Muscle and intestinal damage in triathletes

Area of Science:

• Sports Science
• Exercise Physiology
• Biochemistry

Background:

• Triathletes undergo extreme physical exertion, posing risks of muscle and intestinal damage.
• Monitoring physiological responses is crucial for optimizing training and preventing overexertion.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess muscle and intestinal damage indicators in triathletes during a preparatory period and post-competition.
• To identify reliable biomarkers for monitoring training overload in endurance athletes.

Main Methods:

• Involved 15 triathletes preparing for XTERRA POLAND 2017.
• Measured body composition, aerobic capacity, and collected blood samples for biochemical markers (cortisol, c-reactive protein, myoglobin, zonulin) pre- and post-competition.
• Analyzed correlations between muscle damage markers and intestinal permeability indicators.

Main Results:

• Significant decrease in body mass post-competition (-3.1±1.5%).
• Increased concentrations of cortisol, c-reactive protein, and myoglobin post-race.
• Cortisol, c-reactive protein, and myoglobin elevations significantly correlated with increased zonulin levels, indicating compromised intestinal barrier function.
• No significant changes in tumor necrosis factor alpha.

Conclusions:

• Cortisol, testosterone, testosterone to cortisol ratio, c-reactive protein, myoglobin, and zonulin are useful markers for monitoring triathlete training overload.
• Muscle damage marker changes strongly correlate with zonulin concentration, suggesting an impact on intestinal barrier integrity after intense exercise.