Barry University professor Dr. Zacharias Papadakis is advancing our understanding of how elite athletes’ hearts adapt to high-level training. In his latest study, “Stronger hearts, weaker leaps? The cardiac power paradox in elite soccer,” published in the European Journal of Applied Physiology, Dr. Papadakis and his team investigate the complex relationship between cardiac adaptations and explosive athletic performance.

The research focused on Left Ventricular Mass Index (LVMI), a measure of heart muscle growth, and its association with explosive power in professional soccer players. Nineteen elite male soccer players participated, undergoing 2D echocardiography to measure LVMI and a 15-repetition repeated vertical jump test (RVJT) on a force plate to assess maximum jump height (hMAX). The relationship between cardiac adaptations and explosive power was analyzed using hierarchical regression.

Key findings included that athletes with greater LVMI demonstrated 17.1% lower explosive power than those with normal LVMI, suggesting a potential trade-off between cardiovascular adaptation and neuromuscular performance.

The study was conducted in collaboration with Papadakis’ alma mater, the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (AUTH), and co-authored with two of his former undergraduate professors, Dr. Nikolaos Koutlianos and Dr. Evangelia Kouidi, and classmate Vassilios Panoutsakopoulos.

This partnership represents a proud moment for Dr. Papadakis, collaborating with his former professors who now had the opportunity to work with him as a colleague and peer contributing

to the field. It highlights the unique satisfaction educators feel when their students grow into collaborators advancing knowledge together.

At the same time, it underscores the benefits Barry students gain from professors like Dr. Papadakis who are actively engaged in research. Learning from faculty at the forefront of their fields gives students access to new discoveries, personalized mentorship, and opportunities to participate in research projects that advance learning and make an impact in real-world contexts. To read more about this study, visit https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00421-025-06026-3.