Effects of Long-Term Exercises on Element Metabolism and Markers of Muscle Damage in Athletes

Abstract

Regular and long-term exercises create changes in the physical and physiological characteristics of athletes. As a result of the exercises, it forms important changes especially in the muscle and element metabolism of the athletes and affects the performance of the athletes. In this context, it is determined to detect the changes of the long-term exercises in the muscle damage and element metabolism of the athletes. The study consists of 16 male volunteer athletes in the field of athletics. In the research, an exercise program for competitions was applied to the athletes for 3 times a week during 12 weeks. Blood samples were taken from the athletes at rest, before the exercises were started and at the end of the exercises. In the samples taken from athletes, muscle damage markers and element metabolism levels were determined. The data obtained from the research were analyzed by using SPSS 22 package program. Significance was accepted as p<0,05.When the data obtained from the research were analyzed; in the element metabolism of the athletes participating in the research, statistically differences were observed in sodium, calcium, potassium, chlorine, phosphorus, magnesium, glucose and creatinine levels (p<0,05), however there was no statistically significant difference in urea level (p> 0,05). When the muscle damage values of the athletes were examined; a statistically significant difference was found in the pretest-posttest values of CK and CK-MB values (p<0,05). As a result; the changes that occur by performing long-term and regular exercise programs in muscle damage markers and element metabolism of athletes were determined. We believe that considering the changes that occur in athlete's metabolism, the exercise programs to be applied will positively affect the performance of athletes.