Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40323704›Full record

ArticleEuropean journal of sport science2025

The 12-Lead Electrocardiogram of the Rugby Football League Athlete: Impact of Sex and Age.

Callum Warrington, Andy Thompson, Jade Read, Jonathan Abram, Nathan Mill, Robert Cooper, Keith George, David Oxborough

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in European journal of sport science, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

Callum WarringtonResearch Institute for Sport and Exercise Sciences, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, UK.ORCID https://orcid.org/0009-0007-9339-422X
Andy ThompsonSt Helens Rugby Football League Club, St Helens, UK.
Jade ReadSt Helens Rugby Football League Club, St Helens, UK.
Jonathan AbramSt Helens Rugby Football League Club, St Helens, UK.
Nathan MillSt Helens Rugby Football League Club, St Helens, UK.
Robert CooperResearch Institute for Sport and Exercise Sciences, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, UK.
Keith GeorgeResearch Institute for Sport and Exercise Sciences, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, UK.
David OxboroughResearch Institute for Sport and Exercise Sciences, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, UK.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Electrocardiogram (ECG) findings in male Rugby Football League (RFL) athletes have previously been investigated but variations in other demographics are less understood. The study examined 161 ECGs in male and female, paediatric (< 18 years old) and adult (≥ 18 years old) RFL athletes. Athletes (65% male, 35% female) aged 14-33 years underwent a 12-lead ECG that was assessed for training-related cardiac electrical adaptations. Four athletes with abnormal ECGs were excluded. Results indicated that male athletes had an increased PR interval (152 ± 32 vs. 140 ± 19 ms; p < 0.001), QRS duration (98 ± 7 vs. 87 ± 6 ms; p < 0.001), voltage criteria for right (6 ± 3 vs. 4 ± 2 mm; p < 0.001) and left (33 ± 9 vs. 27 ± 7 mm; p < 0.001) ventricular hypertrophy (RVH/LVH) compared to females, who exhibited increased resting heart rate (HR) (67 ± 11 vs. 62 ± 11 bpm; p < 0.001) and QTc intervals (408 ± 45 vs. 398 ± 22 ms; p = 0.028). Adult athletes had a reduced HR (61 ± 10 vs. 66 ± 13 bpm; p < 0.001) and RVH criteria (5 ± 2 vs. 7 ± 3 mm; p = 0.015) compared to paediatric athletes. When controlling for weekly training hours in adult athletes, males present only a longer PR interval (156 ± 32 vs. 141 ± 19 ms; p < 0.037) and QRS duration (99 ± 7 vs. 87 ± 7 ms; p < 0.001) when compared to females. These results highlight the need for tailored cardiac screening guidelines that account for an RFL athlete's sex, age and training exposure.

Indexed as

AthletesElectrocardiographyFootballAdolescentAdultAge FactorsFemaleHeart RateHumansMaleSex FactorsYoung Adultageathletes heartelectrocardiogramsex

Identifiers

PMID40323704
PMCPMC12051841

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.