Changes in the markers of cardiac damage in men following long-distance and ultra-long-distance running races.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to compare pre- and postcompetition markers of cardiac damage in ultraendurance athletes.

METHODS: All the subjects had blood samples collected before starting and immediately after completing the running race, in order to analyze CK, hs-CRP, cTnI, and NT-proBNP.

RESULTS: Before starting the marathon, there were no differences between the groups for all of the tests. CK was significantly higher after the 308 km ultra-marathon than after the marathon and the 100 km ultra-marathon (P<0.001). In cTnI, the value after the 100 km ultra-marathon was significantly higher than that after the marathon and 308 km ultra-marathon, respectively (P<0.05, P<0.01). NT-proBNP was significantly higher after the 100 km and 308 km ultra-marathons than after the marathon (P<0.01, P<0.01). Hs-CRP was significantly higher after the 308 km ultra-marathon than after the marathon and the 100 km ultra-marathon (P<0.001).

CONCLUSIONS: cTnI was expressed after marathon and the 100 km ultra-marathon, and NT-proBNP exceeding the upper reference limit (URL) was expressed in long-distance races such as the 100 km and 308 km ultra-marathons. The highest expression of cTnI and NT-proBNP exceeding the URL was in the 100 km ultra-marathon, which may be caused by a combination of the moderate intensity of the exercise and the long-running distance.