Effect of Endurance Exercise on Markers of Oxidative Stress: A Systematic Review

The aim of this review was to methodically consider oxidative stress biomarkers in endurance performance events. The health benefits of exercise come at the cost of reactive oxygen species production. Reactive oxygen species and the continued development of oxidative stress may bring about muscular damage and inflammation, ultimately impairing exercise performance.

A search for applicable articles was performed using PubMed/Medline, Scopus, and ScienceDirect with dates of January 1, 2010, to April 30, 2023. Inclusion criteria consisted of (1) original, peer-reviewed studies with human participants; (2) studies written in English; (3) studies available as full free text. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses checklist and flow-chart were followed.

Thirty studies were included in the final review. Four studies collected blood and urine samples, while 26 studies collected blood samples only for assessment. Thirteen studies on ultramarathons, seven on military training and survival, four on Ironman and endurance running, and one on running/cycling and swimming were discovered throughout the course of the research. Well-trained, elite, recreational, amateur, moderately active, ultra-marathon runners, triathletes, cadets/soldiers, physical education students, and untrained individuals comprised the study subjects.

According to the evidence, extended duration events do not always induce supraphysiological oxidative stress and muscle damage which are indicated by the presence of absence of reactive oxygen species and inflammatory biomarkers. Still, more importantly, oxidative damage markers of lipids, proteins, and different enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidants develop depending on the individual’s level of training.