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RESEARCH PRODUCT

Effects of marathon running on plasma total homocysteine concentrations.

subject

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Summary Aims There is evidence of an excess of acute cardiovascular (CV) events in marathon runners. High plasma total homocysteine (tHcy) concentrations are a recognised risk factor for CV events. Therefore, we investigated the changes in plasma tHcy concentrations 24 h before and after a marathon race. Methods and results Twenty-two non-professional male athletes, mean age 35.6 (6.6), range 23–49 years, were studied the day before and 24 h after finishing a marathon race. None of the athletes was a carrier of the MTHFR 677TT genotype and no ingestion of supplements of vitamins (B12, B6, folic acid) was allowed. Results Changes in plasma folate and plasma vitamin B12 concentrations were not detected post-race, but a significant increase in plasma tHcy concentrations was demonstrated. Plasma tHcy increased 19% 24 h after the race. Before the race 20% of the subjects had a plasma tHcy concentration > 10 μmol/l (cut-off point for ischaemic heart disease risk), while after the race 50% had plasma tHcy concentrations > 10 μmol/l. Conclusion An increase in plasma tHcy concentrations was observed after a marathon race in non-professional not well-trained male athletes performing strong physical activity. The potential physiological or pathological implications of this finding are unknown.