Abstract
The current information about the effect of physical exercise on the body concentrations of several minerals is still limited, both in the acute (short-term) and adaptive (long-term) responses. So, this manuscript aims, on the one hand, to assess the possible differences on basal levels of cobalt (Co), copper (Cu), and manganese (Mn) concentrations in serum and urine between athletes and sedentary participants and, on the other hand, to evaluate the effect of an acute progressive physical exercise until voluntary exhaustion on the serum and urinary concentrations of Co, Cu, and Mn. Two groups participated in this survey, one was formed by untrained, sedentary males (CG; n = 26), and the other group was constituted by national endurance (long and middle distances) athletes (AG; n = 21). All participants were from the same region of Spain. Participants of both groups performed a physical test on a treadmill, reaching voluntary exhaustion. Blood and urine samples of each participant were collected before and at after the tests. Once obtained and processed, the concentrations of Co, Cu, and Mn elements were analyzed by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). The differences in the studied variables were evaluated using a mixed model by means of an ANOVA and Bonferroni post hoc tests. In the comparison of the pre-test values between groups, the results showed that serum concentrations of Mn were significantly lower in CG than in AG (p < 0.01). In urine, Co and Mn levels were significantly higher among CG participants (p < 0.01) than among AG ones, while in the case of Cu, the values were lower (p < 0.01) in the CG than in the AG. Regarding the effects of the effort tests, no significant changes were found among the participants of the CG. It was observed that the serum concentrations of Co (p < 0.05) and Cu (p < 0.01) decreased after the test among the AG participants. Also, the results showed that there were no statistical differences in Co and Mn values (expressed in μg/g creatinine). However, the urinary post-test Cu concentrations were lower (p < 0.05) among AG participants. In basal conditions, serum concentrations of Mn were significantly lower in CG than in AG. In urine, Co and Mn levels were significantly higher among CG participants and Cu level was significantly lower in CG, a fact which may reflect adaptive responses to exercise. An incremental exercise to exhaustion in AG produces a decrease in Co and Cu serum concentrations, as well as in urinary excretion of Cu.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Lippi G, Franchini M, Guidi GC (2005) Cobalt chloride administration in athletes: a new perspective in blood doping? Br J Sports Med 39:872–873. https://doi.org/10.1136/bjsm.2005.019232
Schmidt WF, Hoffmeister T, Wachsmuth N et al (2017) Effect of low dose cobalt administration on erythropoiesis: 3300 board. Med Sci Sports Exerc 49:941
Unice KM, Monnot AD, Gaffney SH, Tvermoes BE, Thuett KA, Paustenbach DJ, Finley BL (2012) Inorganic cobalt supplementation: prediction of cobalt levels in whole blood and urine using a biokinetic model. Food Chem Toxicol 50:2456–2461. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.FCT.2012.04.009
Fridovich I (1995) Superoxide radical and superoxide dismutases. Annu Rev Biochem 64:97–112. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.bi.64.070195.000525
Tapiero H, Tew KD (2003) Trace elements in human physiology and pathology: zinc and metallothioneins. Biomed Pharmacother 57:399–411. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0753-3322(03)00081-7
Pisoschi AM, Pop A (2015) The role of antioxidants in the chemistry of oxidative stress: a review. Eur J Med Chem 97:55–74. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.EJMECH.2015.04.040
Steinbacher P, Eckl P (2015) Impact of oxidative stress on exercising skeletal muscle. Biomolecules 5:356–377. https://doi.org/10.3390/biom5020356
Hoshida S, Yamashita N, Otsu K, Hori M (2002) The importance of manganese superoxide dismutase in delayed preconditioning: involvement of reactive oxygen species and cytokines. Cardiovasc Res 55:495–505
Yamashita N, Hoshida S, Otsu K, Asahi M, Kuzuya T, Hori M (1999) Exercise provides direct biphasic cardioprotection via manganese superoxide dismutase activation. J Exp Med 189:1699–1706. https://doi.org/10.1084/JEM.189.11.1699
Linder PW, Torrington RG, Seemann UA (1983) Formation constants for the complexes of levulinate and acetate with manganese(II), cobalt(II), nickel(II), copper(II), zinc(II) and hydrogen ions. Talanta 30:295–298. https://doi.org/10.1016/0039-9140(83)80069-1
Gojanovic B, Cutti P, Shultz R, Matheson G (2013) High intensity interval training at overspeed in a lower body positive pressure treadmill improves performance in trained runners. J Sci Med Sport 16:e29. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsams.2013.10.070
Jackson AS, Pollock ML (1985) Practical assessment of body composition. Phys Sportsmed 13:76–90. https://doi.org/10.1080/00913847.1985.11708790
Kabata-Pendias A, Mukherjee A (2007) Trace elements from soil to human. Springer, Heidelberg
Reilly C (2004) The nutritional trace metals. Blackwell Publishing Ltd, Oxford
Moreiras O (2016) Tablas de composición de alimentos: guía de prácticas. Pirámide, Madrid
Niemelä K, Palatsi I, Takkunen J (1980) The oxygen uptake - work-output relationship of runners during graded cycling exercise: sprinters vs endurance runners. Br J Sports Med 14:204–209. https://doi.org/10.1136/BJSM.14.4.204
Dill DB, Costill DL (1974) Calculation of percentage changes in volumes of blood, plasma and red cells in dehydration. J Appl Physiol 37:247–248. https://doi.org/10.1152/jappl.1974.37.2.247
Shi H, Ma Y, Ma Y (1995) A simple and fast method to determine and quantify urinary creatinine. Anal Chim Acta 312:79–83. https://doi.org/10.1016/0003-2670(95)00208-H
Heitland P, Köster HD (2004) Fast, simple and reliable routine determination of 23 elements in urine by ICP-MS. J Anal At Spectrom 19:1552–1558. https://doi.org/10.1039/B410630J
Heitland P, Köster HD (2006) Biomonitoring of 30 trace elements in urine of children and adults by ICP-MS. Clin Chim Acta 365:310–318. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.CCA.2005.09.013
Lu Y, Ahmed S, Harari F, Vahter M (2015) Impact of Ficoll density gradient centrifugation on major and trace element concentrations in erythrocytes and blood plasma. J Trace Elem Med Biol 29:249–254. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.JTEMB.2014.08.012
Berger CE, Kröner A, Kluger R, Baron R, Steffan I, Engel A (2002) Effects of marathon running on the trace minerals chromium, cobalt, nickel, and molybdenum. J Trace Elem Exp Med 15:201–209. https://doi.org/10.1002/jtra.10019
Lantin A-C, Mallants A, Vermeulen J, Speybroeck N, Hoet P, Lison D (2011) Absence of adverse effect on thyroid function and red blood cells in a population of workers exposed to cobalt compounds. Toxicol Lett 201:42–46. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.TOXLET.2010.12.003
Krug O, Kutscher D, Piper T, Geyer H, Schänzer W, Thevis M (2014) Quantifying cobalt in doping control urine samples - a pilot study. Drug Test Anal 6:1186–1190. https://doi.org/10.1002/dta.1694
Gropper SS, Sorrels LM, Blessing D (2003) Copper status of collegiate female athletes involved in different sports. Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab 13:343–357
Resina A, Fedi S, Gatteschi L, Rubenni M, Giamberardino M, Trabassi E, Imreh F (1990) Comparison of some serum copper parameters in trained runners and control subjects*. Int J Sports Med 11:58–60. https://doi.org/10.1055/s-2007-1024763
Granell J (2014) Zinc and copper changes in serum and urine after aerobic endurance and muscular strength exercise. J Sports Med Phys Fitness 54:232–237
Kikukawa A, Kobayashi A (2002) Changes in urinary zinc and copper with strenuous physical exercise. Aviat Space Environ Med 73:991–995
Patlar S, Gulnar U, Baltaci K, Mogulkoc R (2014) Effect of nocturnal exhaustion exercise on the metabolism of selected elements. Arch Biol Sci 66:1595–1601. https://doi.org/10.2298/ABS1404595P
Pourvaghar MJ, Shahsavar AR (2009) Changes at nano scale level in copper anfter an aerobic activity in males. Dig J Nanomater Bios 4:809–812
Savas S (2015) Effect of maximal aerobic and anaerobic exercise on blood zinc and copper levels of male athletes. Asian J Chem 21:3962–3968
Hazar M (2009) Effect of intense endurance exercise on serum levels of zinc and copper in elite rowers. Asian J Chem 21:567
Rodríguez E, Díaz C (1995) Iron, copper and zinc levels in urine: relationship to various individual factors. J Trace Elem Med Biol 9:200–209. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0946-672X(11)80025-8
Marrella M, Guerrini F, Solero PL, Tregnaghi PL, Schena F, Velo GP (1993) Blood copper and zinc changes in runners after a marathon. J Trace Elem Electrolytes Health Dis 7:248–250
Acknowledgments
The authors gratefully acknowledge the collaboration of SAIUex.
Funding
This study received financial support provided by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and the Government of Extremadura (project PRI08B130).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Ethics Approval
This research was carried out under the Helsinki Declaration ethic guidelines, updated at the World Medical Assembly in Seoul in 2008, for research with human subjects. The experimental design was approved by the Ethic Committee of University of Extremadura.
Conflict of Interest
The authors declare that they have no conflict of interests.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Muñoz, D., Maynar, M., Barrientos, G. et al. Effect of an Acute Exercise Until Exhaustion on the Serum and Urinary Concentrations of Cobalt, Copper, and Manganese Among Well-Trained Athletes. Biol Trace Elem Res 189, 387–394 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12011-018-1500-1
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12011-018-1500-1