Competitive and seasonal oxidative stress in elite alpine ski racers.
We investigated competitive- and long-term oxidative stress during a competition season in eight top-ranked members of the Austrian Men's Alpine Ski Team. Serum total peroxides, antibody titers against oxidized LDL (oLAb) and lag time of the degradation of the fluorophore 1-palmitoyl-2-((2-(4-(6-phenyl-trans-1,3,5-hexatrienyl)phenyl)ethyl)-carbonyl)-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine were measured, along with plasma concentrations of ascorbate, alpha- and gamma-tocopherol, beta-carotene, uric acid and the lipid status. Competitive stress was indicated through an increased post-race uric acid level (286 +/- 50 microM pre-race vs 456 +/- 77 microM post-race, P<0.001) in December. Long-term effects were already apparent in November, with the highest concentrations of total peroxides (680 +/- 458 microM H(2)O(2) equivalents vs December 47 +/- 58 microM H(2)O(2) equivalents and January 15 +/- 28 microM H(2)O(2) equivalents, P<0.001) and a concomitant decrease in oLAb titers with an antibody trough in December (439 +/- 150 mU/mL vs baseline 1036 +/- 328 mU/mL; P=0.003). In January, after recovery, they attained nearly pre-season levels of oxidative stress biomarkers. This study indicates midseason oxidative stress in top-level skiers, which was associated with the performance in these athletes.
Schippinger
G
G
Department of Traumatology, University Medical Center, Graz, Austria. gert@schippinger.com
Fankhauser
F
F
Abuja
P M
PM
Winklhofer-Roob
B M
BM
Nadlinger
K
K
Halwachs-Baumann
G
G
Wonisch
W
W
D000328:Adult; D054874:Athletic Performance / Q000502:physiology; D001317:Austria; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood / Q000652:urine; D003163:Competitive Behavior / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000502:physiology*; D012865:Skiing / Q000502:physiology*; D013312:Stress, Physiological / Q000502:physiology; D055815:Young Adult
D015415:Biomarkers