Urinary Biomarkers: Diagnostic Tools for Monitoring Athletes’ Health Status
Raffaela Pero, Mariarita Brancaccio, Cristina Mennitti, Luca Gentile, Sergio Arpino, Renato de Falco, Eleonora Leggiero, Annaluisa Ranieri, Chiara Pagliuca, Roberta Colicchio, Paola Salvatore, Giovanni D’Alicandro, Giulia Frisso, Barbara Lombardo, Cristina Mazzaccara, Raffaella Faraonio, Olga Scudiero
Abstract
Acute or intense exercise is sometimes related to infections of the urinary tract. It can also lead to incorrect hydration as well as incorrect glomerular filtration due to the presence of high-molecular-weight proteins that cause damage to the kidneys. In this context, our study lays the foundations for the use of a urine test in a team of twelve male basketball players as a means of monitoring numerous biochemical parameters, including pH, specific weight, color, appearance, presence of bacterial cells, presence of squamous cells, leukocytes, erythrocytes, proteins, glucose, ketones, bilirubin, hemoglobin, nitrite, and leukocyte esterase, to prevent and/or treat the onset of pathologies, prescribe personalized treatments for each athlete, and monitor the athletes' health status.