The study, published in the leading journal
Circulation Research, found that long-term training in both horses and mice caused a reduction in key proteins, known as ion channels, that control AV node conduction.
The expression and activity of the ion channels were then investigated in detail in mice that followed a program which modelled long-term exercise training to build their fitness.
The mice were used to explore mechanisms underlying heart block in detail using approaches that would not be possible in racehorses.
Training-induced heart block and underlying ion channel changes were reversible when the exercise was stopped or when mice were given a compound known as an anti-microRNA.
Researchers identify heart block cause in athletes While heart block is benign for most people, it can be a precursor to more serious heart problems. 23 June, 2021 23:01
Why some endurance athletes experience a heart rhythm disturbance called heart block has been identified by researchers using animal models.
The University of Manchester-led study found that long-term exercise in retired racehorses – the best available model of the athlete’s heart – and in mice, triggered molecular changes in a part of the heart known as the atrioventricular (or AV) node.
Despite well-recognised cardiovascular benefits, sustained endurance exercise in athletes, footballers and other sportspeople can lead to the development of abnormal heart rhythms – known as cardiac arrhythmias, including heart block.
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