Biomarkers of tissue injury in high-intensity interval running: a systematic review

Abstract

Introduction: The improvement of aerobic and anaerobic capacity in athletes of different sports is related to high-intensity exercise performance, which causes cellular microlesions and leads to an inflammatory process necessary for muscle adaptation. Biochemical markers, such as creatine kinase (CK) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), have been used to measure muscle and inflammatory damage to identify the physiological response and improving sports performance. Objective: To describe the changes in the CK and LDH biomarkers after interval running at high intensity. Methods: We conducted a systematic review following the PRISMA guidelines and registered on PROSPERO (CRD42020201678), with a literature search, in February 2021, in the Medline, Lilacs, Scopus, SPORTDiscus, CINAHL, Web of Science, ScienceDirect, Cochrane, and Scielo databases. We used the descriptors “HIIT”, “L-Lactate Dehydrogenase”, “Creatine Kinase” and their synonyms, available in the Health Sciences Descriptors (DeCS) and Medical Subject Headings (MeSH). Results: From the 80 studies found, 6 met the inclusion criteria. Of these, four studies showed significant increases in CK and LDH simultaneously, while one study observed a significant increase only in CK and the other study only in LDH. The increases in biomarkers occurred at different magnitudes. The studies’ protocols and the sample characteristics showed high heterogeneity. Conclusion: High-intensity interval running can acutely elevate CK and LDL levels, making them excellent markers for injury risk and exercise load dosing.