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Competitive and seasonal oxidative stress in elite alpine ski racers
Author(s) -
Schippinger G.,
Fankhauser F.,
Abuja P. M.,
WinklhoferRoob B. M.,
Nadlinger K.,
HalwachsBaumann G.,
Wonisch W.
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
scandinavian journal of medicine and science in sports
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.575
H-Index - 115
eISSN - 1600-0838
pISSN - 0905-7188
DOI - 10.1111/j.1600-0838.2007.00763.x
Subject(s) - oxidative stress , zoology , uric acid , chemistry , anti oxidant , medicine , endocrinology , biology , biochemistry , antioxidant
We investigated competitive‐ and long‐term oxidative stress during a competition season in eight top‐ranked members of the Austrian Men's Alpine Ski Team. Serum total peroxides, antibody titers against oxidized LDL (oLAb) and lag time of the degradation of the fluorophore 1‐palmitoyl‐2‐((2‐(4‐(6‐phenyl‐trans‐1,3,5‐hexatrienyl)phenyl)ethyl)‐carbonyl)‐ sn ‐glycero‐3‐phosphocholine were measured, along with plasma concentrations of ascorbate, α‐ and γ‐tocopherol, β‐carotene, uric acid and the lipid status. Competitive stress was indicated through an increased post‐race uric acid level (286 ± 50 μM pre‐race vs 456 ± 77 μM post‐race, P <0.001) in December. Long‐term effects were already apparent in November, with the highest concentrations of total peroxides (680 ± 458 μM H 2 O 2 equivalents vs December 47 ± 58 μM H 2 O 2 equivalents and January 15 ± 28 μM H 2 O 2 equivalents, P <0.001) and a concomitant decrease in oLAb titers with an antibody trough in December (439 ± 150 mU/mL vs baseline 1036 ± 328 mU/mL; P =0.003). In January, after recovery, they attained nearly pre‐season levels of oxidative stress biomarkers. This study indicates midseason oxidative stress in top‐level skiers, which was associated with the performance in these athletes.