Ratio of Creatine Kinase 2 Mass Concentration to Total Creatine Kinase Activity Not Altered by Heavy Physical Exercise

Serum creatine kinase isoenzyme 2 concentrations (CK 2 mass) were measured in marathon runners during training and 1 and 2 days after a race and compared with values from 36 acute myocardial infarction (AMI) patients whose total CK and (or) CK 2 activities were similar to those of runners in the basal state. During training, runners had CK and CK 2 activities 53% and 43% above reference values, respectively, and 36% had CK 2 activity > 5% of total CK. Nine runners (26%) showed CK 2 mass values > 6 micrograms/L but 10 micrograms/L. The ratio of CK 2 mass to total CK activity was significantly (P 10 micrograms/L, being comparable with those observed for the AMI group. Basal CK 2 mass values of the runners appeared only slightly higher than that for sedentary subjects, but after exercise half the subjects presented increased values similar to those observed for AMI subjects. The ratio of CK 2 mass to total CK activity appeared unaltered by exercise in all but one of the samples assayed, indicating its utility in evaluating CK 2 mass increases originating in skeletal muscle.