AJP - Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative Physiology, Vol 263, Issue 5 992-R995, Copyright © 1992 by American Physiological Society
Exhaustive physical exercise causes oxidation of glutathione status in blood: prevention by antioxidant administration
J. Sastre, M. Asensi, E. Gasco, F. V. Pallardo, J. A. Ferrero, T. Furukawa and J. Vina
Departamento de Fisiologia, Universidad de Valencia, Spain.
We have studied the effect of exhaustive concentric physical exercise on
glutathione redox status and the possible relationship between blood
glutathione oxidation and blood lactate and pyruvate levels. Levels of
oxidized glutathione (GSSG) in blood increase after exhaustive concentric
physical exercise in trained humans. GSSG levels were 72% higher
immediately after exercise than at rest. They returned to normal values 1 h
after exercise. Blood reduced glutathione (GSH) levels did not change
significantly after the exercise. We have found a linear relationship
between GSSG-to-GSH and lactate-to-pyruvate ratios in human blood before,
during, and after exhaustive exercise. In rats, physical exercise also
caused an increase in blood GSSG levels that were 200% higher after
physical exercise than at rest. GSH levels did not change significantly.
Thus, both in rats and humans, exhaustive physical exercise causes a change
in glutathione redox status in blood. We have also found that antioxidant
administration, i.e., oral vitamin C, N-acetyl-L-cysteine, or glutathione,
is effective in preventing oxidation of the blood glutathione pool after
physical exercise in rats.
