The Influence of Regular Exercise on the Glutathione Cycle Components: Antioxidant Defense Improvement Against Oxidative Stress

Glutathione and components involved in its cycle play an important role in many physiological processes. This study evaluates the influence of regular exercise on the glutathione cycle components in rat heart. In this experimental study, 104 rats were divided into two groups of exercise and control. The exercise group was divided into six subgroups each of which was considered for one, two, three, six, nine and twelve-month exercise periods (n=8, in each subgroup). Rodents Treadmill was used for training (25 meters per minute, an hour per day, and 6 days per week). For each exercise subgroup, a control subgroup (n=8, in each subgroup) was assigned. The data were analyzed through a two-way analysis of variance using SPSS software V.16.0. GSH levels in 1, 9 and 12 months of training were higher than those in the corresponding control groups (p<0.05, for all cases). Although exercise had no significant effect on GSSG levels, GSH/GSSG ratio in 1, 9 and 12 month training groups were higher than those in corresponding control groups (p<0.05, for all cases). The effect of exercise on GPX enzyme activity was exactly similar to its effect on GSH levels. On the other hand, in 9 and 12 month trained groups compared with corresponding control groups, the levels of lipid peroxidation were higher (p<0.05, for both). Regular exercise increased GPX activity and GSH levels to prevent oxidative stress probably through continuously stress