Background: This study aimed to globally assess heat strain, dehydration, and mechanical load as acute kidney injury (AKI) indicators in amateur endurance trail athletes during a 35.3 km run.
Methods: Thirty amateur experienced trail runners completed an endurance trail run (total positive ascend 1815 m). The following assessments were performed at four measurement time points (pre-, during, immediately post [-post0h], and after 24 h of the finish of the run [-post24h]): serum test (creatinine, blood ureic nitrogen, albumin, creatine kinase, blood ureic nitrogen: creatinine ratio, creatinine clearance, and glomerular filtration rate), mechanical load (impacts and Player Load), heat strain and dehydration (hematocrit, urine solids, body weight and urine specific gravity), pain and exertion perception (rate of perceived exertion, lumbar and bipodal, and one-leg squat pain), and urinalysis (pH, protein, glucose, erythrocytes, and urine specific gravity).
Results: There were pre vs. post0h changes in all serum biomarkers (F = 5.4-34.45, p < 0.01). The change in these biomarkers correlated with an increase in mechanical load indicators (r = 0.47-59, p < 0.05). A total of 40% and 23.4% of participants presented proteinuria and hematuria, respectively. Pain and perceived exertion increased significantly due to effort made during the endurance trail running (F = 4.2-176.4, p < 0.01).
Conclusions: Endurance trail running may lead to an increase in blood and urine indicators of transitional AKI. The difference in blood and urine markers was significantly related to the mechanical load during running, suggesting potential kidney overload and cumulative mechanical load.
Keywords: AKI; biomarkers; health; kidney failure; kidney function; mountain running; off-road running; strenuous exercise.