Sports cardiology screening
stroke, infection
SUDDEN CARDIAC DEATH, STROKE, INFECTION, HEART ATTACK
Baseline and 3‐month control detailed sports cardiology screening was carried out on all players between September 2020 and June 2021. The athletes were instructed to avoid training for 24 hours before the evaluations and to do their morning routine, including having breakfast and staying hydrated.Personal and family history with current medical status including medical complaints were assessed on a sport‐specific questionnaire. Family history was considered positive if the parents or grandparents had sudden cardiac death, heart attack, or stroke at a young age (<55 years). The participants also filled in a food frequency questionnaire (FFQ), assessing their dietary iron intake.Standard 12‐lead resting ECG were done with CardioSoft PC (GE Healthcare). We performed a thorough laboratory test for all the athletes. Besides the routine laboratory parameters qualitative and quantitative complete blood count, renal, and liver function, C‐reactive protein, electrolyte panel, creatine kinase, the iron panel were also assessed (ferritin, transferrin, transferrin saturation, soluble transferrin receptor). ID was defined if the ferritin level was lower than 100 μg/L, without any laboratory or clinical sign of infection.Body composition analysis was performed with InBody 770 based on bioelectric impedance analysis (InBody Co. Ltd). Echocardiography was performed and interpreted on a GE Vingmed ultrasound system by a licensed cardiologist. In accordance with current guidelines a standard protocol containing 2D loops from parasternal, apical, and subxiphoid views was employed.To evaluate cardiorespiratory fitness a vita maxima incremental test was performed on a treadmill ergometer (GE T‐2100; Healthcare). The athletes subsequently performed the running test at 10 km/h speed with a progressive workload increment rate of 1% every 60 seconds. The athletes were asked to avoid holding the handrail. Gas exchanges were measured using a breath‐by‐breath automated system (Respiratory Ergostik; Geratherm). Lactate levels were measured from fingertip in the pre‐exercise phase and in every 2 minutes during the test and after 5 minutes in the recovery phase with Lactase Scout lactate analyzer (EKF Diagnostics).