Several studies have demonstrated that intense physical exercise causes oxidative stress in animals and humans, being possibly related, for instance, to fatigue and tissue lesions. However, the effects of high intensity exercise or training performed by athletes on the occurrence of oxidative stress are not fully clear, possibly due to methodological limitations. The objective of this study was to identify the occurrence of oxidative lesions in lipids due to physical training in athletes, through the quantification of the urinary chemiluminescence and plasmatic malondialdehyde (MDA). Post-exercise samples were collected after four training protocols: a) treadmill running (25-30 min); b) 20 km running performed by marathon runners; c) interval training accomplished by 400 m runners; d) soccer game with 50 min duration; and e) strength training with and without creatine supplementation. In the last four items, only the urinary chemiluminescence was evaluated. The conditions that presented elevation in urinary chemiluminescence after exercise completion were: a) 20 km running; b) soccer game; and c) strength training without creatine supplementation. The treadmill running increased plasmatic MDA concentration during and after its performance, and the plasmatic antioxidant capacity had an inverse behavior compared to the increase in MDA. The exercise used in this work promoted oxidative stress in a different way and this may be related to the duration and the intensity performed by athletes, and not only to intensity. In this work it was also observed that creatine ingestion associated with strength training might work as antioxidant.
Physical exercise; Oxidative stress; Metabolism; Reactive oxygen species
