Cell-Free DNA As an Earlier Predictor of Exercise-Induced Performance Decrement Related to Muscle Damage

Purpose: To evaluate whether cell-free DNA (cfDNA) levels increase immediately after an acute light and heavy resistance exercise (RE) bout and whether cfDNA levels are associated with functional muscle capacity up to 48 h after an exercise session.

Methods: Twenty healthy volunteers performed 3 sets of leg-press RE with 80% of 1-repetition maximum (1RM) (RE80) or 40% of 1RM (RE40) with similar exercise volume. Blood lactate was measured after completion of the 3 sets. Creatine kinase, cfDNA, and jump performance were evaluated before (pre) exercise, immediately postexercise (post-0h), and every 24 h until 48 h.

Results: Lactate concentration increased similarly in both groups (RE40 4.0 [1.3] mmol/L; RE80 4.8 [1.3] mmol/L). No changes were observed in squat-jump and countermovement-jump performance after RE40; however, both jumps remained reduced until 48 h in the RE80 group. Creatine kinase concentration increased post-24h only in the RE80 group (pre 128.8 [73.7] U/L to post-24h 313.8 [116.4] U/L). cfDNA concentration increased post-0h only in the RE80 group (pre 249.8 [82.3] ng/mL to post-0h 406.3 [67.2] ng/mL). There was a negative correlation between post-0h cfDNA concentration and post-24h squat jump (r = -.521; P = .01) and post-0h cfDNA concentration and post-24h countermovement jump (r = -.539; P = .01).

Conclusion: cfDNA increases in response to RE intensity even when not performed until exhaustion. cfDNA measured immediately after RE is a promising biomarker for muscle-performance decrement up to 48 h after a RE bout.