In a recent issue of this journal, Bjerring and colleagues present unique cardiac adaptations derived from longitudinal observations in young talented cross-country skiers. They report eccentric remodelling from 12-15 years followed by concentric remodelling from 15-18 years. These findings contribute to the contemporary understanding of cardiac development during growth of talented endurance athletes. Although myriads of studies have dealt with cardiac adaptive responses to various types of sports at different ages, only limited data are available from longitudinal investigations, in particular during growth and maturation of children and adolescents.