Department of Medicine

Victor Froelicher, MD

Publication Details

  • Normal electrocardiographic findings: recognising physiological adaptations in athletes.

    Drezner JA, Fischbach P, Froelicher V, Marek J, Pelliccia A, Prutkin JM, Schmied CM, Sharma S, Wilson MG, Ackerman MJ, Anderson J, Ashley E, Asplund CA, Baggish AL, Börjesson M, Cannon BC, Corrado D, DiFiori JP, Harmon KG, Heidbuchel H, Owens DS, Paul S, Salerno JC, Stein R, Vetter VL. Br J Sports Med. 2013; 47 (3): 125-36

    Electrocardiographic changes in athletes are common and usually reflect benign structural and electrical remodelling of the heart as a physiological adaptation to regular and sustained physical training (athlete's heart). The ability to identify an abnormality on the 12-lead ECG, suggestive of underlying cardiac disease associated with sudden cardiac death (SCD), is based on a sound working knowledge of the normal ECG characteristics within the athletic population. This document will assist physicians in identifying normal ECG patterns commonly found in athletes. The ECG findings presented as normal in athletes were established by an international consensus panel of experts in sports cardiology and sports medicine.

    PubMedID: 23303759

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