Indirect evidence of glomerular/tubular mixed-type postexercise proteinuria in healthy humans

Hypothetical mechanisms have been postulated to explain the presence of proteins in urine after severe exercise. Recently, it has been shown that several amino acids inhibit tubular protein reabsorption. Seven healthy men, hyperhydrated, were studied during a 2-min bicycle exercise at supramaximal load. The subjects were tested without or with lysine perfusion (0.4 g/kg body wt iv). In both testing conditions, blood lactate increased to 13.8 mmol/l. Total protein urinary excretion increased to 1.10 and 1.67 mg/min, without and with lysine perfusion, compared with 79 micrograms/min at rest. In the meantime, albumin excretion increased 48- and 74-fold, respectively, while beta 2-microglobulin excretion increased 97- and 1,043-fold compared with basal values. The renal clearance of albumin increased to 8.4 microliters/min without lysine and to 12.0 microliters/min with lysine perfusion (rest 0.18). beta 2-Microglobulin clearance increased to 10.0 and 39.3 ml/min, respectively (rest 0.05). These data clearly demonstrate that postexercise proteinuria is of mixed type after exhaustive short-term exertion. Both increased glomerular permeability and partial tubular reabsorption inhibition to proteins appear to be involved.