Venous versus capillary sampling for total creatine kinase assay: Effects of a simulated football match

Capillary rather than venipuncture may be a simpler and less invasive blood collection protocol that would increase the number of potential sampling tests. However, if capillary sampling can be used as an alternative to venipuncture to determine changes in plasma, total creatine kinase (CK) activity in response to a football training session is poorly known.

This study aims to determine whether capillary blood sampling would provide representative measures of total CK activity compared to venipuncture in response to a football training session-induced elevated CK plasma levels.

Twenty-two players from an under-19 football team performed a simulated football match with 11 players on each team for 90 minutes total duration (two halves of 45 minutes with 15 minutes rest between). Venous and ear lobe capillary blood samples were collected before and after (24h and 48h) the training session. Athletes retested for three consecutive days after exercise during the recovery week.

The simulated match significantly increased (P< 0.05) total CK activity as determined in both venous (1.7-fold) and capillary (1.9-fold) blood sampling. Total CK activity determined using capillary samples demonstrated significant correlation (r = 0.85; P < 0.01) and an elevated concordance Lin index (pc = 0.80) when compared to venous sampling total CK. The Bland-Altman plot showed capillary sampling CK overestimated venous CK levels by 130 U/L (61%), with moderated variance and low bias.

Our results demonstrated that capillary sampling for total CK activity assay may be considered a reliable alternative to venipuncture to determine changes in plasma total CK activity in response to a football training session.