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Acute effects of aerobic exercise on zinc status – a systematic review and meta‐analysis
Author(s) -
Chu Anna,
Petocz Peter,
Samman Samir
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.30.1_supplement.919.1
Subject(s) - zinc , cardiorespiratory fitness , aerobic exercise , medicine , meta analysis , exercise physiology , endocrinology , physiology , chemistry , organic chemistry
Zinc is involved in numerous metabolic roles, including energy metabolism, immunity and anti‐oxidative effects. Zinc depletion leads to reductions in cardiorespiratory function and muscle endurance. Zinc losses during exercise, especially through sweat, are well documented. However, conflicting results have been reported for changes in circulating and tissue zinc concentrations following exercise. The present systematic review aims to quantify the acute effects of aerobic exercise on markers of zinc status in humans. We conducted a systematic review of peer‐reviewed papers published up to December 2014 for studies that investigated the acute effects of exercise on zinc biomarkers. Meta‐analyses were conducted to determine the changes in serum zinc concentration following exercise. Forty‐five studies were included in the systematic review. Sufficient data were available from 34 studies (46 comparisons) to quantify the change in serum zinc following exercise. Serum zinc concentration significantly increased immediately after exercise (0.45 ± 0.12 μmol/L, P < 0.001; mean ± SE). Serum zinc level was higher after exercising maximally (0.77 ± 0.20 μmol/L, P<0.001), running (0.71 ± 0.26 μmol/L, P = 0.006) and in untrained individuals (0.65 ± 0.19 μmol/L, P = 0.001). During exercise recovery, serum zinc concentration was lower than pre‐exercise values (−1.31 ± 0.22 μmol/L, P < 0.001). This systematic review and meta‐analysis indicated significant changes in serum zinc concentration following aerobic exercise, suggesting acute perturbations in zinc homeostasis. Greater disturbances in serum zinc levels are observed following high intensity exercise in previously inactive individuals. Further research is required to ascertain the clinical implications for exercise prescription and dietary management in chronic disease, where suboptimal zinc status may co‐exist.