Effects of exercise on alterations in redox homeostasis in elite male and female endurance athletes using a clinical point-of-care test.
Exercise causes alterations in redox homeostasis (ARH). Measuring ARH in elite athletes may aid in the identification of training tolerance, fatigued states, and underperformance. To the best of our knowledge, no studies have examined ARH in elite male and female distance runners at sea level. The monitoring of ARH in athletes is hindered by a lack of reliable and repeatable in-the-field testing tools and by the rapid turnaround of results. We examined the effects of various exercise intensities on ARH in healthy (non-over-reached) elite male and female endurance athletes using clinical point-of-care (POC) redox tests, referred to as the free oxygen radical test (FORT) (pro-oxidant) and the free oxygen radical defence (FORD) (antioxidant). Elite male and female endurance athletes (n = 22) completed a discontinuous incremental treadmill protocol at submaximal running speeds and a test to exhaustion. Redox measures were analyzed via blood sampling at rest, warm-up, submaximal exercise, exhaustion, and recovery. FORD was elevated above rest after submaximal and maximal exercise, and recovery (p < 0.05, d = 0.87-1.55), with only maximal exercise and recovery increasing FORT (p < 0.05, d = 0.23-0.32). Overall, a decrease in oxidative stress in response to submaximal and maximal exercise was evident (p < 0.05, d = 0.46). There were no gender differences for ARH (p > 0.05). The velocity at lactate threshold (vLT) correlated with the FORD response at rest, maximal exercise, and recovery (p < 0.05). Using the clinical POC redox test, an absence of oxidative stress after exhaustive exercise is evident in the nonfatigued elite endurance athlete. The blood antioxidant response (FORD) to exercise appears to be related to a key marker of aerobic fitness: vLT.
a School of Sport, Health and Applied Science, St. Mary's University, Twickenham, London TW1 4SX, UK.|b ORRECO, National University of Ireland Galway Business Innovation Centre, Unit 103, Upper Newcastle, Galway H91 RW53, Ireland.|c English Institute of Sport, Bath University, Claverton Down, Bath BA2 7AY, UK.
Nathan A
NA
Lewis
a School of Sport, Health and Applied Science, St. Mary's University, Twickenham, London TW1 4SX, UK.
Colin
C
Towey
a School of Sport, Health and Applied Science, St. Mary's University, Twickenham, London TW1 4SX, UK.|b ORRECO, National University of Ireland Galway Business Innovation Centre, Unit 103, Upper Newcastle, Galway H91 RW53, Ireland.|d Division of Surgery and Interventional Science, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, UK.
Georgie
G
Bruinvels
e Department of Sport, Exercise and Rehabilitation, Northumbria University, Newcastle NE7 7XA, UK.|f Water Research Group, School of Environmental Sciences and Development, Northwest University, Potchefstroom 2531, South Africa.
Glyn
G
Howatson
a School of Sport, Health and Applied Science, St. Mary's University, Twickenham, London TW1 4SX, UK.|b ORRECO, National University of Ireland Galway Business Innovation Centre, Unit 103, Upper Newcastle, Galway H91 RW53, Ireland.|g Cardiovascular Performance Program, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston MA 02114, USA.
Charles R
CR
Pedlar
D000328:Adult; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000032:analysis; D056352:Athletes; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D004739:England; D015444:Exercise; D005080:Exercise Test / Q000009:adverse effects; D005221:Fatigue / Q000097:blood* / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D019344:Lactic Acid / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D018384:Oxidative Stress; D010101:Oxygen Consumption; D010807:Physical Endurance; D000067716:Point-of-Care Testing; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species / Q000097:blood*; D012420:Running; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D055815:Young Adult
D000975:Antioxidants; D015415:Biomarkers; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species; D019344:Lactic Acid
antioxidant; antioxydant; biomarkers; biomarqueurs; fatigue; monitorage; monitoring; oxidative stress; stress oxydatif