Exercise-induced hypertension, leukocyte telomere length, and dietary antioxidant intake in elite male taekwondo athletes: an integrated analysis.

PURPOSE: This study examined leukocyte telomere length (LTL) and nutritional intake characteristics according to resting hypertension and exercise-induced hypertension (EIH) status exclusively in elite male collegiate and professional taekwondo athletes. It further investigated associations among blood pressure responses, biological aging markers, and nutritional indices without presuming a direct association between EIH and LTL. METHODS: A total of 108 male taekwondo athletes underwent body composition assessment and graded exercise testing (GXT) using the Bruce treadmill protocol. Resting hypertension was defined as systolic blood pressure (SBP) ≥140 mmHg or diastolic blood pressure (DBP) ≥90 mmHg, and EIH as peak exercise SBP ≥210 mmHg or DBP ≥105 mmHg. Dietary intake was assessed via 3-day estimated food records and analyzed using CAN Pro 5.0. Relative LTL was measured by real-time PCR and expressed as the T/S ratio. Group comparisons employed Welch's t-test; associations were examined using correlation, multiple linear regression, binary logistic regression, and generalized estimating equations. RESULTS: Among 108 athletes, 23 (21.3%) met the resting hypertension criterion and 44 (40.7%) met the EIH criterion. The EIH group showed higher resting and peak SBP and a greater exercise-induced SBP rise. LTL did not differ between the EIH and non-EIH groups (p = .554) and was not independently associated with EIH odds (p = .177). LTL showed a borderline inverse association with resting SBP (ρ = -0.203, p = .050). In the multivariable models, BMI was inversely associated with LTL (B = -0.0070, p = .034) and positively associated with EIH odds (OR per 1-SD = 3.80, p = .002), whereas vitamin C intake density was inversely associated with EIH odds (OR per 1-SD = 0.30, p = .019). Dietary fiber and vitamin C intake densities were positively correlated with LTL (both p = .012). CONCLUSION: While EIH was not directly linked to telomere shortening in this cross-sectional observation, the high prevalence of EIH and its strong association with body composition and antioxidant intake highlight the necessity of dynamic blood pressure monitoring. Incorporating objective hydration controls and targeted nutritional strategies (e.g., vitamin C and fiber) should be considered as part of comprehensive cardiovascular risk management in elite athletes, warranting further prospective validation.