Training-induced impairment of endothelial function in track and field female athletes

• Published in: Scientific reports Vol. 13; no. 1; p. 3502
• Main Authors: Grandys, Marcin, Majerczak, Joanna, Frolow, Marzena, Chlopicki, Stefan, Zoladz, Jerzy A.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing Group UK 01.03.2023; Nature Publishing Group; Nature Portfolio
• Subjects: 631/443; 631/443/592; 692/163; Androgens; Athletes; Blood pressure; Body mass index; Endothelium, Vascular - physiopathology; Female; Females; Fitness training programs; Hematology; Humanities and Social Sciences; Humans; Hyaluronic acid; Hyaluronic Acid - blood; Menstruation; Menstruation Disturbances; multidisciplinary; Overtraining; Physical training; Science; Science (multidisciplinary); Syndecan; Testosterone; Testosterone - blood; Track & field; Track and Field; Training; Womens health
• ISSN: 2045-2322; 2045-2322
• DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-30165-2

Professional athletes are often exposed to high training loads that may lead to overfatigue, overreaching and overtraining that might have a detrimental effects on vascular health. We determined the effects of high training stress on endothelial function assessed by the flow-mediated dilation (FMD) and markers of glycocalyx shedding. Vascular examination as well as broad biochemical, hormonal and cardiometabolic evaluation of sprint and middle-distance female runners were performed after 2 months of preparatory training period and compared to age-matched control group of women. Female athletes presented with significantly reduced FMD ( p  < 0.01) and higher basal serum concentrations of hyaluronan (HA) and syndecan-1 (SDC-1) ( p  < 0.05 and p  < 0.001, respectively), that was accompanied by significantly lower basal serum testosterone (T) and free testosterone (fT) concentrations ( p  < 0.05) and higher cortisol (C) concentration ( p  < 0.05). It resulted in significantly lower T/C and fT/C ratios in athletes when compared to controls ( p  < 0.01). Moreover, fT/C ratio were significantly positively correlated to FMD and negatively to HA concentrations in all studied women. Accordingly, the training load was significantly negatively correlated with T/C, fT/C and FMD and positively with the concentrations of HA and SDC-1. We concluded that young female track and field athletes subjected to physical training developed impairment of endothelial function that was associated with anabolic-catabolic hormone balance disturbances. Given that training-induced impairment of endothelial function may have a detrimental effects on vascular health, endothelial status should be regularly monitored in the time-course of training process to minimalize vascular health-risk in athletes.