Abstract

Objective: To determine the effect of intermittent anaerobic exercise on physical endurance, antioxidant capacity, and lipid peroxidation of brain, heart, and skeletal muscles in mice.

Methods: Mice were made to perform intermittent (with short or long rest intervals) anaerobic swimming on six consecutive days. Body weight was monitored. Tissue total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and thiobarbituric acid reaction substance (TBARS) were determined on the 2nd, 4th, and 6th day. Physical endurance was determined on day 7 by using an exhaustive swimming test and a static grasping test.

Results: The intermittent anaerobic exercise resulted in decreased growth rate and physical endurance capacity, as indicated by less weight gain and shorter time to exhaustion during the exhaustive swimming and static grasping test (p<0.05). It also led to a higher T-AOC in muscle, heart, and brain, higher SOD activity in muscle and heart, and higher TBARS content in muscle (p<0.05). This type of exercise had no effect on brain SOD and TBARS. The changes in T-AOC in brain, muscle, and heart were all more pronounced the longer the experiment continued (p<0.05).

Conclusion: Intermittent anaerobic exercise reduced growth and physical endurance and increased tissue antioxidant capacity and lipid peroxidation.