THE EFFECTS OF REGULAR MOUNTAIN HIKING AND ACUTE MAXIMAL EXERCISE ON BLOOD OXIDATIVE STRESS LEVEL AND ANTIOXIDATIVE ENZYME ACTIVITIES

Abstract

The decay of the antioxidative system with age, and the increase in oxidative stress with environmental effects, favour the development of chronic diseases such as atherosclerosis. To assess the effects of regular mountain hiking on oxidative stress and antioxidative enzymes in middle aged men was aimed in the study. A total of 16 healthy male subjects (SG) with 16 years of sports experience, and who regularly hiked once a week on mountains 2000-2500 m high, and 16 controls (KG) participated in the study. Some physical and physiological measurements were taken. Prior to, and 5 min following a VO2max test, venous blood samples were drawn for the determination of plasma malondialdehyde as a measure of lipid peroxidation, and of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and serum paraoxonase (PON1) enzyme activities for antioxidative system evaluation. SG’s VO2max (p<0.001) and resting CAT activity levels (p<0.05) were higher than those of KG, while their body mass index (p<0.01) and MDA (p<0.05) levels were lower. VO2max and resting MDA levels were negatively correlated (r= -0.39, p= 0.025) for the total group. Following acute maximal exercise, only the SG’s MDA levels increased (p<0.001). These findings point to the favourable effects regular mountain hiking has on aerobic power, body mass index and the oxidative/ antioxidative system in middle aged men. The responses of the system to an acute maximal exercise were not in parallel with these findings.