To evaluate left ventricular myocardial mass and function as well as ostial 
coronary artery cross-sectional area in endurance athletes, an athlete group of 
12 highly trained rowers and a control group of 12 sedentary healthy subjects 
underwent MR examination. An ECG-gated breath-hold cine gradient-echo sequence 
was used to calculate myocardial mass, end-diastolic and end-systolic volumes, 
stroke volume, and cardiac output, all related to body surface area, as well as 
ejection fraction. A 3D fat-saturated ECG- and respiratory-triggered navigator 
echo sequence was used to evaluate coronary arteries: left main (LM), left 
anterior descending (LAD), left circumflex (LCx), and right coronary artery 
(RCA). Cross-sectional area was calculated and divided for body surface area. 
Myocardial mass was found significantly larger in athlete group than in control 
group (p = 0.0078), the same being for end-diastolic volume (p = 0.0078), stroke 
volume (p = 0.0055), LM (p = 0.0066) and LAD (p = 0.0129). No significant 
difference was found for all the remaining parameters. Significant correlation 
with myocardial mass was found for LM (p < 0.001) and LAD (p = 0.0340), not for 
LCx and RCA. Magnetic resonance imaging is a useful tool in evaluating the 
myocardial hypertrophy and function of athlete's heart. Magnetic resonance 
angiography is a valuable noninvasive method to visualize the correlated 
cross-sectional area increase of the left coronary artery system.