Increased Oxidative Stress in Injured and Ill Elite International Olympic Rowers

Abstract

Background: Identifying strategies that reduce the risk of illness and injury is an objective of sports science and medicine teams. No studies have examined the relationship between oxidative stress (OS) and illness or injury in international athletes undergoing periods of intensified training and competition. Purpose: The authors aimed to identify relationships between illness, injury, and OS. Methods: A longitudinal, observational study of elite male rowers (n = 10) was conducted over 18 weeks, leading into World Championships. Following a recovery day and a 12-hour fast, hydroperoxides (free oxygen radicals test) and total antioxidant capacity (free oxygen radicals defense) were measured in venous blood, with the ratio calculated as the oxidative stress index (OSI). At all study time points, athletes were independently dichotomized as ill or not ill, injured or not injured. OS data were compared between groups using independent t tests. A Cox proportional hazard model was used to assess the association of OS with injury and illness while adjusting for age and body mass index. Results: Free oxygen radicals defense was lower (P < .02) and OSI was higher (P < .001) with illness than without illness. Free oxygen radicals test and OSI were higher with injury than without injury (P < .001). A 0.5 mmol·L−1 increase in free oxygen radicals defense was associated with a 30.6% illness risk reduction (95% confidence interval, 7%–48%, P = .014), whereas 0.5 unit increase in OSI was related to a 11.3% increased illness risk (95% confidence interval, 1%–23%, P = .036). Conclusions: OS is increased in injured and ill athletes. Monitoring OS may be advantageous in assessing recovery from and in reducing injury and illness risk given the association.

Pre-Exercise Whole- or Partial-Body Cryotherapy Exposure to Improve Physical Performance: A Systematic Review

“…Regular, intense training and competition, without adequate recovery or reduced training load, can increase the level of oxidative stress markers that contributes to increased risk of illness and injuries in athletes [ 43 ]. An increase in the oxidative stress index (OSI) in elite Olympic rowers was related to higher injury and illness rates during the competition phase of their season [ 44 ]. The marked decreases in ASA, AcP and CK facilitated by WBC or PBC could potentially decrease injury and illness risks over long, intense training periods when used chronically by athletes.…”

Clustering classification of cyclists according to the acute fatigue outcomes produced by an ultra-endurance event

“…Plasma Antioxidant Capacity was determined using the FORD test (Callegari, Catellani, Italy) (Lewis et al, 2020;Pavlatou et al, 2009), a colorimetric essay that relates the discoloration of the sample with antioxidants concentration, according to Lambert-Beer law (Pavlatou et al, 2009) Perception of fatigue and pain was measured using a 150-mm visual analogue scale (VAS) (Mündermann et al, 2002). The scales were labelled from the left as "absence of fatigue/pain" (0 mm) to the right as "highest fatigue/pain imaginable" (150 mm).…”

Antioxidative properties of phenolic compounds and their effect on oxidative stress induced by severe physical exercise

“…However, PE-induced health benefits can be limited by the overproduction of ROS/RNS. Excessive ROS/RNS can cause an extensive alteration in redox homeostasis, damage biomolecules and decrease skeletal muscle force, overtraining, muscle injury, and illness [86][87][88]. A considerable number of studies have reported that not only a sedentary lifestyle but also short-term exercise of high intensity or severe aerobic or anaerobic PE not preceded by training can primarily increase ROS/RNS production, elevating the inflammatory processes in the cells and contribute to OS [89][90][91].…”