Physical training decreases total plasma homocysteine and cysteine in middle-aged subjects.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to evaluate whether endurance exercise in middle-aged men induces changes in plasma total homocysteine (tHcy) and total cysteine (tCys), and whether these changes depend on the diet especially on vitamin B(6), folic acid and vitamin B(12) intakes.


METHODS
Twelve trained subjects (52.33 +/- 2.4 years) and twelve untrained subjects (56.23 +/- 0.9 years) volunteered for the present study. tHcy and tCys were measured with high-pressure liquid chromatography at rest in both groups and during an incremental exercise performed on a cycle ergometer until exhaustion in the trained subjects.


RESULTS
At baseline homocysteinemia and cysteinemia were lower in trained subjects (7.48 +/- 0.4 and 183.45 +/- 13.6 micromol/l) compared with untrained subjects (9.79 +/- 0.4 micromol/l, p < 0.001; 229.01 +/-14.7 micromol/l, p < 0.05, respectively). Incremental exercise also induced a decrease in tHcy and tCys concentrations. Moreover, tHcy concentration was negatively related to the folic acid and B(12) intakes in untrained (r = -0.589, p < 0.05; r = -0.580, p < 0.05, respectively) as well as in trained groups (r = -0.709, p < 0.01; r = -0.731, p < 0.01, respectively) whereas no correlation between tCys and vitamin in the diet was observed.


CONCLUSIONS
This study demonstrates that the combined effects of a chronic physical exercise and a high folate and vitamin B(12) intake could be responsible for the reduction of plasma tHcy and tCys concentrations that might be a key for the prevention of many diseases.
Gaume
V
V
UFR STAPS, EA 479, Besançon, France. vincentgaume@hotmail.com
Mougin
F
F
Figard
H
H
Simon-Rigaud
M L
ML
N'Guyen
U N
UN
Callier
J
J
Kantelip
J P
JP
Berthelot
A
A
D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000886:Anthropometry / Q000379:methods; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid / Q000379:methods; D003545:Cysteine / Q000097:blood*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D015444:Exercise / Q000502:physiology*; D005080:Exercise Test / Q000379:methods; D005492:Folic Acid / Q000494:pharmacology; D006710:Homocysteine / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010807:Physical Endurance / Q000502:physiology*; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood; D014805:Vitamin B 12 / Q000494:pharmacology; D025101:Vitamin B 6 / Q000494:pharmacology
D014280:Triglycerides; D006710:Homocysteine; D025101:Vitamin B 6; D005492:Folic Acid; D002784:Cholesterol; D003545:Cysteine; D014805:Vitamin B 12