ANTIOXIDATIVE SYSTEMS AND PHYSICAL EXERCISE

Intense physical exercising increases oxygen consumption and causes disturbances of the antioxidant balance. A rupture of this balance between antioxidant substances and the pro-oxidant ones (excess of free radicals (ROS) leads to oxidative stress. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are an important menace to the antioxidant defense system in the cells.They can diminuish the deposits of antioxidant vitamins and glutathione, making the tissues more vulnerable to oxidative damage. The objective of this study was to analyze the oxidative stress of skeletal muscle, to demonstrate the existence of the effort-induced oxidative stress, throughout the detection of superoxide dismutase variations in race horses, and to observe how these variations evolve with aging.