Relationships between Metabolic Profiles, Redox Homeostasis and Adiponectin in Young Athletes: Soccer vs. Basketball

Background: Skeletal muscle is the main contributor to reactive oxygen species during physical exercise. In elite athletes, the training load conditions the relationship between redox homeostasis and the metabolic profile of the muscle with the production of peripheral signals. The goal of this study was to investigate the relationship between redox homeostasis and peripheral signals in two sports characterized by a different workload, football and basketball. Methods: A cohort of 38 male professional players (20 football and 18 basketball) were enrolled in the study. The antioxidant capacity and the levels of reactive oxygen metabolites on plasma were determined by using the d-ROMs test and the BAP Test. A GC-MS-based metabolic profiling approach was used. Results: Soccer players had higher levels of oxidative species (dROM+31.25%), with lower antioxidant capacity (BAP value -16.8%), and plasma adiponectin level (-48%) than basketball players (P<0.01 for all). Metabolic profiling of compounds differentially expressed between the two groups of athletes indicates the involvement of urea cycle and tyrosine metabolism. Conclusion: Present results indicate that soccer athletes are subject to higher oxidative stress in comparison with basketball elite players. This pilot study indicates the need to evaluate whether these peripheral signals can be a marker of the athlete's condition; a marker of the achievement of overreaching; or a guide to developing more effective training techniques.