Abstract
The purpose of this study was to compare the redox, hormonal, metabolic, and lipid profiles of female and male basketball players during the seasonal training period, compared to their relative sedentary controls. 20 basketball players (10 female and 10 male) and 20 sedentary controls (10 female and 10 male) were enrolled in the study. Oxidative stress, adiponectin level, and metabolic profile were determined. Male and female athletes showed an increased antioxidant capacity (27% for males; 21% for females) and lactate level (389% for males; 460% for females) and reduced salivary cortisol (25% for males; 51% for females) compared to the sedentary controls. Moreover, a peculiar metabolite (in particular, amino acids and urea), hormonal, and lipidic profile were highlighted in the two groups of athletes. Female and male adaptations to training have several common traits, such as antioxidant potential enhancement, lactate increase, and activation of detoxifying processes, such as the urea cycle and arachidonic pathways as a response to inflammation. Moreover, we found different lipid and amino acid utilization related to sex. Deeper investigation could help coaches in developing training programs based on the athletes’ sex in order to reduce the drop-out rate of sporting activity by girls and fight the gender stereotypes in sport that also have repercussions in social fields.
Highlights
During exercise and regular training, several metabolic changes occur in an organism, leading to the activation of adaptive mechanisms aimed at establishing a new dynamic equilibrium, especially at the metabolic level, which guarantees health and better performance in elite athletes [1]
These adaptive mechanisms are the result of a fine balance between: (i) oxidative stress/inflammation induced by exercise that increases performance and health, and (ii) oxidative stress due to excessive effort that causes fatigue and muscle damage [2]
Several studies have indicated that adiponectin plasma concentration is determined by fat mass, with the additional independent effects of age and sex: adiponectin concentration is higher in females and it increases with age [8,9,10]
Summary
During exercise and regular training, several metabolic changes occur in an organism, leading to the activation of adaptive mechanisms aimed at establishing a new dynamic equilibrium, especially at the metabolic level, which guarantees health and better performance in elite athletes [1]. These adaptive mechanisms are the result of a fine balance between: (i) oxidative stress/inflammation induced by exercise that increases performance and health, and (ii) oxidative stress due to excessive effort that causes fatigue and muscle damage [2] In this context, the role of oxidative stress and hormone signalling linked to inflammation appears to be crucial for adaptation [2]. It could be of particular interest to evaluate training responses in relation to sex, since, between male and female athletes, different hormonal, physiological, and muscular statuses exist, which may influence these adaptive mechanisms. Most of the sex-related differences in sport performance are ascribed to androgens; in particular, testosterone and its related metabolite, dihydrotestosterone [12,13,14,15,16] This sexbased difference is the premise to explain why males acquire larger muscle mass and greater strength, larger and stronger bones, and higher circulating haemoglobin [16]. There may be sex-independent or sex-dependent traits in adaptations to sport
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