Athlete's heart patterns in elite rugby players: effects of training specificities. [Le cœur d'athlète du joueur de rugby professionnel : effets des spécificités de l'entraînement.]

International audienceBACKGROUND: Athlete's heart patterns have been widely described. However, to our knowledge, few studies have focused on professional rugby players, who train differently according to their field position. AIM: To describe electrocardiographic and echocardiographic patterns observed in elite rugby players according to their field position. METHODS: One hundred and thirty-five professional rugby players at the end of the competitive season were included. RESULTS: According to a modified Pelliccia's classification, 68.1% of electrocardiograms were normal or had minor abnormalities, 27.2% were mildly abnormal and 3.7% were distinctly abnormal. Heart rate was higher in scrum first-row players (P<0.05). Absolute and indexed left ventricular end-diastolic internal diameters (LVIDd; absolute value 59.3±4.7 mm) exceeded 65 mm and 32 mm/m2 in 13% and 1.5% of players, respectively. Indexed LVIDd values were higher in back players (P