Abstract

The aim of this study is to determine the effect of smoking on the melatonin levels in sportspeople and the regulatory role of vitamin A and E supplements on this effect. 14 voluntary people who do sports actively participated in the study.
Methods, sportspeople were separated into two groups: sportspeople who had been smoking at least 10 cigarettes a day for the last year and non-smoking sportspeople. Two groups were given a two-hour exercise program which would be implemented three times a week for two weeks. An hour before the exercises, 200 mg of oral vitamin A and E supplements were given. Melatonin level measurements were done before, right after and two hours after the exercises, and measurements of serum vitamin A and E levels were done at the beginning and end of the exercise program. Inter-group variables and independent variables were compared via t test, and intra-group variables were compared via paired t test. Results.The melatonin and vitamin A and E levels of the smoking sportspeople prior to the exercises were found to be less than non-smoking sportspeople; however, no statistically significant difference was observed between these levels (p>0.05). Nevertheless, melatonin levels which increased right after the exercises were found to decrease to the pre-exercise levels two hours later. Moreover, post-exercise melatonin levels of the smoking sportspeople were determined to significantly increase compared to the non-smoking sportspeople, especially after the second week, not the first week (p<0.01). Inter-group comparison after the exercise program and the comparison of the first and final vitamin A and E levels were observed to be significantly different (p<0,05; p<0.01). As a result, While smoking was determined to have a decreasing effect on the melatonin and vitamin A and E levels, the antioxidant agent supplements such as vitamin A and E were found to be protective regarding the oxidative effects of smoking and to increase the melatonin levels in sportspeople.