ArticleSports medicine - open2018
A pilot study comparing the metabolic profiles of elite-level athletes from different sporting disciplines.
Article in Sports medicine - open, 2018. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 92 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.
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The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
92 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 132 citations in OpenAlex.
- Does a single session of transcranial direct current stimulation enhance both physical and psychological performance in national- or international-level athletes? A systematic review.Frontiers in physiology · 2024Pooled it
- Metabolomics in Exercise and Sports: A Systematic Review.Sports medicine (Auckland, N.Z.) · 2022Pooled it
- The Importance of Lipidomic Approach for Mapping and Exploring the Molecular Networks Underlying Physical Exercise: A Systematic Review.International journal of molecular sciences · 2021Pooled it
- Acute Cordyceps militaris supplementation and elevated resting oxygen uptake with faster reaction times: A randomized crossover trial.PloS one · 2026Trial
- Exploring the non-targeted metabolomic landscape in endurance-trained runners following 10 weeks of different dietary patterns and concomitant training.Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition · 2025Trial
- Eight weeks of aerobic exercise, but not four, improves insulin sensitivity and cardiovascular performance in young women.Scientific reports · 2025Trial
- Metabolic GWAS of elite athletes reveals novel genetically-influenced metabolites associated with athletic performance.Scientific reports · 2019Trial
- Metabolomics of Aerobic Exercise in Chronic Stroke Survivors: A Pilot Study.Journal of stroke and cerebrovascular diseases : the official journal of National Stroke Association · 2019Trial
- Gene-Environment Interaction Mendelian Randomization Reveals Statin-Dependent Associations Between Metabolites and Lipid Traits.Pharmaceuticals (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- Metabolomic Signature of Visceral Adiposity: Insights from a Population-Based Cohort.Metabolites · 2026Article
- Metformin Treatment Potentially Modifies Genetically Driven Metabolite-HbA1c Associations: A Gene-Environment Interaction Mendelian Randomization Study.Pharmaceuticals (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- A Multi-Omics Approach Uncovers Divergent Mechanisms of Asthma in Normal Weight and Obese Children.Metabolites · 2026Article
- Change in mitochondrial capacity in elite triathletes, cyclists, and wrestlers over a training period of 28 days.European journal of applied physiology · 2026Article
- Bidirectional communication between spinal cord injury and gut microbiota, from the bench to the bedside.Frontiers in immunology · 2026Review
- Article
- N-Lactoyl amino acids: insights from metabolite genome-wide association studies and phenome-wide association analysis.Human molecular genetics · 2025Article
- Dietary Fat Intake and Indices of Blood Profiles in High-Performance Athletes: An Exploratory Study Focusing on Platelet Variables.Nutrients · 2025Article
- Integrating Advanced Metabolomics and Machine Learning for Anti-Doping in Human Athletes.Metabolites · 2025Review
- Metabolomic Signatures of MASLD Identified by the Fatty Liver Index Reveal Gamma-Glutamyl Cycle Disruption and Lipid Remodeling.Metabolites · 2025Article
- N-lactoyl amino acids are potential biomarkers for insulin resistance and diabetic complications.Diabetes, obesity & metabolism · 2025Article
32 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
9 authors at 5 institutions in 3 countries.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundThe outstanding performance of an elite athlete might be associated with changes in their blood metabolic profile. The aims of this study were to compare the blood metabolic profiles between moderate- and high-power and endurance elite athletes and to identify the potential metabolic pathways underlying these differences.
methodsMetabolic profiling of serum samples from 191 elite athletes from different sports disciplines (121 high- and 70 moderate-endurance athletes, including 44 high- and 144 moderate-power athletes), who participated in national or international sports events and tested negative for doping abuse at anti-doping laboratories, was performed using non-targeted metabolomics-based mass spectroscopy combined with ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography. Multivariate analysis was conducted using orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis. Differences in metabolic levels between high- and moderate-power and endurance sports were assessed by univariate linear models.
resultsOut of 743 analyzed metabolites, gamma-glutamyl amino acids were significantly reduced in both high-power and high-endurance athletes compared to moderate counterparts, indicating active glutathione cycle. High-endurance athletes exhibited significant increases in the levels of several sex hormone steroids involved in testosterone and progesterone synthesis, but decreases in diacylglycerols and ecosanoids. High-power athletes had increased levels of phospholipids and xanthine metabolites compared to moderate-power counterparts.
conclusionsThis pilot data provides evidence that high-power and high-endurance athletes exhibit a distinct metabolic profile that reflects steroid biosynthesis, fatty acid metabolism, oxidative stress, and energy-related metabolites. Replication studies are warranted to confirm differences in the metabolic profiles associated with athletes' elite performance in independent data sets, aiming ultimately for deeper understanding of the underlying biochemical processes that could be utilized as biomarkers with potential therapeutic implications.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.