Abstract
Regular physical activity can lead to improvements in the immune system and so help to prevent many diseases such as cardiovascular disease (CVD), Type2 diabetes, and obesity. The objectives of this study were to assess the antioxidant and trace element status in serum from adolescent, female gymnasts and pubertal controls of the same age, using ICP-MS, AAS to measure trace elements (selenium, copper, and zinc) and (magnesium), respectively. Enzymatic assay were also used to measure inflammation, auto-immunity and endothelial activation including (GPx, SOD, CRP, ICAM-1, HSP27 antibodies and antigens IgG, and IgM). In addition, anthropometric, physical activity and dietary intake were estimated, as previously described (Nurmi-Lawton et al., 2004). Dual energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA, Lunar DPX) was used to assess bone mineral content and density. The subjects of the current study, comprising 38 competitive gymnasts and 40 healthy, sedentary adolescent females, were part of a three-year long investigation into exercise and peak bone mass (PBM). Most previous studies have not taken into account the possibility of confounding factors that include anthropometric differences and dietary intake, which are also likely to vary between active and less active subjects. In this present study, it was our objective to take these factors into account. Our findings show that young, female gymnasts have an altered antioxidant enzyme profile, serum inflammatory markers and endothelial activation, compared to their less physically active peers. The current study also found a significant, positive association between levels of serum Zn and indices of bone mass in the active group. Further research should focus on examining the effect of vitamin D insufficiency on the above relationships and investigate further the interaction with and effect of hormonal changes and body weight.