Athlete's Heart Syndrome

The athlete's heart will adapt to the physiologic stress of strenuous physical conditioning. This “remodeling” of the electrophysiological, morphological, and functional status of the heart is normal in highly trained athletes but may be considered abnormal in other, less cardiovascularly fit individuals. These changes are termed athlete's heart syndrome. It is important for team physicians, as well as athletic trainers and coaches, to be aware of these adaptations and to avoid overinterpreting them and atttributing them to pathological states.