Sex differences in release of cardiac troponin T after endurance exercise

Context: Post-exercise cardiac troponin release has been extensively described in athletic groups but little attention has been given to any role of sex in mediating this phenomenon.Objective: We compared the release of cardiac troponin T (cTnT) after endurance running in training-experience, biological-age and maturity-matched young male and female runners.Materials and methods: Nineteen male (training history: 2.31.0years; mean age: 16.11.2years; Tanner stage: 3.7 +/- 0.6) and 19 female (training history: 2.2 +/- 1.0years; mean age: 15.9 +/- 1.4years; Tanner stage: 4.0 +/- 0.4) runners performed a 21km run with all-out effort. Serum cTnT levels were assessed at pre-exercise (Pre-ex) and at 4h post-exercise (Post-ex).Results: At Pre-ex, cTnT concentrations were below the 99th percentile value (10ng.l(-1)) in 32/38 runners. Post-ex cTnT increased in all subjects but the response was substantially higher (p<0.05) in males [median (range): 210 (20-1360) ng.l(-1)] than females [median (range): 80 (10-550) ng.l(-1)]. At Post-ex, 95% (95% confidence interval: 75-99%) of males and 63% (95% confidence interval: 41-81%) of females (p<0.05) had cTnT concentrations above the cut-off for acute myocardial infarction.Conclusions: The present data suggest that post-exercise cTnT elevation occurs in all runners but is augmented in young male compared to female athletes.