LAUSR

ABSTRACT Leukocyte telomere length (LTL), a biological marker of aging that is associated with age‐related diseases, is longer in master endurance runners (ER) than age‐matched controls, but the underlying mechanisms are poorly investigated. The LTL, nitric oxide (NO), and redox balance of ER master runners were analyzed and compared to untrained middle‐aged and young adults. We hypothesized that NO and redox balance at baseline would be related to longer LTL in ER athletes. Participants (n = 38) were long‐term ER runners (n = 10; 51.6 ± 5.2 yrs.; 28.4 ± 9.4 yrs. of experience) and untrained age‐matched (n = 17; 46.6 ± 7.1 yrs) and young controls (n = 11; 21.8 ± 4.0 yrs). Volunteers were assessed for anamnesis, anthropometrics, and blood sampling. Measurements of pro‐and anti‐oxidant status and DNA extraction were performed using commercial kits. Relative LTL was determined with qPCR analyses (T/S). While the middle‐aged controls had shorter LTL than the young group, no difference was observed between ER athletes and young participants. A large effect size between the LTL of ER athletes and middle‐aged controls (d = 0.85) was also observed. The ER athletes and untrained young group had better redox balance according to antioxidant/pro‐oxidant ratios compared to middle‐aged untrained participants, which also had lower values for redox parameters (TEAC/TBARS, SOD/TBARS, and CAT/TBARS; all p < 0.05). Furthermore, the NO level of ER athletes (175.2 ± 31.9 &mgr;M) was higher (p < 0.05) than middle‐aged controls (67.2 ± 23.3 &mgr;M) and young participants (129.2 ± 17.3 &mgr;M), with a significant correlation with LTL (r = 0.766; p = 0.02). In conclusion, ER runners have longer LTL than age‐matched controls, which in turn may be related to better NO bioavailability and redox balance status. HighlightsMaster athletes have better redox balance and longer telomere length than age‐matched untrained adults.Redox balance and telomere length of middle‐aged endurance runners are similar to young adults.NO may play a role in the antioxidant complex, preserving telomeres and contributing to the overall health of master athletesNO levels are inversely associated with biological age of master endurance runners