Relationship between physical activity and oxidative stress biomarkers in women

COVAS, M-I., R. ELOSUA, M. FITO, M. ALCANTARA, L. COCA. and J. MARRUGAT. Relationship between physical activity and oxidative stress biomarkers in women. Med. Sci. Sports Exerc.. Vol. 34, No. 5, pp. 814-819, 2002. Purpose: To examine the relationship between physical activity and levels of plasma lipid peroxides, superoxide dismutase in erythrocytes (SOD), and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) in whole blood activities. Methods: Cross-sectional study in 488 Spanish women. Two categories of leisure time physical activity were defined according to their intensity: low (less than or equal to6 METs) and high (>6 METs). Energy expenditure in household activities was also recorded. Multivariate linear regression analyses were used to adjust for the effect of physical activity on lipid peroxides and SOD and GSH-Px for confounding variables. Results: The amount of leisure time physical activity was associated with high activity levels of SOD (P = 0.022) and GSH-Px (P = 0.002). Similar results were obtained when physical activity in household activities was added to total leisure physical activity. Physical activity of low intensity was associated with high SOD activity levels (P = 0.002) and that of high intensity with high GSH-Px activity levels (P = 0.001). Conclusion: The amount and intensity of leisure physical activity were directly related to both antioxidant enzyme activity levels. The findings of this study suggest a modulatory effect Of leisure physical activity intensity on antioxidative balance in the studied female population.