Production of free radicals and oxidative damage during physical activity is a topic that is intensively studied and paid a lot of attention, first of all in professional sports. Marathon is categorized as extremely demanding sports discipline, as it induces high energy consumption and also requires special mental self-control. We presented cases of two athletes of different age, who have been on dissimilar level of sports readiness, and also had various approach to physical activity and exercise. During 10 days they ran out 10 marathons, partly on a flat terrain, and partly on hilly, which produced different level of effort in conquering the terrain. Also, both athletes had complex supplementation scheme in order to prevent electrolyte imbalance and excessive production of free radicals. Blood samples were taken in the morning and immediately after the end of the marathon. Measured oxidative stress biomarkers changed without a noticeable pattern, but these changes did not vary greatly among themselves. Catalase activity in both marathon runners was higher after marathon almost after every race for 10 days. On the other hand, amount of reduced glutathione was lower after marathon in both athletes in the same manner. Based on the obtained results we can conclude that adequate supplementation could have crucial role in prevention of oxidative damage.

Adequate hydration represents the balance between the water intake and loss and has an unambiguous significance for public health and it is essential to sustain life. The changes in electrolyte balance which occur during and after training affect on athletes health and performance. Therefore, fluid replacement with adequate mineral composition is of utmost importance. The aim of the present study was to examine the influence of low mineral water from the well Sneznik-1/79 on anthropometric, functional, biochemical parameters and redox status of professional basketball players. In total, 17 male basketball players were included, during the pre-competitive mesocycle, and after the initial testing, they were randomly divided into two groups: group 1 - consumed the commercial drinking water for four weeks (n=7), and group 2 - consumed water from the well Sneznik-1/79 for four weeks (n=10). Determination of the anthropometric, functional, biochemical parameters and redox status was performed. Our results pointed out that consumption of mineral water from the well Sneznik is completely safe from the aspect of affecting various anthropometric, functional and biochemical parameters as well as systemic oxidative stress of professional athletes. In addition, existence of discretely better effects over commercial drinking water indicates that a long period of monitoring may certainly be of interest for further investigation.

Background: The extent to which homeostatically regulated physiological processes (including cardiorespiratory fitness expressed as VO2max) are involved in response to physical stressors (which include acclimatization and marching) has not been studied,, and we intended to make this assessment based on measured cortisol levels and blood lactate in subjects exposed to summer and winter acclimatization and marching. Methods: Two groups of young men with poor (PCF; n=9) and better physical condition (GCF; n=21), corresponding to the VO2max threshold of 40mL O2/kg/min, marched 15 km at an average speed of 6-7 km/h, in winter (5˚C) and in summer (32˚C). Blood sampling was performed in the morning hours (10 am) before and immediately after the march. At the same time, the participants' pulses had not yet settled, and cortisol and lactate analyses were performed using routine methods. Results: Basal cortisol was significantly elevated at 5°C in the PCF group. After marching, cortisol decreased substantially in both groups at 5°C. Basal and post-marching cortisol levels were significantly elevated only at 32°C in the GCF group. Conclusions: Cold is more stressful to the body than heat and physical activity reduces cold-related stress, regardless of fitness. Individuals with poorer fitness are more susceptible to cold or heat stress. Only individuals with better physical fitness (associated with lower cortisol levels) had higher lactate levels at baseline and after marching at 32 °C, confirming that their energy metabolism is more dependent on lactate metabolism and that they are less stressed under these conditions.

AbstractAdequate hydration represents the balance between the water intake and loss and has an unambiguous significance for public health and it is essential to sustain life. The changes in electrolyte balance which occur during and after training affect on athletes health and performance. Therefore, fluid replacement with adequate mineral composition is of utmost importance. The aim of the present study was to examine the influence of low mineral water from the well Sneznik-1/79 on anthropometric, functional, biochemical parameters and redox status of professional basketball players. In total, 17 male basketball players were included, during the pre-competitive mesocycle, and after the initial testing, they were randomly divided into two groups: group 1 – consumed the commercial drinking water for four weeks (n = 7), and group 2 – consumed water from the well Sneznik-1/79 for four weeks (n = 10).Determination of the anthropometric, functional, biochemical parameters and redox status was performed. Our results pointed out that consumption of mineral water from the well Sneznik is completely safe from the aspect of affecting various anthropometric, functional and biochemical parameters as well as systemic oxidative stress of professional athletes. In addition, existence of discretely better effects over commercial drinking water indicates that a long period of monitoring may certainly be of interest for further investigation.