Send Orders for Reprints to reprints@benthamscience.net Endocrine, Metabolic & Immune Disorders - Drug Targets, 2021, 21, 1-00 1 1871-5303/21 $65.00+.00 © 2021 Bentham Science Publishers RESEARCH ARTICLE Post-Exercise Ketosis, Salivary Uric Acid and Interleukin-6 after a Simu- lated Wheelchair Basketball Match Anna Raguzzini 1 , Elisabetta Toti 1 , Marco Bernardi 2,3 , Fabio Castellucci 3 , Valentina Cavedon 4 , Anna Lucia Fedullo 1 , Chiara Milanese 4 , Tommaso Sciarra 5 and Ilaria Peluso 1,* 1 Research Centre for Food and Nutrition, Council for Agricultural Research and Economics (CREA-AN), Rome, Italy; 2 Department of Physiology and Pharmacology “V. Erspamer”, Sapienza University of Rome, Italy; 3 Italian Wheelchair Basketball Federation (Federazione Italiana Pallacanestro in Carrozzina, FIPIC, Rome, Italy); 4 Depart- ment of Neurosciences, Biomedicine and Movement Sciences, University of Verona, Verona, Italy; 5 Joint Veteran Cen- ter, Scientific Department, Army Medical Center, Rome, Italy ARTICLE HISTORY Received: August 04, 2020 Revised: November 02, 2020 Accepted: November 03, 2020 DOI: 10.2174/1871530321999210111202724 Abstract: Background: Interleukin (IL)-6, total antioxidant capacity (TAC) and uric acid (UA) in- crease after exercise in able-bodied individuals. Wheelchair Basketball Athletes (WBA), having low muscle mass, could be at risk of post-exercise ketosis. Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the post-exercise ketosis, IL-6, and antioxidant response, in WBA of the Italian National team, after a simulated match. Methods: Dietary intakes, Starvation Symptoms Inventory (SSI), percentage of fat mass (FM%) and basal Respiratory Exchange Ratio (RER) and Basal Energy Expenditure (BEE), were evaluat- ed. Salivary TAC, UA and IL-6 were measured: before (PreM), at the end (EM) and 20 minutes af- ter (PostM) the match. Capillary glucose and β-hydroxybutyrate (βHB) were monitored. Percent- age of Heart Rate Reserve (%HRR) was measured to evaluate exercise intensity. Results: WBA had low carbohydrates (43.5% of daily energy intake (En)) and high fat (36.3% En) intakes. The increase in UA at PostM correlated with En (0.810, p<0.01) and was inversely related to βHB at EM (-0.719, p<0.05). Furthermore, at PostM growing IL-6 levels correlated with BEE (0.778, p<0.05) and inversely related to FM% (-0.762, p<0.5) were found, which in turn was corre- lated to SSI (0.781, p<0.05). Also βHB PostM correlated with SSI (0.761, p<0.05) but was inverse- ly related to RER (-0.745, p<0.05) and En (-0.826, p<0.01). Conclusion : Our study suggests that some WBA should improve their dietary habit in order to pre- vent post-exercise ketosis and ameliorate the endogenous antioxidant response after exercise. Keywords: Antioxidant capacity, body composition, carbohydrates, fat, inflammation, motor impairment, Paralympics, sport. 1. INTRODUCTION Oxidative stress plays a role in the development of chron- ic low-grade inflammation and age-related diseases [ 1, 2]. Smoking habit [3], exposure to environmental contaminants [4] and diet influence redox and inflammatory status [5-7]. On the other hand, in addition to anti-inflammatory and analgesic drugs [8], antioxidant and/or anti-inflammatory ef- fects have been suggested for metformin [9], statins [10] and antihypertensive drugs [10]. Circadian hormones, melatonin [ 11] and cortisol [ 12], are endogenous anti-inflammatory mediators and uric acid * Address correspondence to this author at the Research Centre for Food and Nutrition, Council for Agricultural Research and Economics (CREA- AN), Via Ardeatine 546, Rome, Italy. Country; Tel/Fax: +39- 06 51494 426; E-mail: ilaria.peluso@crea.gov.it (UA) is a non-enzymatic antioxidant in body fluids and the major contributor of the total antioxidant capacity (TAC) [13, 14]. Markers of inflammation and oxidative stress follow a circadian rhythm [15, 16] that can be affected by the diurnal distribution of fat and carbohydrate consumption [17], eat- ing time [18] and short sleep duration [19]. Although exercise training has sleep-promoting effects [20], increases immune defenses and decreases oxidative stress [21], exhaustive exercise induces oxidative stress and a systemic inflammatory response [ 22, 23]. In elite able- bodied basketball players, interleukin (IL)-6 is among the in- flammatory mediators that are involved in the short-lived performance deterioration after the match [24]. The same au- thors also found increases in UA after the basketball match [24]. Other studies carried out in able-bodied individuals re-