High-sensitivity troponin after running--a systematic review

A systematic review was carried out to study the pattern of high-sensitivity cardiac troponin release after running (search performed on PubMed, ISI Web of Knowledge and Scopus databases). A total of ten reports were identified as meeting the pre-specified criteria (eight using high-sensitivity troponin T and two using high-sensitivity troponin I). The papers were published between 2009 and 2013, amounting to a total of 479 participants under study. Eight reports provided data comparing post-running troponin levels with the 99th percentile reference value. A total number of 296 participants, out of 424, showed post-running high-sensitivity troponin values higher than the 99th percentile reference value (69.8%). In conclusion, using high-sensitivity cardiac troponin assays, studies have shown that elevated post-running values are seen in more than two-thirds of runners. Whether troponin release in this setting represents a fully reversible phenomenon is currently unknown; the effects of strenuous running on long-term health are also uncertain.