Effect of maximal dynamic exercise on exhaled ethane and carbon monoxide levels in human, equine, and canine athletes.

This research aimed to understand the effects of intense exercise on the levels of exhaled ethane and carbon monoxide in human, dog, and horse athletes. The main findings were that intense exercise resulted in significant increases in exhaled ethane in all types of athletes, but decreased levels of exhaled carbon monoxide in human athletes only.

Introduction and Aim of the Study

• The researchers chose to focus on exercise-induced oxidative stress (EIOS), a condition that arises when the balance between the production of free radicals and the body’s antioxidant defences tips towards the free radicals during exercise.
• The researchers wanted to measure levels of breath ethane and carbon monoxide, two potential markers of EIOS.
• Ethane is produced when cell membrane lipids undergo oxidation due to free radicals, making it an indicator of oxidative stress.
• An increase in oxidative stress induces haem oxygenase, a heatshock protein. This protein degrades haemoglobin into bilirubin while simultaneously producing carbon monoxide. This is why levels of carbon monoxide were also measured.
• The main aim of the study was to understand the effect of maximal exercise on exhaled ethane and carbon monoxide in different types of athletes – human, canine, and equine.

Methodology

• They had 8 human athletes perform a maximal exercise test on a treadmill, while the canine (12 in number) and equine athletes (11 in number) were made to gallop on a sand racetrack.
• Breath samples were collected regularly during the exercise from the human athletes, and before and after the exercise from the canine and equine athletes.
• The breath samples were stored in gas-impermeable bags and were later analysed for levels of ethane using laser spectroscopy. Carbon monoxide levels were measured directly with an electrochemical CO monitor.

Findings and Conclusion

• The exercise resulted in significant increases in exhaled ethane levels in all three types of athletes, pointing towards an increase in oxidative stress due to the physical exertion.
• The levels of exhaled carbon monoxide, however, decreased significantly in human athletes after the intense exercise. For the canine and equine athletes, the carbon monoxide levels were barely detectable.
• The researchers concluded that the ethane breath test allows non-invasive and real-time detection of oxidative stress. This finding could pave the way for more detailed investigations into the connection between exercise and oxidative stress in both humans and animals.