A Characterization of the Cardiac Physiology and Aortic Pulse Wave Properties of Artistic Swimmers Across Competitive Levels
Bibliographic record
Abstract
PURPOSE: The distinct physical and environmental stressors of artistic swimming (previously termed synchronized swimming) result in unique hemodynamic stimuli. Given that the hemodynamic stress associated with participation in an exercise modality drives adaptation of the heart and central vasculature, artistic swimming may produce a distinct cardiovascular phenotype. Presumably, athletes competing at the highest levels also have greater training exposure and thus exhibit more adaptation. The purpose of this study was to characterize cardiovascular form and function across the competitive spectrum of artistic swimmers. METHODS: Cardiovascular structure and function were compared in a cross-sectional study of healthy controls, varsity, and elite artistic swimmers, using pulse wave analysis, pulse wave velocity, and echocardiographic images both at rest and during isometric handgrip exercise. RESULTS: Aortic stiffness was similar across all groups, as were characteristics of the decomposed aortic pressure waveform. At rest, both varsity and elite swimmers demonstrated similar systolic function compared with controls. However, peak left ventricular twist was greater in varsity and elites (controls: 8.0 ± 3.9, varsity: 12.8 ± 8.6, elites: 13.4 ± 3.9; both P < 0.02). Furthermore, elites demonstrated greater peak left ventricular radial strain (controls: 29.2 ± 9.9, varsity: 32.5 ± 10.3, elites: 53.9 ± 15.1; both P < 0.001) and longitudinal strain (controls: -16.9 ± 1.6, varsity: -16.5 ± 1.8, elites: -19.5 ± 3.2; both P < 0.04). In contrast to controls, both varsity and elite artistic swimmers demonstrated no change in peak late diastolic transmitral filling velocity (controls: Δ0.2 ± 0.04 m·s -1 , varsity: Δ0.06 ± 0.04 m·s -1 , elites: Δ0.05 ± 0.04 m·s -1 ) during isometric handgrip exercise (both P > 0.05), with elites demonstrating lower peak velocity than varsity swimmers ( P = 0.048), indicating preservation of diastolic function. CONCLUSIONS: Artistic swimmers demonstrate distinct cardiac physiology at rest and during isometric handgrip, with a greater extent of distinguishing features observed in those competing at the highest level of competition.
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How this classification was reachedexpand
Full frame machine prediction
Teacher imitationNot calibrated prevalence, not ground truth. Human validation pending. The Gemma side is a direct model label for every work in the frame, read from the title-only record. The Codex side is a classifier learned from the 10,348 direct Codex labels and calibrated to design-weighted sample rates; fields without enough sample support carry no Codex call. Candidate is the union of the two sides; consensus is their intersection. These outputs are machine_predicted_unvalidated and are not human labels.
Distilled classifier scores by category (both heads)
| Category | Codex | Gemma |
|---|---|---|
| Metaresearch | 0.000 | 0.000 |
| Meta-epidemiology (narrow) | 0.000 | 0.000 |
| Meta-epidemiology (broad) | 0.000 | 0.000 |
| Bibliometrics | 0.001 | 0.000 |
| Science and technology studies | 0.000 | 0.000 |
| Scholarly communication | 0.000 | 0.000 |
| Open science | 0.000 | 0.001 |
| Research integrity | 0.000 | 0.000 |
| Insufficient payload (model declined to judge) | 0.002 | 0.000 |
Machine scores (provisional)
The two teacher heads of the student model, read on this work. A score orders the frame for review; it never asserts a category, and the validation status ships verbatim with every row.
Baseline scores from an immature model (maturity gate not passed, 7 training rounds). Scores rank; they never assert a category.
score_only:v0-immature-baseline · verbatim from the scoring run: score_only means the number may rank works, and no category label ships from itClassification
machine, unvalidatedMachine predicted; a candidate call from one source (direct Gemma or distilled Codex), not a consensus.
How this classification was reached, model by model and score by score, is at the end of the page under "How this classification was reached".