Relationship between gastro-intestinal complaints and endotoxaemia, cytokine release and the acute-phase reaction during and after a long-distance triathlon in highly trained men

The aim of the present study was to establish whether gastro-intestinal (GI ) complaints observed during and after ultra-endurance exercise are related to gut ischaemia-associated leakage of endotoxins [lipopolysaccharide (LPS )] into the circulation and associated cytokine production. Therefore we co llected blood samples from 29 athletes before, immediately after, and 1, 2 and 16 h after a long-distance triathlon for measurement of LPS, tumour nec rosis factor-a and interleukin-6 (IL-6). As the cytokine response would tri gger an acute-phase response, characteristic variables of these responses w ere also measured, along with creatine kinase (CK) to obtain an indicator o f muscle damage. There was a high incidence (93 % of all participants) of G I symptoms; 45 % reported severe complaints and 7 % of the participants aba ndoned the race because of severe GI distress. Mild endotoxaemia (5-15 pg/m l) was evident in 68 % of the athletes immediately after the race, as also indicated by a reduction in IgG anti-LPS levels. In addition, we observed p roduction of IL-6 (27-fold increase immediately after the race), leading to an acutephase response (20-fold increase in C-reactive protein and 12 % de crease in pre-albumin 16 h after the race). The extent of endotoxaemia was not correlated with the GI complaints or the IL-6 response, but did show a correlation with the elevation in C-reactive protein (r(s) 0.389; P = 0.037 ). Creatine kinase levels were increased significantly immediately post-rac e, and increased further in the follow-up period. Creatine kinase levels di d not correlate with those of either IL-6 or C-reactive protein. It is ther efore concluded that LPS does enter the circulation after ultra-endurance e xercise and may, together with muscle damage, be responsible for the increa sed cytokine response and hence GI complaints in these athletes.