Antioxidant status of elite athletes remains impaired 2 weeks after a simulated altitude training camp.
BACKGROUND
It has been shown that the antioxidant status was altered by the "live high-train low" (LHTL) method, however, no information is available regarding the antioxidant restoration during the recovery period.


OBJECTIVE
We tested the hypothesis that the antioxidant status is impaired by 18 days LHTL in elite athletes and remained altered after 14 days of recovery.


METHODS
Eleven elite cross-country skiers from the French Skiing Federation were submitted to 18-day endurance training. Six (hypoxic group; HG) trained at 1,200 m and lived in hypoxia (simulated altitude of 2,500 m-3,000 m-3,500 m) and 5 (control group; CG) trained and lived at 1,200 m. Plasma levels of advanced oxidation protein products (AOPP), malondialdehydes (MDA), ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity (TEAC) lipid-soluble antioxidants (alpha-tocopherol, beta-carotene and lycopene) were measured at rest, before (PRE), the first day after (POST1) and again 2 weeks (POST14) after the training. Intakes of vitamins A and E were evaluated from the dietary recording.


RESULTS
In POST1, FRAP and TEAC decreased in both groups, however, the TEAC decrease persisted in POST14 for HG only. Lycopene and beta-carotene decreased in POST1 for HG and remained lower in POST14. Finally, AOPP increased only for HG in POST1. The general decline of antioxidant status for both groups might result from insufficient intakes in vitamins A and E.


CONCLUSIONS
This is the first study to show that the antioxidant status did not return to baseline 2 weeks after 18 days of LHTL training.
Pialoux
Vincent
V
Centre de Recherche et d'Innovation sur le Sport, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, 69622, Villeurbanne Cedex, France. pialouxvincent@yahoo.fr
Brugniaux
Julien V
JV
Rock
Edmond
E
Mazur
Andrzej
A
Schmitt
Laurent
L
Richalet
Jean-Paul
JP
Robach
Paul
P
Clottes
Eric
E
Coudert
Jean
J
Fellmann
Nicole
N
Mounier
Rémi
R
D000328:Adult; D000531:Altitude; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000032:analysis*; D056352:Athletes; D001798:Blood Proteins / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry; D002338:Carotenoids / Q000097:blood; D002839:Chromans / Q000737:chemistry; D004032:Diet; D015444:Exercise / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D005290:Ferric Compounds / Q000737:chemistry; D006801:Humans; D007700:Kinetics; D000077276:Lycopene; D008297:Male; D008315:Malondialdehyde / Q000097:blood; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D018384:Oxidative Stress; D010101:Oxygen Consumption; D010807:Physical Endurance / Q000502:physiology*; D012865:Skiing; D014801:Vitamin A / Q000008:administration & dosage; D014810:Vitamin E / Q000008:administration & dosage; D024502:alpha-Tocopherol / Q000097:blood; D019207:beta Carotene / Q000097:blood
D000975:Antioxidants; D001798:Blood Proteins; D002839:Chromans; D005290:Ferric Compounds; D019207:beta Carotene; D014801:Vitamin A; D014810:Vitamin E; D002338:Carotenoids; D008315:Malondialdehyde; D024502:alpha-Tocopherol; C010643:6-hydroxy-2,5,7,8-tetramethylchroman-2-carboxylic acid; D000077276:Lycopene