Table 1.
Baseline characteristics of controls and elite football players.
| Controls (n = 15) | Football elite players (n = 24) | p | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age (years) | 24.8 ± 3.5 | 17.2 ± 0.7 | <0.001 |
| Gender (male/female) | 15/0 | 24/0 | 1 |
| WBC (×103 μl) | 7.1 ± 1.4 | 5.6 ± 1.3 | 0.001 |
| PLT (×103 μl) | 233.8 ± 48.4 | 228 ± 39.7 | 0.357 |
| RBC (×106 μl) | 5.3 ± 0.3 | 5.8 ± 0.3 | 0.559 |
| Cholesterol (mg/dl) | 185.1 ± 30.8 | 172.3 ± 29.4 | 0.130 |
| BMI | 24.3 ± 1.4 | 22.5 ± 1.5 | <0.01 |
| Glycaemia (mg/dl) | 89.0 ± 28.8 | 83.5 ± 15.2 | 0.276 |
| LDH (U/l) | 179.5 ± 23.5 | 387.0 ± 50.7 | <0.01 |
| CK (U/l) | 192.3 ± 28.7 | 342.6 ± 70.2 | <0.01 |
| Myoglobin (ng/ml) | 50.6 ± 11.3 | 100.1 ± 42.9 | <0.01 |
| sNox2-dp (pg/ml) | 13.8 ± 7.7 | 19.5 ± 6.9 | <0.01 |
| H2O2 (μM) | 22.6 ± 13.2 | 38.8 ± 7.3 | <0.0001 |
| HBA (%) | 52.9 ± 23.0 | 37.5 ± 11.4 | <0.0001 |
| Training per week (h) | 7.2 ± 1.5 | 18 ± 2 | <0.0001 |
| Football practice (yrs.) | 0 | 10 ± 1.2 | <0.0001 |
WBC: white blood cells; PLT: platelet; RBC: red blood cells; BMI: body mass index; LDH: lactate dehydrogenase; CK: creatine kinase; HBA: hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) breakdown activity.