Influence of exercise training frequency on cardiac and hepatic oxidative stress in rats

The present study investigated the influence of different frequencies of moderate exercise (13 weeks of treadmill running at 60% of maximal oxygen consumption) on oxidative stress in the heart and liver in rats. Oxidative stress was evaluated by chemiluminescence and lipid peroxidation (LPO) through thiobarbituric acid reactive substances. Activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GHPx) and catalase (CAT) were also measured. The animals were divided into four groups: control (C), acute ([A], only one exercise session at the end of 13 weeks), low frequency ([LF], one session a week for 13 weeks) and high frequency ([HF], five sessions a week for 13 weeks). Chronic exercise promoted cardiac hypertrophy in the HF group. Myocardial LPO in groups A and LF was increased, whereas in the HF group, it was decreased when compared with group C. The HF group demonstrated decreased myocardial SOD and GHPx activities and increased CAT activity. All exercise groups exhibited an increase in LPO in the liver compared with group C. SOD activity in liver was lower in the HF group and higher in the LF group as compared with group C. GHPx activity was higher in group A in relation to group C. Hepatic CAT activity was higher in groups A, LF and HF. It is suggested that chronic exercise training at a submaximal level is better than infrequent exercise bursts to promote metabolic adaptations that minimize oxidative stress.