Objective:

To characterize sport-specific exercise-induced cardiac remodeling in elite baseball players using echocardiography.

Approach:

• Study Design: A cross-sectional echocardiographic study of elite baseball players participating in the Major League Baseball Combine.
• Participants: 588 players from the MLB Combine in June 2022, 2023, and 2024.
• Measurements: Echocardiographic measurements of cardiac structure and function were obtained following American Society of Echocardiography guidelines.
• Data Analysis: Data were analyzed using SAS 9.4, with descriptive statistics calculated for all variables.

Key Findings:

• Left ventricular dilation in 37% of players and right ventricular dilation in 28%.
• Biventricular systolic function and global longitudinal strain were within normal limits.
• Left ventricular hypertrophy was rare, with only three cases reported.
• Normal echocardiographic findings in 98% of athletes.
• The most common abnormality was a bicuspid aortic valve, observed in 1% of the cohort.

Interpretation:

The findings establish normative data for expected cardiac adaptations in elite baseball players, aiding in the differentiation of physiologic remodeling from pathologic changes.

Limitations:

• Cross-sectional analysis without longitudinal follow-up.
• No clinical outcome analyses or subgroup analyses reported.
• Lack of comparisons with nonathlete control populations.
• Classification of ventricular dilation findings relative to overall normal echocardiographic findings was not described.

Conclusion:

The study is the first to characterize exercise-induced cardiac remodeling in elite baseball players and reports a prevalence of abnormalities comparable to the general population.

Sources:

• Journal of the American Society of Echocardiography