Ultra-long-distance running and the liver

Area of Science:

• Sports Medicine
• Biochemistry
• Physiology

Background:

• Ultra-long-distance running presents unique physiological challenges.
• Liver enzymes are sensitive indicators of cellular stress and damage.
• Assessing liver function during extreme endurance events is crucial for understanding athlete health.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the impact of an ultra-long-distance race (1000 km in 20 days) on key liver enzymes.
• To evaluate the liver's synthetic capacity during prolonged strenuous exercise.
• To identify potential liver cell injuries or functional changes in endurance athletes.

Main Methods:

• Blood samples were collected from finishers of a 1000 km race over 20 days.
• Activities of liver enzymes including AST, ALT, AP, GGT, and GLDH were measured.
• Cholinesterase (CHE) activity and serum albumin concentration were assessed to gauge liver synthetic function.

Main Results:

• Alkaline phosphatase (AP) showed a continuous increase throughout the race.
• Aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and creatine kinase (CK) levels peaked early and then decreased.
• Alanine aminotransferase (ALT) increased and stabilized, while GLDH and GGT showed significant individual elevations, suggesting liver cell injury in over half of finishers.
• Cholinesterase (CHE) activity and serum albumin levels decreased, correlating significantly.

Conclusions:

• Ultra-long-distance running significantly affects liver enzyme profiles.
• Elevated GLDH and GGT indicate potential liver cell damage during extreme endurance events.
• Reduced CHE and albumin suggest a compromised liver synthetic capacity under prolonged stress.