title: Zinc supplementation in rats subjected to acute swimming exercise: Its effect on testosterone levels and relation with lactate.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  There is fairly scarce information about the effects of zinc, an essential trace element, on performance. Studies concerned with the relation between zinc and exercise mostly concentrate on the distribution of this element in the body in response to exercise. The objective of the present study is to explore how zinc supplementation affects testosterone levels and its relation with lactate in rats subjected to acute swimming exercise.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty adult male rats of Sprague-Dawley species were equally allocated to 3 groups. Group 1: Control. Group 2: Group subjected to 30-minute acute swimming exercise. Group 3: Group supplemented with intraperitoneal (i.p.) zinc (3 mg/kg day) for 4 weeks and subjected to 30-minute swimming exercise. Blood samples collected from all experimental animals by decapitation method were analyzed to determine free and total testosterone and lactate levels in the plasma.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Group 3 had the highest free and total testosterone levels, followed by Group 1 and Group 2. The highest lactate levels were found in Group 2 and the levels in Group 3 were higher than those in Group 1.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Results of the study demonstrate that zinc supplementation leads to a significant increase in testosterone levels and a significant decrease in lactate levels. In conclusion, physiological doses of zinc supplementation can be useful for performance.
authors.affiliation: Firat University The School of Physical Education and Sports, Elazig, Turkey. kmoktaykaya@yahoo.com.tr
authors.forename: Oktay
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Kaya
authors.forename: Kadir
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Gokdemir
authors.forename: Mehmet
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kilic
authors.forename: Abdulkerim Kasim
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Baltaci
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D007274:Injections, Intraperitoneal; D019344:Lactic Acid / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013550:Swimming / Q000502:physiology*; D013739:Testosterone / Q000097:blood*; D015032:Zinc / Q000097:blood / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D019344:Lactic Acid; D013739:Testosterone; D015032:Zinc