Korean J Physiol Pharmacol.  2014 Oct;18(5):419-423. 10.4196/kjpp.2014.18.5.419.

Cardiac Damage Biomarkers Following a Triathlon in Elite and Non-elite Triathletes

• Park CH
• Kim KB
• Han J
• Ji JG
• Kwak YS

• KMID: 2285541
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.4196/kjpp.2014.18.5.419

Abstract

The purpose of the present study was to investigate cardiac damage biomarkers after a triathlon race in elite and non-elite athlete groups. Fifteen healthy men participated in the study. Based on performance, they were divided into elite athlete group (EG: n=7) and non-elite athlete group (NEG: n=8). Participants' blood samples were obtained during four periods: before, immediately, 2 hours and 7 days after finishing the race. creatine kinase (CK), creatine kinase-myoglobin (CK-MB), myoglobin, and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) were significantly increased in both groups immediately after, and 2 hours after finishing the race (p<.05). CK, CK-MB, and myoglobin were completely recovered after 7 days (p<.05). Hematocrit (Hct) was significantly decreased in both groups (p<.05) 7 days after the race. LDH was significantly decreased in the EG (p<.05) only 7 days after the race. Homoglobin (Hb) was significantly decreased in the NEG (p<.05) only 2 hours after the race. Although cardiac troponin T (cTnT) was significantly increased in the EG but not in the NEG 2hours after the race (p<.05), there was no group-by-time interaction. cTnT was completely recovered in both groups 7 days after the race. In conclusion, cardiac damage occurs during a triathlon race and, is greater in elite than in non-elite. However, all cardiac damage markers return to normal range within 1 week.

Keyword

Cardiac damage; Cardiac troponin T; CK-MB; Myoglobin; Triathlon

MeSH Terms

Athletes
Biomarkers*
Continental Population Groups
Creatine
Creatine Kinase
Hematocrit
Humans
L-Lactate Dehydrogenase
Male
Myoglobin
Reference Values
Troponin T
Creatine
Creatine Kinase
L-Lactate Dehydrogenase
Myoglobin
Troponin T