RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Muscular damage and intravascular haemolysis during an 18 hour subterranean exploration in a cave of 700 m depth
JF British Journal of Sports Medicine
JO Br J Sports Med
FD BMJ Publishing Group Ltd and British Association of Sport and Exercise Medicine
SP 235
OP 238
DO 10.1136/bjsm.2005.021402
VO 40
IS 3
A1 E Stenner
A1 E Gianoli
A1 B Biasioli
A1 C Piccinini
A1 G Delbello
A1 A Bussani
YR 2006
UL http://bjsm.bmj.com/content/40/3/235.abstract
AB Objective: To verify presence and severity of muscular and/or intravascular damage during a subterranean exploration of long duration. Methods: We measured serum levels of creatine kinase (CK) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) as markers of muscular damage. We also measured haptoglobin as a marker of intravascular haemolysis, and platelets and leucocytes as markers of inflammation. Results: We found in all the participants an increase in CK, LDH, and platelets and leucocytes (mainly due to neutrophilia and monocytosis), and a decrease in the level of haptoglobin and circulating lymphocytes. Conclusions: The observed data suggest that continuous effort during long alpine subterranean explorations, environmental conditions, sleep deprivation, multiple impacts on rocks, and compression caused by bindings of the caving harness cause muscle damage, intravascular haemolysis, inflammation response, and immunological changes.