Effects of Regular Habitual Exercise on Platelet Energetics in Male Recreational Contact Sports Student-Athletes: A Cross-Sectional Study

Background and Aims

Recently, an increasing number of athletes (from recreational to professional) have chosen autologous platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy to treat their sports-related injuries. However, its clinical outcomes vary among individuals and are thought to be influenced mainly by the athletes' PRP quality and physical condition. Thus, for successful PRP therapy, it is crucial to evaluate platelet activities in addition to soluble bioactive factors. In previous studies, we examined male professional athletes and female elite student-athletes. To expand the findings, in this study, we focused on male recreational student-athletes and characterized their platelet energetics.

Methods

PRP was prepared from healthy male soccer club members (college student-athletes, CA) and sedentary adults of similar ages (non-athletes, NA) at rest. Plasma lactate, platelet adenosine triphosphate (ATP), and oxygen (O₂) consumption levels were quantified using biochemical and bioelectrical methods.

Results

The body composition indices of the CA generally showed characteristics that fell between those of professional athletes and the NA. Changes in platelet lactate, ATP, or O₂ consumption levels, during the 24 h incubation period did not differ significantly between the two groups. Nevertheless, the changes in ATP levels were strongly and positively correlated with those in O₂ consumption only in the CA group.

Conclusions

Energy generation in CAs' platelets is suggested to be more closely related to O₂ consumption than that of the NA. Habitual exercise may impact platelet energetics as well as muscle cell energetics; however, further validation should be conducted with large samples to provide more insights into this hypothesis.