Short duration exhaustive aerobic exercise induces oxidative stress : a novel play-oriented volitional fatigue test

• Published in: Journal of sports medicine and physical fitness Vol. 47; no. 4; pp. 483 - 490
• Main Authors: KYPAROS, A, SALONIKIDIS, K, NIKOLAIDIS, M. G, KOURETAS, D
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Torino Minerva medica 01.12.2007; Edizioni Minerva Medica
• Subjects: Adult; Antioxidants; Biological and medical sciences; Blood pressure; College basketball; College Students; Exercise; Exercise - physiology; Exercise Test; Fatigue; Football; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Greece; Heart Rate; Human subjects; Humans; Male; Novels; Oxidative Stress - physiology; Play and Playthings; Racquet Sports; Research Methodology; Sports medicine; Tennis; Vertebrates: body movement. Posture. Locomotion. Flight. Swimming. Physical exercise. Rest. Sports; Greece; Physical exercise; Human; Heart rate; Play; Oxidative stress; Oxidation reduction; Sport; Isometric exercise; Oxidation-reduction; Fatigue; Duration
• ISSN: 0022-4707; 1827-1928

Exercise is associated with the generation of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species. This study examined the oxidative stress in response to a novel volitional fatigue test. Eleven male college students performed a volitional fatigue test consisting of shuttle runs with a tennis racquet in the hand towards the left and right sidelines within the tennis singles court in an attempt to hit tennis balls until exhaustion. A tennis ball serving machine was adjusted to alternate feeds to the forehand and backhand sides of the subjects, standing at the baseline, at a frequency of 20 balls per minute. Mean time to volitional fatigue was 5.9+/-1.3 min and mean heart rate at volitional fatigue was 189+/-8.1 beats x min(-1). The volitional fatigue test resulted in significant increases in blood thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (22%), protein carbonyls (58%), catalase activity (143%), total antioxidant capacity (34%) and oxidized glutathione (GSSG, 81%) concentration, as well as significant decreases in reduced glutathione (GSH, 15%) concentration and GSH/GSSG ratio (56%) immediately postexercise, as compared to the pre-exercise concentration. The data provide evidence that acute short duration exhaustive aerobic exercise in the form of a novel volitional fatigue test is capable of inducing oxidative stress. This novel test could serve as an alternative exercise modality to study oxidative stress.