Zinc and copper changes in serum and urine after aerobic endurance and muscular strength exercise

The role of zinc and copper has been shown essential in the scope of physical exercise. The outcomes of the studies about changes in the concentrations of these elements in blood, in physical effort situations, are sometimes discordant and seem to be related with the type of the exercise done. The purpose of the study was to determine the changes of zinc and copper in serum and urine produced by two kinds of exercise, designing two tests involving different types of physical exertion, which have been defined as aerobic endurance (AE) and muscular strength (MS).

The study was designed to assess the variations of both elements in two types of exercise: AE, participants: 22 subjects, consisted of run for 40 minutes with a heart rate intensity of ±5 beats per minute from the anaerobic threshold (AnT). MS, participants: 16 subjects, consisted of performing a circuit of 8 different exercises, applying 40% of maximum peak force, until exhaustion.

The serum concentration of Zn decreases in both exercises, being statistically significant in the MS (P<0.001). Cu concentration increases significantly in AE (P=0.002) as well as in MS (P<0.001). Urine concentrations of both elements increases after exercise in the two cases (P<0.05 in AE; P<0.001 in MS), the variation of Zn is correlated with proteinuria generated which appears after physical exertion (r=0.59).

Findings suggest that changes of Zn and Cu in serum and urine are related to the type of exercise performed, which are higher when there is a big impact on muscular tissues.