Difference in Articular Degeneration Depending on the Type of Sport

Objective To determine whether type-II collagen degradation is determined by the type of sport. Carboxy-terminal telepoptide of type-II collagen (CTX-II), a serum biomarker of collagen degradation, was measured in athletes who play different sports, and was compared with matched controls. Methods The sample size consisted of 70 female participants aged between 18 and 25 years, 15 of whom were members of a soccer team, 10 of a futsal (a variant of association football played on a hard court) team, 10 of a handball team, 18 of a volleyball team, and 7 of a swimming team. A total of 9 age- and sex-matched individuals with sedentary lifestyles were included in the control group. 3-mL blood samples were collected from each participant, and they were analyzed using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Results A comparison of the CTX-II concentrations of the players of different sports with those of the control group resulted in the following p -values: volleyball ( p = 0.21); soccer ( p = 0.91); handball ( p = 0.13); futsal ( p = 0.02); and swimming ( p = 0.0015). Therefore, in the investigated population, futsal represented the highest risk for type-II collagen degradation and, consequently, for articular cartilage degradation, whereas swimming was a protective factor for the articular cartilage. No statistically significant difference was found in the body mass index among the groups. Conclusion Futsal players are exposed to greater articular degradation, while swimmers exhibited less cartilage degradation compared with the control group in the study population, suggesting that strengthening the periarticular muscles and aerobic exercise in low-load environments has a positive effect on the articular cartilage.