title: Does a 100-km walking affect indicators of vitamin status?
abstract: The status of thiamin (B1), riboflavin (B2), ascorbic acid (AA), and tocopherol was determined in 60 leisure athletes (age 46 +/- 10 y, BMI 23.7 +/- 2.0 kg.m-2, VO2max 39.4 +/- 6.5 ml.min-1.kg-1), who completed a 100-km walking race. Vitamin plasma levels and activities of erythrocyte transketolase (ETK) and glutathione reductase (EGR) were measured before start, immediately after finishing and 6 hours later. The participators finished the entire distance in 14.25 h (average speed 7 km.h-1). Before start, all participators showed an excellent vitamin status (prevalences of low vitamin status ranged between 1.7 and 1.8%). Plasma tocopherol concentrations correlated significantly with increased age (r = 0.35, p = 0.008). Compared to the values before start, plasma concentrations of B1 and B2 as well as ETK and/or EGR were increased significantly after finishing. The raised levels persisted 6 hours after finishing, whereas AA remained unaltered. The univariate analysis of variance revealed that the change in vitamin status after finish and 6 hours later was in part highly dependent on age, BMI and the level of physical fitness. Despite the long distance, the extensive character of the 100-km walking with its low intensity did not deteriorate the measured indicators of vitamin status.
authors.affiliation: Friedrich-Schiller-University, Dept. Human Nutrition, Jena, Germany. Thomas.Frank@uni-jena.de
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Frank
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kühl
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Makowski
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bitsch
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Jahreis
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hübscher
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D015992:Body Mass Index; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000201:enzymology; D005260:Female; D005980:Glutathione Reductase / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009752:Nutritional Status / Q000502:physiology*; D010809:Physical Fitness; D013997:Time Factors; D014174:Transketolase / Q000097:blood*; D014815:Vitamins / Q000097:blood*; D016138:Walking / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D014815:Vitamins; D005980:Glutathione Reductase; D014174:Transketolase