Effect of treadmill exercises on antioxidant capacity in the brain of rats

Objective:To establish a rat treadmill exercises model and to investigate the activity changes of total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC), catalase (CAT) and hydroxyl free radical(OH·) in rat brain after treadmill exercises training of different intensity. Method:Eighty male SD rats were randomly divided into four groups:normal control group, aerobic exercises group (incremental load exercise), anaerobic exercises group (high-speed intermittent training) and alterntive-training group aerobic and anaerobic alternative training. The activity of T-AOC, CAT and the inhibition ability of OH· were measured after every training period. Result:The inhibition ability of OH· of rat brain in aerobic exercise group was lower than that in the other groups (P0.05). However, after six-week training, there was no significant difference between four groups. Activity of CAT rat brain in alternative-training group was higher than that in the other three groups (P0.05), and it was low in anaerobic group (P0.01). The T-AOC of rat brain in aerobic exercise group was higher compared with normal control group (P0.01). Conclusion:Oxidative damages of aerobic exercise were heavier than the other groups. But with the extension of training period, the antioxidant capacity increased. It suggested that after moderate aerobic exercises for a long term organism's antioxidant activity would be enhanced.