The aim of this study is to provide information about the association between physical exercise, oxidative stress and zinc. The formation of reactive oxygen species during exercise may contribute to tissue and cell damage, hindering athletes' performance. Some minerals, such as zinc, mitigate these effects by acting as a cofactor of the enzyme superoxide dismutase and in the regulation of metallothionein synthesis - important proteins of the antioxidant defense system. During physical exercise, zinc compartmentalization may be impaired, that is, changes in the concentration of this mineral occur in cellular compartments. However, the mechanisms involved in the metabolism of zinc, as well as its improvement of physical performance, are not yet fully understood. Thus, further research on the distribution of zinc in organisms subjected to oxidative stress is needed, and also on how zinc deficiency affects the antioxidant capacity during exercise.
Oxidative stress; Exercise; Superoxide dismutase; Zinc
