Introduction
Athlete’s heart is a definition used for the physiological adaptation of
the heart to repetitive exercise. Different physiological adaptation
mechanisms may develop depending on the content of the exercise
performed [1]. Elite athletes aim to improve their cardiac fitness
at an optimal level through training for the best athletic performance.
Training is a structured procedure in which athletes are subjected to
consistent and recurrent exercise stimuli in order to induce adaptations
that align with a desired function. These functions may include delaying
the onset of tiredness, enhancing power output, improving motor
coordination, or minimizing the likelihood of injury. The boundaries of
athletic performance have been a topic of speculation and discussion for
a significant period of time. Nevertheless, there appears to be a
noticeable plateau in sports performance in recent years, indicating
that the potential for further enhancement of individuals’ physical
capabilities may be limited [2]. Therefore, doping substances are
becoming a suspicious factor among elite athletes. Due to the extensive
range chemicals and the continual emergence of novel designer
pharmaceuticals on the market, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA)
annually revises its list of substances and methodologies that are
forbidden in the realm of sports. One of the most fundamental elements
of sports performance is undoubtedly cardiac function. This raises
serious doubts about the use of some heart medications as doping agents.
The addition of trimetazidine to WADA’s Prohibited List as a doping
substance in 2014 can be considered the beginning of this era [3,4].
The combination of sacubitril and valsartan, as well as dapagliflozin,
which effectively improves cardiac performance and has a positive
prognostic effect on heart failure, has been particularly notable in
recent years in the existing literature [5,6]. These may potentially
be abused as doping substances in elite athletes. Therefore, in our
study, we aimed to observe the effects of these drugs on athletic
performance.