EVALUATION OF CLOTTING AND FIBRINOLYTIC ACTIVATION AFTER PROTRACTED PHYSICAL EXERCISE

The behavior of hemostatic system activation during protracted physica l exercise is well known, but the duration of its modification is not yet defined. In order to evaluate the time of hemostatic system activa tion after prolonged strenuous endurance physical exercise (typical ma rathon race: 42.195 km, v=15.35 km/h; mean length of rime run 2.45+/-0 .15 hours) 12 well-trained long-distance male runners (mean age: 35+/- 7, range 25-47 years) were investigated. Blood samples were drawn in t he morning on the day before the performance, immediately after the ra ce, and 24 hours and 48 hours after the end of run. With respect of ba seline, immediately after the race, a significant decrease of fibrinog en (-25 %) and significant increases of prothrombin fragment 1+2 (+633 %) and thrombin-antithrombin complex (+848%) were observed, A signific ant acceleration of euglobulin lysis time (-41%), and rises of plasma levels of tissue plas minogen activator antigen (+/-361%), plasminogen activator inhibitor type 1 antigen (+235%), d-dimer (+215%), and plas ma fibrinogen degradation products (+1200%) were also found. Only a sl ight, yet not significant, decrease in plasminogen activator inhibitor type 1 activity was observed. One day after the end of marathon diffe rent parameters were still unchanged. Forty-eight hours after the comp etition all parameters investigated returned to baseline values. These results indicate a persistence of clotting as well as fibrinolysis ac tivation up to 24 hours after the end of the race. (C) 1998 Elsevier S cience Ltd.