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Total free amino acids, ammonia, and protein in the sweat of children
Insights
Children
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Physiology
- Biochemistry
- Human Physiology
Background:
- Nutritional status and body composition can influence physiological parameters.
- Sweat analysis offers insights into metabolic processes.
- Understanding these variations in children is crucial for health assessments.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between anthropometric measurements and sweat composition in children.
- To determine concentrations of total free amino acids, ammonia, and protein in children's sweat.
- To identify key amino acids present in sweat.
Main Methods:
- Analyzed sweat from 44 children (6-8 years old) categorized into three groups based on height and weight percentiles.
- Induced sweating through moderate activity in a controlled environment (31-33°C, 48% humidity).
- Quantified total free amino acids, ammonia, and protein using biochemical assays.
Main Results:
- Mean total free amino acid concentrations decreased with increasing anthropometric group (Group I: 318.9 mg/100ml, Group II: 293.9 mg/100ml, Group III: 265.1 mg/100ml).
- Ammonia and protein concentrations in sweat also showed a decreasing trend with higher anthropometric groups.
- Alanine, glycine, phenylalanine, threonine, and serine were identified as principal amino acids.
Conclusions:
- Anthropometric status in children is inversely correlated with sweat concentrations of total free amino acids, ammonia, and protein.
- Sweat composition varies with body size in children, suggesting potential metabolic differences.
- These findings highlight the utility of sweat analysis in pediatric physiological and nutritional assessments.
Abstract:
The concentrations of total free amino acids, ammonia and protein in sweat of 44 children, 20 males, and 24 females, 6 to 8 years old, were determined. The children were divided into three groups according to their height, weight, and body weight/height ratio; group I children had heights and weights below the 10th percentile for their age, group II had heights and weights between the 10th and 90th percentile, and group III had heights and weights above the 90th percentile. Sweating was induced by allowing the child to be moderatley active. The temperature at the time of the experiment was 31 to 33 C and the relative humidity 48%. The mean concentrations of total free amino acids (mg/100 ml) in sweat from groups I, II, and III children were 318.9 +/- 52.5, 293.9 +/- 82.9 and 265.1 +/- 57.0, respectively. Alanine, glycine, phenylalanine, threonine, and serine were the principal amino acids in sweat. The concentrations of ammonia in the sweat of group I, II, and III children were 6.90 +/- 2.97, 2.35 +/- 0.81, and 1.17 +/- 0.48 mg/100 ml, respectively. Protein concentrations were 44.15 +/- 14.07, 40.70 +/- 16.60, and 35.75 +/- 5.46 mg/100 ml, respectively.