Sex differences in release of cardiac troponin T after endurance exercise.

CONTEXT

Post-exercise cardiac troponin release has been extensively described in athletic groups but little attention has been given to any role of sex in mediating this phenomenon.

OBJECTIVE

We compared the release of cardiac troponin T (cTnT) after endurance running in training-experience, biological-age and maturity-matched young male and female runners.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Nineteen male (training history: 2.3 ± 1.0 years; mean age: 16.1 ± 1.2 years; Tanner stage: 3.7 ± 0.6) and 19 female (training history: 2.2 ± 1.0 years; mean age: 15.9 ± 1.4 years; Tanner stage: 4.0 ± 0.4) runners performed a 21 km run with "all-out" effort. Serum cTnT levels were assessed at pre-exercise (Pre-ex) and at 4 h post-exercise (Post-ex).

RESULTS

At Pre-ex, cTnT concentrations were below the 99th percentile value (10 ng.l) in 32/38 runners. Post-ex cTnT increased in all subjects but the response was substantially higher (p < 0.05) in males [median (range): 210 (20-1360) ng.l] than females [median (range): 80 (10-550) ng.l]. At Post-ex, 95% (95% confidence interval: 75-99%) of males and 63% (95% confidence interval: 41-81%) of females (p < 0.05) had cTnT concentrations above the cut-off for acute myocardial infarction.

CONCLUSIONS

The present data suggest that post-exercise cTnT elevation occurs in all runners but is augmented in young male compared to female athletes.