Redox Status of Professional Soccer Players is Influenced by Training Load Throughout a Season

• Published in: International journal of sports medicine Vol. 37; no. 9; p. 680
• Main Authors: Le Moal, E, Groussard, C, Paillard, T, Chaory, K, Le Bris, R, Plantet, K, Pincemail, J, Zouhal, H
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Germany 01-08-2016
• Subjects: Adolescent; alpha-Tocopherol - blood; Antioxidants - physiology; Athletes; Athletic Performance - physiology; beta Carotene - blood; Glutathione - blood; Glutathione Peroxidase - blood; Humans; Oxidative Stress; Physical Conditioning, Human - methods; Reactive Oxygen Species - metabolism; Soccer - physiology; Superoxide Dismutase - blood; Young Adult
• ISSN: 1439-3964
• DOI: 10.1055/s-0035-1565199

The purpose of this study was to follow-up the variation of pro-/antioxidant status throughout a whole season in elite professional soccer players from the French league (n=19, 18.3±0.6 years) and to examine a possible link between these variations and training load. 5 time points (T1, T2, T3, T4, T5) were proposed to surround crucial periods of training during the whole season: the pre-season training/mid-season periods (T1-T2 and T3-T4), the championship or in-season periods (T2-T3 and T4-T5). At these times, blood samples were collected to measure pro-/antioxidant status (in erythrocytes: the ratio of reduced glutathione/oxidized glutathione, superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase activities, in plasma: alpha-tocopherol, beta-carotene), and dietary intakes were also recorded. Training loads were quantified by the rating of perceived exertion method weekly throughout the season. Pro-/antioxidant-related measurements showed no modifications except for GSH/GSSG ratio, which evolved significantly between season periods: from 36.43±4.15 (T1) to 115.99±16.43 (T2) to 91.64±21.24 (T3) to 202.29±29.26 (T4) to 59.61±14.61 (T5). We observed a significant correlation (r(2)=0.84) between changes in GSH/GSSH ratio and cumulated mean training loads. In conclusion, these results suggest that the redox status of professional soccer players is altered according to training period (in-season periods) and that GSH/GSSH ratio variations are correlated with cumulated training loads.