̇O2peak across all models that were developed in this study. Minimal LV structural and functional adaptations at both rest and exercise influence V̇O2peak, beyond the impact of training status alone. The broader implication of these findings is that the influence of LV cardiac adaptations on V̇O2peak over time is mediated by the stimulus of training; this association occurs independently from the impact of growth and maturation on V̇O2peak.

Item Type:	Article
Uncontrolled Keywords:	adolescent; athletes; echocardiography; 42 Health Sciences; 4207 Sports Science and Exercise; Physical Activity; Cardiovascular; Heart Disease; 0606 Physiology; 1106 Human Movement and Sports Sciences; 1116 Medical Physiology; Physiology; 3109 Zoology; 3208 Medical physiology; 4207 Sports science and exercise
Subjects:	Q Science > QP Physiology R Medicine > RC Internal medicine
Divisions:	Sport and Exercise Sciences
Publisher:	Wiley on behalf of The Physiological Society
Date of acceptance:	1 August 2025
Date of first compliant Open Access:	3 October 2025
Date Deposited:	03 Oct 2025 14:39
Last Modified:	03 Oct 2025 14:45
DOI or ID number:	10.1113/EP092871
URI:	https://researchonline.ljmu.ac.uk/id/eprint/27270

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