Normal enlargement of the heart from athletic training is known as?

The normal enlargement of the heart as a result of athletic training is referred to as hypertrophy. This physiological response occurs as the heart adapts to the increased demands placed on it by consistent and intense physical activity. When an individual engages in regular, vigorous exercise, particularly endurance training, the heart muscle (myocardium) responds by thickening and increasing in size.

This process is beneficial and helps improve the heart's output and efficiency, allowing the athlete to meet the increased physical demands during exercise. The thickening of the heart walls enhances the heart’s ability to pump blood more effectively, which is a crucial adaptation for performance in sports.

In contrast, while other terms such as physiological dilation or functional hypertrophy can be related to heart adaptations, they do not specifically denote the characteristic increase in the thickness of the heart muscle seen in athletes. Physiological dilation generally refers to an increase in chamber size rather than the wall thickness, and functional hypertrophy often relates to changes that may not be purely structural. Therefore, hypertrophy is the most accurate and precise term to describe this adaptive response to athletic training.