Cardiac Troponin Elevation After Long-Distance Cycling is Associated with Oxidative Stress and Exercise Intensity: An Observational Study

To date, the mechanisms of post-exercise cardiac troponin elevation are debatable. Previous studies have reported that oxidative stress happens after extended exercise.

This study purposed to establish the association between the elevation of malondialdehyde (MDA), which is a marker of oxidative stress, and cardiac troponin-I (cTn-I) after prolonged cycling.

Ninety-two males in Indonesian cycling tours participated in the present study. Baseline and post-exercise blood specimens were obtained to define MDA and cTn-I levels. The elevations of MDA and cTn-I were determined as positive differences of post-cycling MDA and cTn-I levels to the baseline, respectively.

Eighty-eight participants (age, mean = 45.3 years old, [SD]:11.47; body mass index (BMI), mean=24.2 kg/m2 , [SD]: 3.03) finished the cycling tours. Subjects’ characteristics were comparable based on the touring category, except for the family history of coronary artery disease, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol level, neutrophil count, resting heart rate, exercise intensity, and cTn-I elevation. MDA significantly escalated at the level of 210.90 µmol/mL at post-exercise, from 190.18 µmol/mL at baseline. cTn-I also increased at the level of 13.65 ng/dL from 5.16 ng/dL. The elevation of MDA was related to the elevation of cTn-I. Elevation of cTn-I after prolonged cycling was contributed by elevation of MDA and exercise intensity.

The present findings support existing confirmation that cTn-I elevation after prolonged exercise is related to oxidative stress and exercise intensity