The effects of acute & regular training on oxidative stress in handball players

Theoretically, during exercise, oxygen consumption is enhanced by an increased metabolic rate, a process that can lead to an increase in the production of reactive oxygen species. Results of previous studies have established a link among physical exercise, increased O2 consumption, and free-radical production. Exercise leads to the production of reactive oxygen species, by factors such as increased electron flux to mitochondrial electron transport chain in muscle cells, created xanthine oxidase, which is activated by ischemia-reperfusion process, damaged iron-containing proteins, and disrupted homeostasis of Ca2+. The purpose of the present study is to examine the effect of acute and regular exercise on oxidative stress. Seventeen healthy male handball players and 17 male sedanters participated in this study. To investigate the effects of regular training, the handball players applied a 6 week training program. A fifty minute aerobic running exercise protocol in a running track was applied to handball players both before and after regular training; it was also applied to the sedanters. To measure the plasma malondialdehyde (MDA) and the advanced oxidation protein products (AOPPs) levels, blood samples were obtained from the subjects both before and immediately after exercise. As a result, it has been established that 6 week of exercise had decresed MDA levels of handball players(p<0,05). Also, we found that MDA levels were lower in sedanters than handball players (p<0,001). By the way, it has been established that acute exhaustive aerobic exercise does not effect lipid peroxidation in handball players, who train regularly. But after acute exercise MDA levels of sedanters decreased significantly (p<0,05). No differences in AOPP levels between sedanters and handball players (p>0,05) were found. However, AOPP levels of trained handball players had increased after acute aerobic exercise (p<0,05). The results of this investigation show that with regular training, organisms adapt to high oxidative stress that increases with acute exercise. Moreover, body antioxidant defense systems increase through regular exercise. Key Words: Training, Oxidative Stres, Free Radical, Antioxidant, MDA, AOPP