Sportomics analyses by mass spectrometry in urine of soccer players
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genetic disease; soccer; athletic performance; hawkinsinuria
Sportomics is the use of “-omics” sciences in conjunction with classical clinical laboratory analysis to understand exercise-induced changes. This approach is developed in a scenario where samples, usually blood and urine, are collected in loco, directly on the competition and training fields, simulating the real challenges and conditions faced during sports performances. The use of undirected analysis (NTA) by mass spectrometry offers possibilities for a better understanding of metabolic changes in a given scenario (eg, pre/post exercise). In addition, it can help in the discovery of relevant biomarkers in sports practice. From the point of view of energy metabolism, a soccer match involves anaerobic and aerobic activities. The present study aimed to analyze before/after metabolic alterations in the urine of soccer players. 30 semi-professional male soccer players participated in the study. Urine samples were collected immediately before and after a soccer match. The analysis was performed using high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS). Metabolites were classified according to class and superclass through the human metabolome database (HMDB) platform. Metabolic pathways were analyzed using the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) database. 1091 metabolites were identified and established whether they were up or down-regulated. The most prominent molecules regulated were fatty acyls, carboxylic acids and derivatives, steroids and steroid derivatives. The least regulated molecules were fatty acyls, benzene and substituted derivatives. It has been shown that metabolites derived from branched-chain amino acids (BCAA) decreased after exercise. In addition, the presence of hawkinsin, 4-hydroxyphenyl lactic acid and 4-hydroxyphenylacetic acid, metabolites characteristic of a genetic disease called hawkinsinuria, was demonstrated, which suggests an exercise-induced hawkinsinuria. The importance of on-field metabolic analysis using urine is proposed as a non-invasive way to understand and monitor athletes' metabolism holistically. NTA can engineer individual metabolic signatures to improve athletic performance.