Protein carbonyls are acutely elevated following single set anaerobic exercise in resistance trained men

The purpose of this investigation was to determine if a single set of strenuous squat exercise would result in an acute oxidative stress, as demonstrated previously by a single sprint. Thirteen resistance trained men performed one set of 15 repetitions of barbell squats using 70% of one repetition maximum and a 30 s maximal cycle sprint on two different occasions. The total work performed was calculated for each exercise bout. Heart rate, perceived exertion, blood lactate, protein carbonyls, 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine, and malondialdehyde were measured before and within 1 min following exercise. No differences were noted between the squat and sprint tests for total work, heart rate or perceived exertion. An exercise test by time interaction was evident for blood lactate with values greater following sprinting compared to squatting (P=0.0005). Postexercise protein carbonyls were not different between exercise tests but were elevated above rest (P=0.04) by 111% and 74% following sprinting and squatting, respectively, while 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine and malondialdehyde were relatively unaffected by either exercise test. These data indicate that a single bout of strenuous squatting and sprinting performed by resistance trained men results in elevated protein carbonyls, while having little impact on 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine or malondialdehyde during the immediate postexercise period.