Abstract
Background. Objectives-The effects of taekwon-do (TKD), the Korean martial art, training on lipid peroxidation and scavenger enzymes were determined by maximal graded treadmill exercise test.
Methods. Plasma malondialdehyde (MDA) levels and activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) as scavenger enzymes were examined. The plasma MDA level was used as a marker of lipid peroxidation. The biochemical evaluations were performed in 8 TKD trained males for at least, over 7 years training and in 8 healthy control males, at rest just before exercise, and at all out, at 10-min and at 30-min after maximal graded treadmill exercise test .
Results. In resting conditions, MDA level and CAT activity in TKD trained subjects were 2.7 times (P<0.01) and 10.6 times (P<0.01) higher than these in control subjects, whereas the activity of SOD was not significantly affected by either acute or chronic exercise. At the time of all out, after treadmill exercise, increased rates of MDA level (P<0.05) and CAT activity (P<0.05) were much lower in TKD trained subjects than in control subjects with differences between two groups (P<0.01). Absolute values of MDA level and CAT activity at the time of all out, at 10-min and at 30-min after treadmill exercise were still higher in TKD group, but the recoveries to the resting levels were much quicker in TKD group than in control group.
Conclusion. Adaptive response of changes in MDA levels and scavenger enzymes to maximal graded treadmill exercise was formed more highly in TKD trained subjects than in control subjects
