Effects of antioxidant supplementation and exercise training on erythrocyte antioxidant enzymes

Erythrocytes transport oxygen to tissues and exercise-induced oxidative stress increases erythrocyte damage and turnover. Increased use of antioxidant supplements may alter protective erythrocyte antioxidant mechanisms during training.

To examine the effects of antioxidant supplementation (alpha-lipoic acid and alpha-tocopherol) and/or endurance training on the antioxidant defenses of erythrocytes.

Young male Wistar rats were assigned to (1) sedentary; (2) sedentary and antioxidant-supplemented; (3) endurance-trained; or (4) endurance-trained and antioxidant-supplemented groups for 14 weeks. Erythrocyte superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GPX), and catalase (CAT) activities, and plasma malondialdehyde (MDA) were then measured.

Antioxidant supplementation had no significant effect (p > 0.05) on activities of antioxidant enzymes in sedentary animals. Similarly, endurance training alone also had no effect (p > 0.05). GPX (125.9 +/- 2.8 vs. 121.5 +/- 3.0 U x gHb(-1), p < 0.05) and CAT (6.1 +/- 0.2 vs. 5.6 +/- 0.2 U x mgHb(-1), p < 0.05) activities were increased in supplemented trained animals compared to non-supplemented sedentary animals whereas SOD (61.8 +/- 4.3 vs. 52.0 +/- 5.2 U x mgHb(-1), p < 0.05) activity was decreased. Plasma MDA was not different among groups (p > 0.05).

In a rat model, the combination of exercise training and antioxidant supplementation increased antioxidant enzyme activities (GPX, CAT) compared with each individual intervention.