Competitive season effects on polyunsaturated fatty acid content in erythrocyte membranes of female football players

Figures & data

Table 1. Characteristics of the participants for each sampling point (beginning point T1, in the middle of the season T2, and at the end T3).

	SEASON 2019–2020			SEASON 2020–2021				SEASON 2021–2022
	T1 Oct 2019 n = 23	T2 Dec 2020 n = 22	p-Value	T1 Jul 2020 n = 23	T2 Dec 2020 n = 25	T3 May 2021 n = 23	p-Value	T1 Jul 2021 n = 20	T2 March 2022 n = 24	p-Value
Age	24.4 [21.5;28.3]	24.8 [21.6;28.5]	.633	24.7 [21.7;28.7]	24.7 [22.1;28.8]	23.8 [21.3;27.8]	.918	26.2 [21.5;29.9]	24.5 [21.6;30.2]	.741
Playing position
Forward	11	11		11	12	11		12	16
Defender	9	8		9	10	10		5	6
Goalkeepers	3	3		3	3	2		3	2
Body composition
Weight (kg) *	58.8 [55.3;62.0]	59.8 [55.8;63.1]	0.808	60.1 [57.1;61.8]	59.4 [56.4;62.0]	59.3 [57.2;63.8]	0.995	60.0 [57.1;64.5]	60.1 [58.6;65.0]	0.494
BMI (kg/m^2)	21.5 [20.1;22.0]	21.7 [20.1;22.3]	0.576	21.7 [20.5;22.7]	21.6 [20.7;22.2]	21.5 [20.2;22.3]	0.97	20.9 [20.2;23.3]	21.9 [21.0;23.2]	0.220
%BF *	12.7 [11.5;13.8]	12.6 [11.2;13.5]	0.780	13.9 [12.3;15.5]	14.0 [12.2;15.1]	12.9 [12.0;14.2]	0.421	13.0 [11.2;17.5]	13.3 [11.9;15.2]	0.925
Σ skinfolds (mm)	59.1 [50.9;66.3]	58.4 [49.0;64.4]	0.780	66.6 [56.7;77.0]	67.6 [55.4;74.6]	60.4 [54.7;68.5]	0.421	60.7 [49.5;89.8]	62.6 [53.7;75.3]	0.925
Subscapular *	8.2 [7.1;9.8]	7.2 [6.6;9.0]	0.165	8.5 [7.00;10.1]	9.4 [7.0;11.4]	10.2 [9.1;12.6]	0.038	8.4 [7.6;11.2]	7.1 [6.9;9.3]	0.193
Triceps *	9.3 [8.1;11.2]	11.2 [8.4;12.4]	0.401	10.0 [8.5;11.6]	9.8 [7.8;12.2]	7.2 [6.8;8.3]	0.004	9.9 [8.6;13.2]	11.4 [8.8;13.7]	0.350
Supraspinal *	6.8 [5.8;8.4]	6.6 [5.6;8.0]	0.627	6.8 [5.0;8.7]	6.6 [5.4;8.0]	6.8 [5.5;7.2]	0.644	7.0 [5.0;10.0]	6.2 [4.9;7.8]	0.202
Abdominal *	11.0 [7.9;12.5]	9.8 [7.8;11.4]	.0375	11.9 [9.1;14.8]	11.3 [9.8;15.2]	11.4 [8.9;13.2]	0.554	11.1 [8.6;15.8]	10.9 [7.9;13.8]	0.636
Thigh *	16.0 [14.0;18.4]	16.0 [13.8;17.4]	0.817	19.9 [15.8;24.2]	19.8 [15.2;22.0]	17.0 [14.9;19.6]	0.229	16.8 [14.1;23.8]	18.1 [15.0;23.0]	0.636
Calf *	5.9 [5.0;9.0]	5.4 [5.0;8.4]	0.913	8.2 [6.1;9.8]	8.6 [7.2;10.2]	8.4 [6.2;9.3]	0.604	7.9 [5.8;9.9]	7.8 [5.9;11.3]	0.542

Data are expressed with median and confidence intervals. *Not normally distributed variables.

Table 2. Mature erythrocyte membrane fatty acid levels in professional female football players for each sampling point of each competitive season (beginning point T1, in the middle of the season T2 and at the end T3).

	SEASON 2019–2020			SEASON 2020–2021				SEASON 2021–2022
	T1 Oct 2019 n = 23	T2 Dec 2020 n = 22	p-Value	T1 Jul 2020 n = 23	T2 Dec 2020 n = 25	T3 May 2021 n = 23	p-Value	T1 Jul 2021 n = 20	T2 March 2022 n = 24	p-Value
Palmitic acid (16:0)	22.4 ± 1.1	22.5 ± 1.3	0.639	23.1 ± 0.9	22.2 ± 1.2	21.4 ± 1.0	0<.001	21.9 ± 1.3	21.6 ± 1.0	0.294
Stearic acid (18:0) *	16.9 ± 1.2	16.1 ± 1.2	0.027	17.7 ± 1.1	17.5 ± 0.9	17.9 ± 0.9	0.404	17.5 ± 0.8	17.9 ± 1.1	0.229
Palmitoleic acid (16:1 n-7) *	0.34 ± 0.14	0.42 ± 0.15	0.095	0.39 ± 0.13	0.26 ± 0.12	0.27 ± 0.09	0<.001	0.28 ± 0.08	0.26 ± 0.05	0.604
Oleic acid (18:1 n-9) *	17.2 ± 1.3	17.4 ± 1.5	0.689	16.9 ± 1.0	16.7 ± 1.0	16.7 ± 1.3	0.629	17.2 ± 1.4	16.5 ± 0.8	0.103
cis-Vaccenic acid (18:1 n-11) *	1.38 ± 0.22	1.25 ± 0.18	0.027	1.48 ± 0.48	1.10 ± 0.14	1.20 ± 0.17	0<.001	1.13 ± 0.15	1.13 ± 0.13	0.869
LA (18:2 n-6)	14.0 ± 1.5	14.3 ± 1.5	0.459	13.6 ± 1.5	14.0 ± 1.3	13.6 ± 1.2	0.433	13.0 ± 1.1	13.8 ± 1.3	0.053
DGLA (20:3) *	1.64 ± 0.32	1.83 ± 0.3	0.097	1.73 ± 0.36	1.88 ± 0.38	1.79 ± 0.36	0.277	1.86 ± 0.34	1.73 ± 0.28	0.194
AA (20:4) *	18.1 ± 1.2	17.9 ± 1.3	0.621	18.0 ± 1.2	19.2 ± 1.3	19.5 ± 1.4	0<.001	19.1 ± 1.8	18.8 ± 1.2	0.561
EPA (20:5) *	0.83 ± 0.34	0.88 ± 0.33	0.644	0.96 ± 0.37	0.84 ± 0.37	0.95 ± 0.34	0.502	0.95 ± 0.25	0.93 ± 0.25	0.924
DHA (22:6)	6.5 ± 0.8	7.0 ± 0.9	0.048	5.9 ± 0.8	6.1 ± 1.0	6.5 ± 1.0	0.146	6.8 ± 1.0	7.2 ± 0.9	0.23
Trans 18:1 *	0.11 ± 0.04	0.08 ± 0.04	0.027	0.09 ± 0.07	0.10 ± 0.05	0.07 ± 0.02	0.404	0.09 ± 0.04	0.07 ± 0.01	0.034
Trans 20:4 *	0.14 ± 0.05	0.11 ± 0.05	0.051	0.11 ± 0.07	0.13 ± 0.05	0.11 ± 0.04	0.175	0.10 ± 0.03	0.08 ± 0.01	0.278
Total Trans *	0.26 ± 0.10	0.19 ± 0.08	0.008	0.22 ± 0.14	0.23 ± 0.08	0.18 ± 0.05	0.254	0.19 ± 0.06	0.15 ± 0.02	0.011
Total SFA	39.3 ± 1.0	38.6 ± 0.9	0.023	40.8 ± 1.1	39.7 ± 0.7	39.3 ± 0.8	0<.001	39.4 ± 1.2	39.5 ± 0.9	0.950
Total MUFA *	18.9 ± 1.4	19.1 ± 1.6	0.742	18.8 ± 1.1	18.1 ± 1.0	18.2 ± 1.3	0.052	18.6 ± 1.4	17.9 ± 0.9	0.065
Total PUFA *	41.2 ± 1.4	42.1 ± 1.1	0.021	40.2 ± 1.3	42.1 ± 0.9	42.3 ± 1.3	0<.001	41.8 ± 1.8	42.5 ± 1.0	0.111
SFA/MUFA	2.1 ± 0.2	2.0 ± 0.2	0.269	2.2 ± 0.2	2.2 ± 0.1	2.2 ± 0.2	0.91	2.1 ± 0.2	2.2 ± 0.1	0.081
ω-6/ω-3 *	4.7 ± 0.8	4.4 ± 0.8	0.211	4.9 ± 0.9	5.2 ± 1.1	4.9 ± 1.1	0.491	4.5 ± 0.9	4.3 ± 0.8	0.45
Omega-3 index	7.4 ± 1.2	8.0 ± 1.2	0.115	6.9 ± 1.0	7.0 ± 1.2	7.4 ± 1.2	0.232	7.8 ± 1.2	8.1 ± 1.1	0.326
PUFA Balance	18.0 ± 2.9	19.0 ± 2.9	0.267	17.2 ± 2.9	16.5 ± 2.8	17.6 ± 2.8	0.427	18.6 ± 2.6	19.1 ± 2.6	0.528
Peroxidation index	168 ± 4	172 ± 4	0.055	164 ± 3	169 ± 5	172 ± 6	0<.001	172 ± 7	174 ± 5	0.43
Unsaturation index	148 ± 7	152 ± 7	0.008	143 ± 5	149 ± 8	153 ± 9	0<.001	154 ± 10	156 ± 7	0.463
Δ6D+ELO 18:2/20:3	8.8 ± 1.9	8.1 ± 1.5	0.158	8.1 ± 1.7	7.7 ± 1.5	7.9 ± 1.7	0.684	7.3 ± 1.5	8.2 ± 1.4	0.056
Δ5D 20:4/20:3	11.4 ± 2.3	10.1 ± 1.8	0.039	10.8 ± 2.0	10.6 ± 2.3	11.2 ± 2.1	0.564	10.6 ± 1.7	11.1 ± 1.9	0.292
Δ9D 18:0/18:1 *	0.98 ± 0.14	0.93 ± 0.12	0.117	1.05 ± 0.09	1.05 ± 0.09	1.07 ± 0.11	0.761	1.02 ± 0.08	1.09 ± 0.09	0.017
Δ9D 16:0/16:1 *	72.6 ± 26.6	59.9 ± 21.0	0.110	66.4 ± 25.5	96.4 ± 30.4	88.5 ± 32.5	0<.001	86.4 ± 26.8	84.9 ± 13.4	0.777

Data are expressed with means ± standard deviation. *Not normally distributed variables. ELO (Elongase).

Table 3. The mature erythrocyte membrane fatty acid profile of the participants compared to the control group and optimal values.

Fatty Acids (%)	Optimal values range ^#	Control group n = 44	Football players 160 samples	p-Value^+	Football player T1 66 samples	p-Value^++
Palmitic acid (16:0) *	17–27	22.1 ± 1.2	22.1 ± 1.2	0.928	22.5 ± 1.18	0.151
Stearic acid (18:0)	13–20	17.8 ± 1.6	17.4 ± 1.2	0.119	17.4 ± 1.13	0.160
Palmitoleic acid (16:1 n-7) *	0.2–.5	0.31 ± .17	0.32 ± .13	0.915	0.34 ± .13	0.414
Oleic acid (18:1 n-9) *	9–18	16.5 ± 1.4	16.9 ± 1.2	0.068	17.1 ± 1.24	0.028
cis-Vaccenic acid (18:1 n-11) *	0.7–1.3	1.23 ± .19	1.24 ± .27	0.754	1.34 ± .35	0.029
LA (18:2 n-6)	9–16	12.8 ± 1.1	13.8 ± 1.4	0<.001	13.6 ± 1.41	0.002
DGLA (20:3) *	1.9–2.4	1.98 ± .58	1.78 ± .35	0.036	1.74 ± .35	0.016
AA (20:4) *	13–17	19.0 ± 1.7	18.7 ± 1.4	0.324	18.4 ± 1.44	0.073
EPA (20:5) *	0.5–.9	0.76 ± .34	0.91 ± .32	0.018	0.91 ± .33	0.027
DHA (22:6)	5–7	5.9 ± 1.3	6.5 ± 1.0	0.006	6.41 ± .94	0.057
Trans 18:1 *	0.1–.3	0.09 ± .06	0.11 ± .05	0.030	0.12 ± .06	0.018
Trans 20:4 *	0.1–.4	0.10 ± .09	0.09 ± .04	0.486	0.10 ± .05	0.935
Total Trans *	0.1–.4	0.18 ± .13	0.20 ± .09	0.445	0.22 ± .11	0.120
Total SFA	34–45	4.1 ± 1.9	39.5 ± 1.1	0.061	39.9 ± 1.27	0.493
Total MUFA *	15–23	18.2 ± 1.5	18.5 ± 1.3	0.250	18.8 ± 1.29	0.045
Total PUFA *	30–43	41.5 ± 2.1	41.7 ± 1.4	0.433	41.0 ± 1.63	0.231
SFA/MUFA	1.7–2	2.2 ± .2	2.1 ± .2	0.121	2.14 ± .17	0.087
ω-6/ω-3 *	3.5–5.5	4.5 ± 1.4	4.7 ± .9	0.335	4.71 ± .88	0.359
Omega-3 index	0–4% high risk4–8% intermediate risk > 8% minimum risk 4–8% intermediate risk > 8% minimum risk	6.7 ± 1.5	7.5 ± 1.2	0.002	7.35 ± 1.17	0.017
PUFA Balance		16.1 ± 3.5	18.0 ± 2.9	0.003	17.9 ± 2.83	0.006
Peroxidation index		166 ± 7	170 ± 6	0<.001	148 ± 9.09	0.333
Unsaturation index		146 ± 9	151 ± 9	0.006	168 ± 6.49	0.120
Δ6D+ELO 18:2/20:3	<5 hyperactivity > 8 hypoactivity > 8 hypoactivity	6.8 ± 1.8	8.0 ± 1.7	0<.001	8.11 ± 1.84	0<.001
Δ5D 20:4/20:3	<6 hypoactivity > 9 hyperactivity > 9 hyperactivity	1.0 ± 2.3	1.8 ± 2.0	0.030	1.9 ± 2.03	0.030
Δ9D 18:0/18:1 *	<.7 hyperactivity > 1.3 hypoactivity > 1.3 hypoactivity	1.09 ± .14	1.03 ± .11	0.021	1.02 ± .11	0.011
Δ9D 16:0/16:1 *	<45 hyperactivity > 132 hypoactivity > 132 hypoactivity	85.6 ± 4.6	79.6 ± 28.2	0.362	74.7 ± 27.2	0.124

Data are expressed with means ± standard deviation. *Not normally distributed variables. # interval values obtained in general population [27]. ⁺p-Value is between female football players and control group. ⁺⁺p-Value is between beginning point of female football players and control group. ELO (Elongase).

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