Myoglobinemia and endurance exercise: A study of twenty-five participants in a triathlon competition

Abstract

Twenty-five athletes competing in a triathlon, an endurance competition, were studied to determine the relationship of sustained muscle exertion with myoglobinemia and clinical rhabdomyolysis. Of 24 athletes who completed the event, each individual demonstrated a dramatic rise and fall in serum myoglobin over a 24 hour period, with an average peak level of 842 ng/ml. While all subjects exhibited symptoms of myalgia after exertion, none required hospitalization. A significant correlation was demonstrated with average serum myoglobin and finishing time (P less than 0.0125) and postexercise temperature (P less than 0.05). Appropriate training of individuals, whether athletes or military recruits, appears to be an important factor in reducing myoglobinemia. Exercise-induced myoglobinemia appears to be dependent on intensity of athletic performance, measured as a function of time, distance, and activity performed. The athletes who finished first had the highest levels of myoglobinemia.

Rhabdomyolysis/myoglobinemia and NSAID during 48 h ultra-endurance exercise (adventure racing)

“…Previously, High Mb-levels have also been shown to correlate with shorter race time in triathlon (Thomas and Motley 1984). A reasonable explanation for better-performing athletes having a higher Mb-Post could be that they work at a higher relative intensity which causes more muscle cell damage.…”

“…Increased creatine kinase (CK) and/or myoglobin (Mb) levels have been reported after several endurance races (Boudou et al 1987;Fallon et al 1999;Skenderi et al 2006; Thomas and Motley 1984). It is therefore reasonable to believe that a certain degree of rhabdomyolysis exists during an ultra-endurance event like AR.…”

Serum myoglobin, creatine kinase, and cell‐free DNA in endurance sled dogs and sled dogs with clinical rhabdomyolysis

“…Interestingly, the highest CK value (137,000 U/L) was recorded from the dog with tachycardia and collapse. Previous human studies showing strong association with CK and myoglobin were often representative of a single event such as a triathlon . Historically, the rapidly excreted myoglobin has made CK activity a more reliable indicator of muscle damage with prolonged endurance exercise with observable increases lasting more than 2 days.…”

Detection of Hemoglobin-Based Oxygen Carriers in Human Serum for Doping Analysis: Screening by Electrophoresis

“…However, in cases of intensive physical exercise, increased myoglobinemia attributable to transitory rhabdomyolysis may be observed, which would give rise to increased serum concentrations (14 ). These concentrations are still insignificant (Ͻ1 mg/L) compared with the concentrations of endogenous Hb, and especially HBOCs if they were used at the dosages considered sufficient to provide a meaningful performance advantage.…”