Clinical Relevance
Athlete's heart is not dangerous for athletes (though if a non-athlete has symptoms of bradycardia, cardiomegaly, and cardiac hypertrophy, another illness may be present). Athlete's heart is not the cause sudden cardiac death during or shortly after a workout, which mainly occurs due to hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, a genetic disorder.
No treatment is required for people with athletic heart syndrome. Athlete's heart does not pose any physical threats to the athlete and, despite some theoretical concerns that the ventricular remodeling might conceivably predispose for serious arrhythmias, there is no evidence of any increased risk of long-term events. It is recommended that the athlete see a physician and receive a clearance to be sure that the symptoms are due to athlete’s heart and not another heart disease, such as cardiomyopathy. If the athlete is uncomfortable with having athlete's heart or if a differential diagnosis is difficult, deconditioning from exercise for a period of three months will allow the heart will return to its regular size. This deconditioning is often met with resistance to the accompanying lifestyle changes. The real risk attached to athlete's heart is if an athlete or non-athlete simply assumes that they have the condition, instead of making sure they do not have a life-threatening heart illness.
Read more about this topic: Athletic Heart Syndrome
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