Myocardial sympathetic neural function in professional athletes who had the long-term tremendous cardiac load has not been
fully investigated by myocardial iodine-123-metaiodobenzylguanidine (MIBG) uptake in comparison with power spectral analysis
(PSA) in electrocardiography. Eleven male professional cycle racers and age-matched 11 male healthy volunteers were enrolled
in this study. The low frequency components in the power spectral density (LF), the high frequency components in the power
spectral density (HF), the LF/HF ratio and mean R-R interval were derived from PSA and time-domain analysis of heart rate
variability in electrocardiography. The mean heart-to-mediastinum uptake ratio (H/M ratio) of the MIBG uptake, in professional
cycle racers was significantly lower than that in healthy volunteers (p<0.01) and HF power in professional cycle racers was
significantly higher than that in healthy volunteers (p<0.05). In the group of professional cycle racers, the H/M ratio showed
a significant correlation with the R-R interval, as indices of parasympathetic nerve activity (r=0.80, p<0.01), but not with
the LF/HF ratio as an index of sympathetic nerve activity. These results may indicate that parasympathetic nerve activity
has an effect on MIBG uptake in a cyclist's heart.
Key words iodine-123-metaiodobenzylguanidine (MIBG) - myocardial sympathetic neural function - power spectral analysis (PSA) of heart rate variability - athlete's heart