Redox Status and Immune Function

National and Kapodistrian University of Athens

Status: Completed

Conditions: Skeletal Muscle Function; Aseptic Inflammation; Skeletal Muscle Damage

Treatments: Dietary Supplement: n-acetylcysteine; Dietary Supplement: Placebo

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT02930031

NACEXERCISE2016

Details and patient eligibility

About

In this investigation the investigators utilized N-acetylcysteine (NAC) supplementation to enhance reduced glutathione (GSH) stores during an 8-day recovery period from a strenuous eccentric exercise protocol in order to test the hypotheses: i) redox status perturbations in skeletal muscle are pivotal for the immune responses and ii) antioxidant supplementation may alter immune cell responses following exercise-induced muscle microtrauma.

Full description

The major thiol-disulfide couple of GSH and oxidized glutathione (GSSG) is a crucial regulator of the main transcriptional pathways regulating aseptic inflammation and recovery of skeletal muscle following aseptic injury. Antioxidant supplementation may hamper exercise-induced inflammatory responses.

The objective was to examine how thiol-based antioxidant supplementation affects immune mobilization following exercise-induced skeletal muscle microtrauma. In a two-trial, double-blind, crossover, repeated measures design, 10 young men received either placebo or NAC (20 mg/kg/day) immediately after a muscle-damaging exercise protocol (300 eccentric contractions) and for eight consecutive days. Blood sampling and performance assessment were performed pre-exercise, 2h post-exercise and daily for 8 consecutive days.

Enrollment: 10 patients

Sex: Male

Ages: 18 to 30 years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Recreationally trained (VO2max > 45 ml/kg/min)
• Engaged in regular exercise for ≥3 times/week for > 12 months
• non-smokers
• Abstain from exercise during the course of the two trials
• No consumption of performance-enhancing substances, antioxidants, caffeine, alcohol and/or medications during the study.

Exclusion criteria

• NAC intolerance
• Recent musculoskeletal injuries of the lower limbs
• Febrile illness
• History of muscle lesion.

Trial design

Primary purpose: Basic Science

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Crossover Assignment

Masking: Double Blind

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10 participants in 2 patient groups

n-acetylcysteine

Experimental group

Description:

orally in three daily dosages, at 20 mg/kg/day, daily for eight days after exercise

Treatment:

Dietary Supplement: n-acetylcysteine

Placebo

Active Comparator group

Description:

orally in three daily dosages, content: 500 mL drink that contained water (375 mL), sugar-free cordial (125 ml), and 2 g of low-calorie glucose/dextrose powder

Treatment:

Dietary Supplement: Placebo