Antiatherosclerotic effect of exercise on the antioxidant properties of paraoxonase – A preliminary examination

Abstract

The positive impact of properly performed exercise on the human body is well known. In this study, the effect of maximal exercise on the antioxidant activity of the blood enzyme, paraoxonase (PON), was determined. The aim of this study was to determine the influence of a single bout of maximal physical exercise on PON activity and to investigate the correlation of this activity with chosen biometric parameters and physical activity levels. In total, 15 subjects participated in this study. The average age of the subjects was 18 years (±2.74 years). Participants were subjected to maximum efforts on a treadmill until complete exhaustion resulted. They had their blood taken for analysis at three time points – before, at the end, and 2 h following the end of exercise. PON activity was determined by the ability to dispose of paraoxon. The subjects also filled in questionnaires in which they determined the amount and form of training carried out. Basic biometric data were collected from the subjects. This study demonstrates that the enzyme activity at the maximal effort is higher than at rest; however, it does not depend on the level of physical activity. PON activity 2 h following exercise, though higher than at rest, was not statistically significant. No relationship was found between PON activity and chosen parameters such as age, weight, BMI, lean, body mass. A single bout of maximal exercise increases PON activity. A positive trend was also observed with respect to the impact of the physical activity level on PON activity at rest.