N-Acetylcysteine Supplementation Controls Total Antioxidant Capacity, Creatine Kinase, Lactate, and Tumor Necrotic Factor-Alpha against Oxidative Stress Induced by Graded Exercise in Sedentary Men

Abstract

Aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of short-term (7 days) N-acetylcysteine (NAC) at 1,200 mg daily supplementation on muscle fatigue, maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max ), total antioxidant capacity (TAC), lactate, creatine kinase (CK), and tumor necrotic factor-alpha (TNF-α). Twenty-nine sedentary men (13 controls; 16 in the supplement group) from a randomized control were included. At before and after supplementation, fatigue index (FI) was evaluated in the quadriceps muscle, and performed a graded exercise treadmill test to induce oxidative stress, and as a measure of VO2max . Blood samples were taken before exercise and 20 minutes after it at before and after supplementation, to determine TAC, CK, lactate, and TNF-α levels. Results showed that FI and VO2max increased significantly in the supplement group. After exercise decreased the levels of TAC and increased lactate, CK, and TNF-α of both groups at before supplementation. After supplementation, lactate, CK, and TNF-α levels significantly increased and TAC decreased after exercise in the control group. Whereas the TAC and lactate levels did not change significantly, but CK and TNF-α increased significantly in the supplement group. Therefore, this results showed that NAC improved the muscle fatigue, VO2max , maintained TAC, controlled lactate production, but had no influence on CK and TNF-α.

Use of Saliva Biomarkers to Monitor Efficacy of Vitamin C in Exercise-Induced Oxidative Stress

“…Blood is the most common for exercise-induced oxidative stress and biomarker extraction. Biomarkers present in blood include protein carbonyls [83,84,85,86]; total antioxidant capacity [87,88]; F 2 -isoprostanes [89,90]; malondialdehyde [91]; and Thiobarbituric Acid-Reactive Substances (TBARS), of malondialdehyde [92,93]. The presence of such blood biomarkers does not necessarily indicate damage is occurring in the surrounding cells/tissues; malondialdehyde, for instance, can be a product of actual damaged-tissue but also a product of reactive species.…”

Biomarkers of peripheral muscle fatigue during exercise

“…Among 13 healthy subjects, aged 18-22y, TAC ranged between 1.26 and 1.89 mmol/l [71]. TAC seems to increase with age since protein carbonyls and advanced oxidation protein products (AOPPs) increased with age and were correlated with TAC [72].…”

“…No data about the dependency of TAC on the physical fitness were available. In a cohort of sedentary healthy males, TAC decreased after treadmill exercise [71]. In healthy males a period of intensified training elicited a biphasic TAC response, a significant increase after low- and high-volume training, and a decline after very-high-volume training [10].…”

“…Reference limits of TNF-α under resting conditions ranged between 0.78 and 3.12 pg/ml [71] and seem to be independent of age, sex, and physical condition. Expression of TNF-α mRNA in fibroblasts increased with age [90] but TNF-α serum levels were not different between young and old controls [79].…”

“…Sex differences of TNF-α have not been reported in a study of 28 controls [79]. TNF-α levels did not change with increased physical fitness [71]. In patients with sarcoidosis undergoing a maximal incremental cycling exercise test, muscle fatigue was associated with increased serum levels of TNF-α [3].…”