Abstract
The aim of the paper was to assess indicators of muscle and intestinal damage in triathletes. The study involved 15 triathletes whose objective for the season was to start in the XTERRA POLAND 2017 event (1,500-m swimming, 36-km cycling, and 10-km mountain running). Before the 14-week preparatory period, the competitors’ body composition was measured, aerobic capacity was tested (graded treadmill test) and blood samples were collected to determine markers showing the level of muscle and intestinal damage. Subsequent tests for body composition were carried out before and after the competition. Blood samples for biochemical indicators were collected the day before the competition, after the completed race, and 24 and 48 hours later. A significant decrease in body mass was observed after completing the race (–3.1±1.5%). The mean maximal oxygen uptake level among the studied athletes equalled 4.9±0.4 L·min–1, 58.8±4.5 mL·kg–1·min–1. The significant increase in concentrations of cortisol, c-reactive protein and myoglobin after the competition, significantly correlated with the significant increase in zonulin concentration (post 1h: r = 0.88, p = 0.007, r = 0,79, p = 0.001, r = 0.78, p = 0.001, and post 12h: r = 0.75, p = 0.01, r = 0.71, p = 0.011, r = 0.83, p = 0.02). No significant changes in the concentration of tumour necrosis factor alpha among the examined competitors were noted at following stages of the study. The results of our research showed that in order to monitor overload in the training of triathletes, useful markers reflecting the degree of muscle and intestinal damage include cortisol, testosterone, testosterone to cortisol ratio, c-reactive protein, myoglobin and zonulin. Changes in muscle cell damage markers strongly correlated with changes in zonulin concentration at particular stages of the study. Thus, one can expect that the concentrations of markers depicting the level of muscle cell damage after an intense and long-lasting effort will significantly influence the level of the intestinal barrier.
Highlights
The triathlon is an Olympic discipline of endurance exercise that includes 1.5 km of swimming, 40 km of cycling, and 10 km of running
Significant changes between the beginning and the end of the preparatory period were observed in the level of fat tissue, expressed in% and kg
It is worth noting that body mass significantly decreased immediately after the completion of the race in comparison to the measurements performed before the start of the competition
Summary
The triathlon is an Olympic discipline of endurance exercise that includes 1.5 km of swimming, 40 km of cycling, and 10 km of running. Recent years have brought about an increase in participation concerning mass endurance sports events such as the triathlon. The interest in training cycles has increased regarding this discipline. It should be noted that the periodization of the training process for competitors preparing to complete a triathlon is very complex. Owing to the typically endurance nature of the competition, the whole training process should be systematically modified and adjusted to the individual potential of an athlete. Optimization of training demands continuous control and monitoring of the training process with methods adjusted to the specificity of a sports discipline so that the obtained measurements provide reliable information
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