Effect of exercise on plasma pyruvate kinase and creatine kinase activity

• Published in: Clinica chimica acta Vol. 132; no. 2; pp. 127 - 132
• Main Authors: Stansbie, David, Aston, J.Paul, Dallimore, Nicholas S., Williams, Helen M.S., Willis, Neil
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands Elsevier B.V 15.08.1983
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Creatine Kinase - blood; Humans; Isoenzymes; Male; Middle Aged; Physical Exertion; Pyruvate Kinase - blood; Running
• ISSN: 0009-8981; 1873-3492
• DOI: 10.1016/0009-8981(83)90240-1

Plasma pyruvate kinase (PK) and creatine kinase (CK) were measured in healthy subjects engaging in (a) mild exercise, 30 min on an exercise cycle maintaining a pulse rate of 150/min, (b) moderate exercise, squeezing a ball until exhaustion with a sphygmomanometer cuff inflated above systolic pressure around the arm (max. 2 min) and (c) severe exercise, completing a marathon race. Mild exercise resulted in no change in enzyme levels over 24 h. Moderate exercise produced a small increase in PK but no change in CK. PK activity rose from 35.3 ± 10 U/1 pre-exercise to 41.3 ± 13 U/1 15 min post-exercise ( n = 8, p < 0.025). Severe exercise (completing a marathon race) resulted in a 3-fold increase in PK from 26 (4–87) U/1 pre-race to 69 (21–156) U/l immediately post-race, and also, as expected, an increase in CK from 60 (15–164) U/l to 257 (72–1535) U/l (results are means and ranges, n = 69, p < 0.001 for both enzymes). Runners showed parallel increases in PK and CK ( p < 0.05 by Spearman rank correlation). The mean post-race activity of CK-MB was less than 5% of total CK but 18 runners had values greater than 6% (mean 4.8, range 1–18). We conclude that PK, like CK, is increased following exercise due to liberation of muscle enzyme. However, only severe exercise is likely to lead to a substantial increase in plasma PK activity and therefore prejudice its clinical usefulness as a diagnostic test.