In this investigation the investigators utilized N-acetylcysteine (NAC) supplementation to enhance reduced glutathione (GSH) stores during an 8-day recovery period from a strenuous eccentric exercise protocol in order to test the hypotheses: i) redox status perturbations in skeletal muscle are pivotal for the immune responses and ii) antioxidant supplementation may alter immune cell responses following exercise-induced muscle microtrauma.
The major thiol-disulfide couple of GSH and oxidized glutathione (GSSG) is a crucial regulator of the main transcriptional pathways regulating aseptic inflammation and recovery of skeletal muscle following aseptic injury. Antioxidant supplementation may hamper exercise-induced inflammatory responses. The objective was to examine how thiol-based antioxidant supplementation affects immune mobilization following exercise-induced skeletal muscle microtrauma. In a two-trial, double-blind, crossover, repeated measures design, 10 young men received either placebo or NAC (20 mg/kg/day) immediately after a muscle-damaging exercise protocol (300 eccentric contractions) and for eight consecutive days. Blood sampling and performance assessment were performed pre-exercise, 2h post-exercise and daily for 8 consecutive days.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
BASIC_SCIENCE
Masking
DOUBLE
Enrollment
10
20 mg//kg/day, orally, daily for eight days following exercise
500 mL orally, daily for eight days following exercise
University of Athens, Medical School, Department of Clinical Therapeutics
Athens, Greece
Changes in protein carbonyls in red blood cells
Concentration of protein carbonyls
Time frame: Pre-exercise, 2 hours post-exercise, daily for 8 consecutive days post-exercise
Changes in thiobarbituric acid reactive substances in red blood cells
Thiobarbituric acid reactive substances concentration in red blood cells
Time frame: Pre-exercise, 2 hours post-exercise, daily for 8 consecutive days post-exercise
Changes in total antioxidant capacity in serum
Time frame: Pre-exercise, 2 hours post-exercise, daily for 8 consecutive days post-exercise
Changes in reduced glutathione in blood
Concentration of reduced glutathione in red blood cells
Time frame: Pre-exercise, 2 hours post-exercise, daily for 8 consecutive days post-exercise
Changes in oxidized glutathione in blood
Concentration of oxidized glutathione in red blood cells
Time frame: Pre-exercise, 2 hours post-exercise, daily for 8 consecutive days post-exercise
Changes in catalase activity in red blood cells
Time frame: Pre-exercise, 2 hours post-exercise, daily for 8 consecutive days post-exercise
Changes in creatine kinase activity in serum
Time frame: Pre-exercise, 2 hours post-exercise, daily for 8 consecutive days post-exercise
Changes in high sensitivity C-reactive protein in serum
Time frame: Pre-exercise, 2 hours post-exercise, 1 day post-exercise, 2 days post-exercise, 3 days post-exercise
This platform is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional.
Changes in white blood cell count in blood
Time frame: Pre-exercise, 2 hours post-exercise, daily for 8 consecutive days post-exercise
Changes in adhesion molecule concentration in blood
Measurement of soluble vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (sVCAM-1) and soluble intercellular cell adhesion molecule-1 (sICAM-1) concentrations in plasma
Time frame: Pre-exercise, 2 hours post-exercise, 1 day post-exercise, 2 days post-exercise, 3 days post-exercise
Changes in cytokine concentration in serum
Measurement of interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and interleukin-6 (IL-6)
Time frame: Pre-exercise, 2 hours post-exercise, 1 day post-exercise, 2 days post-exercise, 3 days post-exercise, 8 days post-exercise
Changes in neutrophil count in blood
Cytofluorometric analysis of neutrophil count in blood
Time frame: Pre-exercise, 2 hours post-exercise, daily for 8 consecutive days post-exercise
Changes in lymphocyte count in blood
Cytofluorometric analysis of lymphocyte count in blood
Time frame: Pre-exercise, 2 hours post-exercise, daily for 8 consecutive days post-exercise
Changes in monocyte count in blood
Cytofluorometric analysis of monocyte count in blood
Time frame: Pre-exercise, 2 hours post-exercise, daily for 8 consecutive days post-exercise
Changes in basophil count in blood
Cytofluorometric analysis of baseophil count in blood
Time frame: Pre-exercise, 2 hours post-exercise, daily for 8 consecutive days post-exercise
Changes in eosinophil count in blood
Cytofluorometric analysis of eosinophil count in blood
Time frame: Pre-exercise, 2 hours post-exercise, daily for 8 consecutive days post-exercise
Changes in T-helper cell count in blood
Cytofluorometric analysis of T-helper cell count in blood
Time frame: Pre-exercise, 2 hours post-exercise, daily for 8 consecutive days post-exercise
Changes in T cytotoxic cell count in blood
Cytofluorometric analysis of T cytotoxic cell count in blood
Time frame: Pre-exercise, 2 hours post-exercise, daily for 8 consecutive days post-exercise
Changes in natural killer-T (NK-T) cell count in blood
Cytofluorometric analysis of NK-T cell count in blood
Time frame: Pre-exercise, 2 hours post-exercise, daily for 8 consecutive days post-exercise
Changes in 62L macrophage count in blood
Cytofluorometric analysis of 62L macrophage count in blood
Time frame: Pre-exercise, 2 hours post-exercise, daily for 8 consecutive days post-exercise
Changes in B lympho cell count in blood
Cytofluorometric analysis of B lympho cell count in blood
Time frame: Pre-exercise, 2 hours post-exercise, daily for 8 consecutive days post-exercise
Changes in natural killer (NK) cell count in blood
Cytofluorometric analysis of natural killer cell count in blood
Time frame: Pre-exercise, 2 hours post-exercise, daily for 8 consecutive days post-exercise
Changes in macrophage count in blood
Cytofluorometric analysis of macrophage count in blood
Time frame: Pre-exercise, 2 hours post-exercise, daily for 8 consecutive days post-exercise
Changes in HLA+/Macr+ macrophage count in blood
Cytofluorometric analysis of HLA+/Macr+ count in blood
Time frame: Pre-exercise, 2 hours post-exercise, daily for 8 consecutive days post-exercise
Changes in 11B+ macrophage count in blood
Cytofluorometric analysis of 11B+ macrophage count in blood
Time frame: Pre-exercise, 2 hours post-exercise, daily for 8 consecutive days post-exercise
Changes in muscle performance
Assessment of maximal knee extensor eccentric peak torque on an isokinetic dynamometer at 60o/s.
Time frame: Pre-exercise, 2 hours post-exercise, daily for 8 consecutive days post-exercise
Changes in delayed onset of muscle soreness
Assessment of the delayed onset of muscle soreness by palpation of the vastus lateralis and rectus femoris following a squat motion
Time frame: Pre-exercise, 2 hours post-exercise, daily for 8 consecutive days post-exercise
Maximal aerobic capacity
Assessment of maximal oxygen consumption
Time frame: One day before exercise
Body composition
Measurement of body composition by Dual Emission X-ray Absorptiometry (DXA)
Time frame: One day before exercise
Changes in dietary intake profile
Assessment of dietary intake with emphasis on antioxidant element intake
Time frame: One day before exercise and daily for 8 consecutive days post-exercise