Cardiospecificity of the 3rd generation cardiac troponin T assay during and after a 216 km ultra-endurance marathon run in Death Valley

Background The reasons for the appearance of cardiacspecific troponin (cTnT) after strenuous exercise are unclear. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the cardiospecificity of the 3rd generation cardiac cTnT assay during and after an ultra-endurance race of 216 km at extreme environmental conditions in Death Valley. Study design and methods We measured serially cTnT, creatine kinase (CK), activity and mass of the isoenzyme MB of CK (CK-MBact and CK-MBmass), and myoglobin in 10 well-trained athletes before, repeatedly during and after the race. Results Six of 10 participants finished the race within a preset time of 60 hours. Postrace values of biochemical markers CK, CK-MBact, CKMBmass, and myoglobin were significantly increased compared to baseline (p