Effect of routine treadmill testing on the serum enzymes

Area of Science:

• Exercise physiology
• Clinical enzymology

Background:

• Strenuous exercise is known to elevate serum enzymes.
• Limited data exists on enzyme changes following routine treadmill testing.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate serum enzyme (SGOT, CPK, LDH) responses after routine treadmill exercise.
• To correlate enzyme changes with exercise duration, ischemic shifts, and coronary obstruction.

Main Methods:

• Serum SGOT, CPK, and LDH levels were measured in 100 subjects before and at intervals after treadmill testing.
• Exercise duration, ST shifts, and coronary obstruction data were analyzed.

Main Results:

• A slight, statistically significant SGOT increase was observed immediately post-exercise.
• No significant elevations in SGOT, CPK, or LDH were found at later time points or for the whole group.
• Patients exercising >6 min showed greater SGOT and modest CPK increases immediately post-exercise.
• No significant correlation found with ischemic ST shifts or coronary obstruction.

Conclusions:

• Routine treadmill testing causes minimal serum enzyme alterations, primarily a minor SGOT rise.
• Enzyme changes are not strongly correlated with exercise-induced ischemia or coronary artery disease.
• The impact of conditioning on these enzyme changes was not evident.