BACKGROUND: Systematic training of basketball causes morphological cardiac and cardiorespiratory adaptations. Previous studies have mainly focused either on only cardiac or respiratory changes. However, the extent of these cardiac adaptations and their relationship with aerobic capacity remain unclear in basketball athletes of different ages. METHODS: Eighty male basketball players participated in the experimental group and 80 healthy and sedentary male individuals served as controls. All participants underwent to athletic history, anthropometric measurements, 12-lead resting electrocardiogram (ECG), echocardiography, resting spirometry and cardiopulmonary exercise stress test. RESULTS: Left ventricular mass (LVM), left ventricular mass index (LVMI), left ventricular end-diastolic internal dimension (LVIDd), end-diastolic volume (EDV), stroke volume (SV) and interventricular septal thickness at diastole (IVSd) were significantly higher in all groups of athletes compared to controls (P<0.05). End-diastolic volume index (EDVI) was significantly higher only in adult players compared to controls (P<0.05). Posterior wall thickness at diastole (PWd) was significantly greater in groups of children and adult players compared to controls (P<0.05). Maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max) in relative values was higher in all groups of athletes compared to controls (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The increased LVM is attributed to concentric hypertrophy. This is further supported by the finding that there was no relationship between VO2max and echo parameters. The results of the present study indicate that the cardiorespiratory adaptations caused by basketball training are mainly formed at the early age stages without further increase throughout the years of action.
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