Study of the influence of intensive physical exercise on the early repolarisation pattern in young military commandos

Introduction We study among the young French soldiers (who are incorporated into the army: commando corps), the influence of increasing physical exercise on the prevalence of early repolarisation pattern (ER+). Methods This prospective, single-centre, longitudinal study was carried out over a three months period (January to April 2016). 93 commando military men from Lorient (France) were included. Men participate in intensive training (during three months). The subjects underwent a clinical examination and an initial ECG upon their recruitment, followed by a second ECG performed in the setting of a systematic follow-up at the end of the three months. The prevalence of ER+ was 11.8% (i.e. 11 subjects). The most common appearance of the J-point was as a “notch” pattern for 81.8% in the inferior leads. Three years later, there was an increase in the prevalence of the ER+ pattern, which was 30% (i.e. 26 subjects). The difference is significant (P Conclusion The prevalence of the ER+ increases significantly at the end of the training period. This study assumes an association between the intensification of physical activity and the appearance of ER+.