Abstract
The response to strenuous exercise was investigated by reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, oxidative damage, thiol redox status, and inflammation assessments in 32 enrolled triathlon athletes (41.9 ± 7.9 yrs) during Ironman® (IR), or half Ironman® (HIR) competition. In biological samples, inflammatory cytokines, aminothiols (glutathione (GSH), homocysteine (Hcy), cysteine (Cys), and cysteinylglycine (CysGly)), creatinine and neopterin, oxidative stress (OxS) biomarkers (protein carbonyl (PC), thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBARS)), and ROS were assessed. Thirteen HIR and fourteen IR athletes finished the race. Postrace, ROS (HIR +20%; IR +28%; p < 0.0001), TBARS (HIR +57%; IR +101%), PC (HIR +101%; IR +130%) and urinary neopterin (HIR +19%, IR +27%) significantly (range p < 0.05-0.0001) increased. Moreover, HIR showed an increase in total Cys +28%, while IR showed total aminothiols, Cys, Hcy, CysGly, and GSH increase by +48, +30, +58, and +158%, respectively (range p < 0.05-0.0001). ROS production was significantly correlated with TBARS and PC (R2 = 0.38 and R2 = 0.40; p < 0.0001) and aminothiols levels (range R2 = 0.17-0.47; range p < 0.01-0.0001). In particular, ROS was directly correlated with the athletes' age (R2 = 0.19; p < 0.05), with ultraendurance years of training (R2 = 0.18; p < 0.05) and the days/week training activity (R2 = 0.16; p < 0.05). Finally, the days/week training activity (hours/in the last 2 weeks) was found inversely correlated with the IL-6 postrace (R2 = ‐0.21; p < 0.01). A strenuous performance, the Ironman® distance triathlon competition, alters the oxidant/antioxidant balance through a great OxS response that is directly correlated to the inflammatory parameters; furthermore, the obtained data suggest that an appropriate training time has to be selected in order to achieve the lowest ROS production and IL-6 concentration at the same time.
Highlights
Triathlon is a multiple-stage competition involving the completion of three continuous and sequential endurance disciplines [1]
As widely reported in the literature, during intense aerobic exercise, the rate of oxygen consumption increases due to the significant need for ATP production and this is associated with a large oxygen flux into mitochondria of the working skeletal muscles
All data collected in the present study suggested that Ironman triathlon competition elucidated alterations in systemic inflammation and oxidative stress (OxS) biomarkers both in IR and in half Ironman® (HIR)
Summary
Triathlon is a multiple-stage competition involving the completion of three continuous and sequential endurance disciplines [1]. Long competitions require great power endurance possibly leading to heat stress and dehydration [4, 5], muscle injury [6], oxidative stress. Ultraendurance exercise, increase the oxygen consumption rate, which, in turn, increases the high reactive oxygen species (ROS) production [14, 15] so antioxidant defenses are mostly required to protect cells from oxidative damage. Overproduction of ROS, potentially damaging cells, macromolecules (i.e. lipids, proteins, carbohydrates, and nucleic acids) [16, 17] in both skeletal muscle and blood [18], is known as oxidative stress (OxS). At appropriate concentration, ROS are known to act as important signaling molecules [21, 22]
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