Cardiac hypertrophy and accompanying phenomena have received increasing attention in recent years – particularly in the basic sciences. The present volume contains the proceedings of the Erwin RIESCH SYMPOSIUM on "CARDIAC ADAPTATION TO HEMODYNAMIC OVERLOAD, TRAINING AND STRESS" held in Tiibingen on Sep- tember 19-22, 1982. In addition to the topics of the previous symposia (1976 and 1979) concerned with problems of cardiac hypertrophy, the scope of this sequel meeting has been expanded to include related fields. The intention was to consider numerous related features and problems of chronic reactions of the heart (and vascular system) to abnormal hemodynamic loading, as well as alterations due to maturation, aging, training, neuroendocrine status and stress. Special attention has been paid to cardiac reactions at the level of contractile proteins. The results are considered primarily in light of long-term adaptation of the heart. Of course, research at the forefront of current knowledge need not always lead to congruent conclusions. Neither can the individual contributions always agree with the viewpoint of the editors. However, the broad array of individual approaches employed by biochemists, biolo- gists, pathologists, physiologists, pharmacologists and clinical cardio- logists will certainly help to provide a more balanced interpretation of the results in individual fields, stimulate reexamination of established con- cepts and provide direction for future research.