Experience with meglumine sodium succinate for the treatment of cardiac strain in athletes

Management of free radical lipid oxidation using succinate-containing agents is of interest in treating cardiac overexertion, a marker of non-functional overexertion and overtraining syndrome in athletes. Objective. To study the efficacy of meglumine sodium succinate for treating athletes with electrocardiographic signs of cardiac overexertion. Materials and methods. The study included 38 male athletes (specialization: track and field, cross-country skiing, triathlon), 18—23 years old, with electrocardiographic signs of cardiac overexertion. The athletes were randomized into parallel groups — the main and control groups — using the «envelope» method. Subjects in the main group (19 athletes) were suspended from training for 20 days and received the Russian drug, Reamberin intravenous infusion, with a mean daily dose of 10 mL per 1 kg of body weight for 10 days. Subjects in the control group (19 athletes) were suspended from training for 20 days following the generally accepted regimen, and no medications or placebo were administered. The athletes were assessed twice, before the suspension from training and after 20 days. Based on the results, a decision was made on the possibility of resuming training. The examination included electrocardiography, Holter 24-hour monitoring, echocardiography, blood levels of oxidized lipoproteins, homocysteine, creatine phosphokinase-MB (isoenzyme of cardiac muscle tissue), total and effective albumin concentration with the calculation of albumin binding reserve. Results. After the treatment, a statistically significant decrease in creatine phosphokinase-MB and oxidized lipoproteins and an increase in albumin binding reserve were found in athletes with cardiac overexertion compared to the control group. At the final assessment, no signs of cardiac overexertion were detected in the athletes of the main group. In 6 (31.6%) athletes of the control group, even after 20 days of rest, electrocardiographic signs of cardiac overexertion persisted. Conclusion. The addition of Reamberin in the treatment regimen of athletes with electrocardiographic signs of cardiac overexertion is clinically relevant and promising.