Abstract:
Our objective was to determine serum concentrations of proinflammatory (C reactive protein, complement C3 and C4) and anti‐inflammatory (α↓1 antitrypsin, C1 esterase inhibitor (C1‐INH)) acute phase proteins in elite cyclists before and during a three week cycle tour. Seventeen professional cyclists participating in the Vuelta a España volunteered for the study. Their mean (SD) physical characteristics were: age 28 (1) years; height 1.7 (0.06) m; weight 65 (7) kg; body fat 7.6 (0.8) %; VO↓2MAX 75.3 (2.3) ml/kg/min. Venepuncture was performed on each subject 24 hours before the tour began (T0), on day 11 (the first rest day; T1) and day 21 (the second to last stage of the tour; T2). Samples at T1 and T2 were taken about 17 hours after the previous stage. Analysis of variance was used to determine changes over time. Where significance was found, a Tukey post hoc test was performed. C reactive protein concentrations were consistently within the normal range, although there was a 228%, non‐significant increase at T1. C3 concentrations fell within the normal range at all times assessed. C4 concentrations before the race were within the normal range and were significantly increased 10 days (T1) into the...