Athletic training aims to increase and improve physical performance that is achieved through training overload combined with periods of rest and recovery. Overtraining syndrome (OTS) is associated with an imbalance between training and recovery. The symptoms associated with OTS vary between individuals and may reflect parasympathetic and/or sympathetic nervous system alterations as well as endocrine irregularities. The prevalence is not known, but it is usually reported among endurance athletes, such as cyclists, distance runners and triathletes. It appears that OTS represents a systemic inflammatory process with diffuse effects on the neurohormonal axis affecting host immunology and mood. Previous works, showed that cell-free DNA (cf-DNA) is correlated with the severity of excessive exercise-induced inflammation as well as with trauma and stroke severity suggesting that it might be used as a potential clinical marker for athletes with overtraining syndrome. Oxidative stress indices can be determined non-invasively and may reflect inflammatory responses after training suggesting that they could be used as clinical markers for the diagnosis of OTS. However, there are no available biomarkers to aid towards the diagnosis and/or prevention of OTS, except that of the persistence of unexplained underperformance despite an extensive recovery of the athlete. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to evaluate the potential of cf-DNA and selected oxidative stress variables as diagnostic biomarkers of OTS.
Age range
15 Years – 40 Years
Sex
ALL
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Change in cell free plasma DNA
Timeframe: At baseline, at six months and at twelve months
Change in Cortisol level
Timeframe: At baseline, at six months and at twelve months
Change in Testosterone level
Timeframe: At baseline, at six months and at twelve months
Change in cytokine response
Timeframe: At baseline, at six months and at twelve months
Change in creatine kinase in plasma
Timeframe: At baseline, at six months and at twelve months
Change in uric acid in plasma
Timeframe: At baseline, at six months and at twelve months
Change in protein carbonyls in blood
Timeframe: At baseline, at six months and at twelve months
Change in total antioxidant capacity
Timeframe: At baseline, at six months and at twelve months
Change in reduced glutathione in blood
Timeframe: At baseline, at six months and at twelve months
Change in oxidized glutathione in blood
Timeframe: At baseline, at six months and at twelve months
Change in catalase activity
Timeframe: At baseline, at six months and at twelve months
Change in malondialdehyde in blood
Timeframe: At baseline, at six months and at twelve months