Redox State in Professional Cyclists Following Competitive Sports Activity

Abstract

Abstract:Introduction: Measuring oxidative stress (OS) and antioxidant reserve (AOR) may be useful in assessing the physical condition of athletes taking part in competitive sports activities.Aim: During the "Giro d'Italia" in May 2011, the redox state of an entire cycle racing team was monitored to determine the risk of cyclists developing "redox inflammation", which might herald the onset of pathological conditions. Materials and Methods:The nine members of the Liquigas cycle racing team were analyzed using a FRAS 4 Evolvo System. OS was determined by measuring plasma hydroperoxides (d-ROMs test) and AOR by measuring water-soluble antioxidants in the plasma (BAP test). The latter was expressed in terms of μEq of Vitamin C. Both measurements were carried out at four different times during the race: baseline, in the morning two days before the start [B]; in the morning of the rest day after 9 stages [M1]; in the evening after the most stressing mountain stage [MS]; in the morning before the start of the last stage [M2]. Each cyclist's performance was determined at the end of the race according to an ordinal scale ranging from 1 to 9. Conclusions:Redox balance assessment is a useful tool to: a) monitor athletic performance and predict the onset of redox inflammatory state (RI), which might be detrimental to the athlete's physical condition; b) propose suitable supplementation with particular foods and dietary supplements.

Alterations in Redox Homeostasis in the Elite Endurance Athlete

“…In contrast to MDA, the mean before and after twostage race and tour changes for lipid hydroperoxides (25 %) were within the reported critical difference of 28 % for lipid hydroperoxides. However, increases as high as *50 % were recorded after certain stages in individuals in the Giro d'Italia [113]. The baseline concentrations of MDA reported in the elite cyclists of *4.5-4.8 lmol/L, increasing to *8 lmol/L after racing, represent some of the highest concentrations recorded in the exercise science literature [117][118][119], and contrast markedly with baseline rested concentrations reported for elite middle-distance runners of *1.70 lmol/L [123], elite swimmers *1.5 lmol/L [124] and elite cross-country skiers 1.2 lmol/L [49].…”

“…The seven cycling studies including markers of lipid peroxidation (MDA) and determination of reactive oxygen metabolites (d-ROMS) showed a consistent effect for increases in lipid peroxidation post-race, with relative increases of between 8 and 144 % [113][114][115][116][117][118][119]. The largest increase in MDA of 144 % was following a single stage race of 229 km [115], with MDA increases of 23-69 % recorded after a single mountain stage race of *171 km [117,120], in contrast to no significant change (*9 %) following a flat stage of *166 km [119].…”

“…The largest increase in MDA of 144 % was following a single stage race of 229 km [115], with MDA increases of 23-69 % recorded after a single mountain stage race of *171 km [117,120], in contrast to no significant change (*9 %) following a flat stage of *166 km [119]. Using the d-ROMS assay, one cycling study recorded *25 % increase after two stage races [114] whilst Corsetti et al [113] recorded *25 % increase for the team pre-to posttour, with considerable intra-and inter-subject variability throughout the tour; 3 to *55 % increase for an individual cyclist after several stages. In contrast to the aforementioned studies, the study by Ginsburg et al [112] in triathletes found a decrease in the susceptibility of lipids to peroxidation pre-versus post-Ironman; methodological differences likely account for the contrasting observations of Ginsburg et al [112].…”

“…Eleven studies reporting ARH following endurance racing were analysed; all but one assessed males only (Table 2). Only two studies reported the analytical variability of the assays used [112,113]. All the studies in which ARH was assessed were under competition conditions, with ten studies in professional cyclists and one study in professional triathletes during the Ironman World Championships in Hawaii in 1994-1995.…”

“…In contrast, after mountain stages (171 km), neutrophil GSH decreased 43 %, blood GSSG increased 27 % [28] and plasma GSSG increased 16 % [118]. Only one study assessed antioxidant status through the use of the biological antioxidant potential (BAP) test, observing a 24 % decline across the entire cycling tour [113].…”