Unaccustomed high-mileage vs intensity training-related changes in performance and serum amino acid levels.
To test the overtraining-related "imbalanced amino acid hypothesis" (19), the influence of an unaccustomed average 103 %.4 wk-1 increase in training mileage (ITV) on performance and on serum levels of individual amino acids (AAs) was examined in distance runners and controlled by an unaccustomed average 152%.4 wk-1 increase in tempo-pace and interval runs (ITI). Two mmol.l-1 lactate performance (2 LP) increased, 4 LP stagnated and total running distance (TD) decreased in the incremental test during ITV--which may indicate an ITV-dependent overtraining--in contrast to an ITI-related increase in 2 LP, 4 LP and TD. The summed serum AAs decreased in ITV (2744 +/- 534 vs 2933 +/- 663 umol.l-1; p < 0.05) in contrast to an ITI-related increase (3541 +/- 657 vs 3252 +/- 885 umol.l-1; p < 0.05) with an average 29% higher final summed AAs concentration during ITI (p < 0.05). During ITV 12 individual AAs decreased by 6-17%, 8 remained constant and 3 increased (Cys, Met, fTrp) by 6-19%, as opposed to an ITI-related increase in 16 AA by 6-55%. The observed ITV-related changes in serum AAs profile were smaller than after completing contests as a marathon, a 100 km-run or an ultra-triathlon. It may be concluded that the observed small changes in AAs profile or AAA/BCAA and AA/LNAA ratios only represent an epiphenomenon without recognizable influence on incremental test performance, since increases in fTrp/LNAA ratios (+28% in ITV vs +45% in ITI) were found to be related both to performance impairment (ITV) and improvement (ITI).
Lehmann
M
M
Department of Sports Medicine, University Medical Hospital Freiburg.
Mann
H
H
Gastmann
U
U
Keul
J
J
Vetter
D
D
Steinacker
J M
JM
Häussinger
D
D
D000328:Adult; D000596:Amino Acids / Q000097:blood*; D001120:Arginine / Q000097:blood; D001216:Asparagine / Q000097:blood; D001224:Aspartic Acid / Q000097:blood; D003553:Cystine / Q000097:blood; D004906:Erythrocyte Count; D005080:Exercise Test; D005221:Fatigue / Q000097:blood / Q000503:physiopathology; D005998:Glycine / Q000097:blood; D006400:Hematocrit; D006454:Hemoglobins / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D007773:Lactates / Q000097:blood; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D008239:Lysine / Q000097:blood; D008715:Methionine / Q000097:blood; D010649:Phenylalanine / Q000097:blood; D010807:Physical Endurance / Q000502:physiology*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012420:Running / Q000502:physiology*; D012694:Serine / Q000097:blood; D013654:Taurine / Q000097:blood; D014364:Tryptophan / Q000097:blood; D014443:Tyrosine / Q000097:blood
D000596:Amino Acids; D006454:Hemoglobins; D007773:Lactates; D013654:Taurine; D001224:Aspartic Acid; D014443:Tyrosine; D012694:Serine; D010649:Phenylalanine; D003553:Cystine; D001216:Asparagine; D014364:Tryptophan; D001120:Arginine; D008715:Methionine; D008239:Lysine; D005998:Glycine