DEVELOPMENT OF REGULATORY MECHANISMS AND MORPHOLOGICAL PARAMETERS OF THE HEART IN HOCKEY PLAYERS AGED 12–13 YEARS

Abstract

Aim. The study aimed to identify the characteristics of heart development and the development of regulatory mechanisms in hockey players aged 12–13 years. Materials and methods. The study involved 44 hockey players, aged 12 (n = 21) and 13 years (n = 23). Conventional anthropometric methods, echocardiography, and heart rate variability (HRV) analysis were employed for the purpose of the study. The Spearman rank correlation coefficient was used to identify the relationships between physical deve­lopment, morphofunctional parameters of the heart, and the sizes of the proximal segments of the aorta and pulmonary arteries. Results. At 12 years of age, correlations were found between body mass, body mass index, and morphological parameters of the heart. At 13 years of age, the number and strength of these correlations decreased. A small number of age-dependent correlations was identified between body mass, body mass index, and morphological parameters of the heart. For these age groups, the type of autonomic regulation was found to be insignificant for the characteristics under study. Conclusion. At 12 years of age, in hockey players, the subsequent phase of morphological restructuring of the heart is concluded, facilitated by the augmentation of muscle mass and accompanied by the integration of morphological and functional indicators of intracardiac hemodynamics. At 13 years of age, the alterations in the heart become even more contingent on the augmentation of muscle mass and the formation of neuro-myogenic regulatory mecha­nisms. The correspondence between intracardiac hemodynamics parameters and morphological structures of the heart transforms. The development of regulatory mechanisms for the contractile function of the heart is still in progress at 12 and 13 years of age.