ELECTROCARDIOGRAPHIC CHARACTERISTICS OF COLLEGIATE TRACK AND FIELD ATHLETES IN NIGERIA

Abstract

This study sought to determine the electrocardiographic characteristics of collegiate track and field athletes in Nigeria using the resting electrocardiogram. This was with a view to identify electrocardiographic changes attributable to cardiac adaptations, and possible difference in Electrocardiogram (ECG) morphologies by athletic event. Descriptive survey research design was used in the study. Population were male track and field athletes of Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, Nigeria. Eighteen athletes; track (n=10), field (n=8), were purposively selected from the OAU Athletics team that participated in the 14th West-African Universities' Games, held at the University of Port-Harcourt, Rivers State Nigeria in 2018. Resting ECG was recorded with a 12-lead Electrocardiograph (SCHILLER-Cardiovit AT-2 plus), blood pressure was recorded with digital blood pressure monitor (OMRON-M6 Comfort), weight, height and BMI were recorded with an electronic BMI scale (SECA-220). Descriptive statistics of means and standard deviations were computed and paired-sample t-Test was used to compare resting ECG of athletes in the two divisions. Track and field athletes had mean RR-interval, P-wave, PR-interval, QRSinterval, QT-interval and QTc of 993.22 ± 111.51ms, 97.12 ± 10.87ms, 157.00 ± 34.34ms, 120.67 ± 58.22ms, 376.94 ± 55.34ms and 416.78 ± 46.98mm respectively. With regards to voltage, athletes had mean voltages of 0.11 ± 0.09mm, -0.98 ± 0.77mm and 1.54 ± 0.73mm for P-wave in lead II, S in VI and R in V5 respectively. When athletes' ECG in the two divisions were compared, significant difference was only found in the RR-interval; track = 934.10 ± 100.60; field = 1067.13 ± 77.16; P < 0.05. The study concluded that there were no distinctive morphological differences in the resting ECG of Nigerian collegiate track and field athletes.