Overtraining induces oxidative stress-mediated renal damage in male Wistar rats

Background: Highly competitive athletes usually experience overtraining, which causes an increased production of ROS which can lead to oxidative stress and oxidative damage in several organs such as the kidney. The purpose of this study was to prove the involvement of oxidative stress in overtraining-related renal damage. Methods: Thirty experimentally naive male Wistar albino rats (2.5–3 months old, weighing 150–200 g) were divided equally into three groups: control (C) group, overtrained (OT) group, and overtrained + N - acetylcysteine (OTN) group. Results: In this study, we found that no apoptotic cell was observed in kidneys of the C group, while it was observed in OT group. This apoptosis was followed by increasing blood urea nitrogen and creatinine level in OT group compare to C group ( p < 0.01). We further found that this apoptosis is mediated by oxidative stress, as the antioxidant defences were decreased and the level of MDA was elevated ( p < 0.01 for all). The treatment of N - acetylcysteine (NAC) which alleviated oxidative stress and oxidative damage compared to OT group ( p < 0.01), also ameliorated the apoptosis-induced overtraining ( p < 0.01). Conclusion: In summary, our research indicates that overtraining induces renal damage in male Wistar rats ( Rattus norvegicus ) via oxidative stress.