The Claim
Female endurance athletes exhibit a 27% higher mitral E/A ratio (2.9 vs. 2.3) compared to non-athletic controls, driven by increased early diastolic filling velocity (E-wave) and reduced late diastolic filling velocity (A-wave), indicating enhanced left ventricular relaxation at rest.
What the research says
Supports is higher
Support is ahead, but a single strong opposing study can change this.
These are independent scores, not a percentage. Higher-grade studies count more, so a single strong opposing study can outweigh several weaker ones.
Female endurance athletes have a higher ratio of early to late heart filling during rest compared to non-athletes, due to faster early filling and slower late filling, which reflects more efficient relaxation of the left ventricle.
See the scientific wording
Female endurance athletes have a 27% higher mitral E/A ratio (2.9 vs. 2.3) than non-athletic controls, primarily due to increased early diastolic filling velocity (E-wave) and reduced late filling velocity (A-wave), suggesting enhanced left ventricular relaxation at rest.
Long-term endurance exercise causes the heart's main pumping chamber to stretch and grow larger without thickening its walls. This allows the chamber to fill with blood more quickly and easily during rest, especially in the first phase of filling. The heart doesn't need to rely as much on the upper chamber squeezing to push in the rest of the blood, so the late filling phase becomes smaller. The result is a stronger early fill and weaker late fill, making the ratio between them higher.
What the research says
1 studyStudy: Female athlete's heart: Systolic and diastolic function related to circulatory dimensions
Female endurance athletes have hearts that fill with blood more easily at rest than non-athletes, thanks to faster initial filling and less need for the heart’s upper chamber to squeeze. This study measured this exact difference and found it to be 27% higher in athletes.
Score breakdown, mechanism chain, raw evidence, ideal studies needed & 1 supporting studies
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making health decisions.