C72-31 Pulmonary Pro-Oxidants During a Wheelchair Rugby Match Are Modulated by the Functional Classification of the Athletes

Rationale Spinal cord injury is accompanied to varying degrees by respiratory compromise, which is associated with chronic tissue inflammation and oxidative stress, which can increase pulmonary tissue stress during physical exercise. This study evaluated the effect of spinal cord injury on H2O2 and NO2− concentrations in exhaled breath condensate (EBC) during a Paralympic rugby match. Methods [H2O2] and [NO2−] in EBC were collected before and 20 minutes after an official wheelchair rugby match in 12 men and two women (33.8±6.3 years) and analyzed through a spectrophotometric assay. The sample was divided into two groups: Group L (≤1.5 points; n = 4) and Group H (>1.5 points; n = 10) according to the World Wheelchair Rugby functional classification. Results Participants had an average BMI of 24.21±2.65 kg/m². The average sports classification for Group L was 0.75±0.50, while for Group H, it was 2.60±0.80. Players with higher functional capacity showed a significant increase in [H2O2] EBC (p = 0.0039), and [NO2−] EBC showed a trend in the same direction, although it did not reach significance (p = 0.09). In contrast, in the lower classification group, there were no changes (Fig. 1). Baseline values for both biomarkers were higher in the L group (p < 0.05). When correlating variables in the total sample, functional classification correlates inversely with baseline [H2O2] EBC (r = -0.58, p = 0.029). In contrast, body mass index correlates directly with baseline [NO2−] EBC (r = 0.49, p = 0.045) and inversely with sports classification (r = -0.65, p = 0.012). Conclusion Wheelchair rugby athletes with higher functional classifications have higher production of pulmonary pro-oxidants. Athletes with higher classifications have a greater capacity to generate ventilatory loads that subject the lungs to mechanical stress. These results also indicate that athletes with lower sports classifications exhibit higher levels of basal inflammation, which may influence the magnitude of the inflammatory response to exercise. Likewise, the higher BMI of group L could influence this higher low-grade basal inflammation by modulating the inflammatory response to physical exercise.