Response of oxidative stress biomarkers to a 16-week aerobic physical activity program, and to acute physical activity, in healthy young men and women
Introduction
Regular physical activity (PA) is associated with a reduced risk of coronary heart disease (CHD) [1], and consequently, physical inactivity has been considered a risk factor for CHD [2]. The mechanisms underlying this protective effect are not fully established.
On the other hand, oxidative stress has been found to be linked to the development of several chronic diseases including atherosclerosis [3]. The oxidation of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) components is a cornerstone of atherosclerosis [3]. The oxidative status is controlled by a wide spectrum of dietary exogenous antioxidants such as tocopherols, ascorbate, carotenoids, and phenolic compounds, and by endogenous antioxidants such as the enzymes superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), glutathione reductase (GR), and catalase among others [4]. The balance between free-radical generation and antioxidant activity is critical in the pathogenesis of CHD. LDL resistance to oxidation, mainly dependent on its antioxidant content and lipid particle composition, is also an important factor limiting this process.
One of the favorable effects of regular PA could be to modify the prooxidant/antioxidant balance, increasing endogenous antioxidant activity, and LDL resistance to oxidation. On the other hand, acute PA increases oxygen uptake and free-radical production, and consequently could induce lipid peroxidation [5], [6].
The aims of this study were (1) to assess the effect of an aerobic PA training program on antioxidant enzyme activity, oxidized LDL concentration, and LDL resistance to oxidation in young healthy subjects; and (2) to assess the effect of a single bout of acute PA on antioxidant enzyme activity, before and after the training period.
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Subjects
Seventeen sedentary healthy young volunteers, seven men and 10 women, were recruited among medical students. Subjects with previous personal history of cardiovascular disease, diabetes mellitus, dyslipemia, physical disability, or chronic respiratory disease, as well as those with a body mass index (BMI) over 30 kg/m2, alcohol consumption greater than 40 g per day, or long-term medication use, including mineral or vitamin supplements, were excluded. Another exclusion criterion was regular PA
Results
Seventeen participants were enrolled in the study. Mean age was 19.5 (standard deviation: 1.2). Five (29.4%) were smokers, and mean BMI was 23.6 kg/m2 (standard deviation: 2.1). No statistically significant differences between men and women, and between smokers and non-smokers, were detected in antioxidant enzyme activity, LDL resistance to oxidation, or oxidized LDL concentration. Men had a higher VO2 max than women, 44.5 (5.7) and 32.9 (4.2) ml/kg, respectively (P<0.01). Women had higher
Discussion
This experimental study found an increase in physical fitness, B-GSH-Px activity, P-GR activity, and LDL resistance to oxidation, and a decrease in oxidized LDL concentration after 16 weeks of aerobic training. The effect of 30 min of aerobic PA on antioxidant enzyme activity, and the modifier effect of training status, was also assessed.
Conclusions
Regular PA increases endogenous antioxidant activity and LDL resistance to oxidation, and decreases oxidized LDL concentration. On the other hand, a decrease in P-GR and B-GSH-Px activities was observed in the first 30–60 min after 30 min of aerobic PA, with a posterior recovery. The global time response pattern to acute aerobic PA seems to be quite similar before and after training, although the enzymatic activities were higher after training than before.
Acknowledgements
This study was partially supported by Bayer Grant 1999 (Spanish Society of Cardiology) and by CIRIT 2001SGR 00408. Fitó M. was supported by Fondo de Investigación Sanitaria (FIS) grant (98/9562 FPI). We thank the Servei d'Activitat Fı́sica of the Universitat Autònoma of Barcelona and the study participants for their cooperation, and Stephanie Lonsdale and Elaine Lilly for the revision of the English manuscript.
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