Influence of maximal ergometric exercise on endothelin concentrations in relation to molecular markers of the...

The effects of moderate 30 min cycle ergometer exercise (aerobic metabolism; 0.85-3.71 mmol.1(-1) lactate) followed by short-term exercise at maximal capacity (anaerobic metabolism; 5.09 to 17.75 mmol.1(-1) lactate) on endothelin (ET) and hemostatic variables (tissue plasminogen activator [t-PA] antigen, prothrombin fragments [F1,2], thrombin-antithrombin III complex [TAT], prothrombin time and partial thromboplastin time) were investigated in 15 male healthy subjects of varying fitness levels. Endothelin was measured twice before and immediately after maximal cycle exercise. The results show an increase in endothelin concentration [10.0 pg.ml-1 (baseline) + 6.1 pg.ml-1 (increase post exercise)]. ET did not increase under control conditions. Moderate 30 min exercise caused an increase in t-PA antigen concentration (3.66 + 3.15 ng.ml-1) and short-term maximal exercise produced a markedly higher elevation in this variable (+10.6 ng.ml-1). F1,2 increased (810 + 40 pmol.l-1) under moderate and by 150 pmol.l-1 under anaerobic exercise. TAT increased only at maximal exercise levels (1.01 + 0.32 ng.l-1). No changes were found in any of these variables under control conditions. No correlation of endothelin and the hemostatic variables was found. It is concluded that endothelin and hemostatic markers increase independently during moderate and maximal exercise.