COMPARATIVE EVALUATION OF BLOOD OXYGEN TRANSPORT SYSTEM INDICATORS AND METABOLIC ADAPTATION IN ADOLESCENTS ENGAGED IN VARIOUS LEVELS OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY WITHIN URBANIZED NORTHERN REGIONS

Abstract

Aim. This paper aims to identify alterations within the oxygen transport system and metabolic adaptation in young athletes and non-athletes, residing within urbanized northern regions. Materials and methods. The research was undertaken at the Khanty-Mansiysk State Medical Academy and the APOU Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug-Yugra “Yugra Boarding College of the Olympic Reserve”, involving 104 male subjects ranging from 18 to 20 years of age. Participants were assigned to one of the following groups: the main group comprised 58 athletes specializing in cyclic sports (skiing, biathlon), whereas the control group consisted of 46 apparently healthy medical university students lacking physical exercise. Exercise tolerance was assessed through treadmill testing coupled with gas analysis utilizing the H/P/CosmosVYAIRE track (Switzerland) and the Master-Screen CPX Jaeger ergospirometer (Germany). Hematological examinations were performed employing the Diatron Abacus Junior 30 (USA), while biochemical analyses were conducted using commercial kits from DRG Instruments GmbH (Germany) to evaluate various biomarkers including total protein, lactate dehydrogenase, glucose, total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), creatinine, and creatine phosphokinase (CPhK) on a ChemWell 2910 Combo (Awareness Technology Inc., USA) chemistry analyzer. Lactate levels were analyzed via BM-Lactate (Russia) test strips on a portable biochemical analyzer, Accutrend Plus, from Roche Diagnostics (Germany). Results. Through comprehensive examinations, significant changes in the oxygen transport system indicators among young athletes were recorded, notably an elevation in hemoglobin concentration, red blood cell count, mean corpuscular volume, and hemoglobin saturation (p = 0.006–0.048) post-intense physical exertion, relative to the control group. Biochemical parameter comparisons demonstrated elevated lactate, lactate dehydrogenase, creatinine, and creatine phosphokinase levels in athletes subjected to maximal physical strain, juxtaposed against reduced glucose, total cholesterol, and triglyceride levels compared to non-athletes. Conclusion. The data obtained demonstrates the adaptability of physiological systems in young males under varying degrees of physical fitness, particularly in response to extreme stressors within the northern climate.