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Does antioxidant vitamin supplementation protect against muscle damage?
Cian McGinley1, Amir Shafat, Alan E Donnelly
1Department of Physical Education and Sport Sciences, University of Limerick, Limerick, Ireland.
Sports Medicine (Auckland, N.Z.)
|November 12, 2009
Summary
Antioxidant vitamins C and E may reduce oxidative stress but offer little protection against muscle damage from exercise. High doses may interfere with muscle signaling and pose long-term health risks.
Area of Science:
- Exercise Physiology
- Nutritional Biochemistry
Background:
- Eccentric exercise causes significant skeletal muscle stress, potentially leading to damage.
- Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are implicated in exercise-induced muscle damage.
- Antioxidant vitamins C (ascorbic acid) and E (tocopherol) are popular supplements for athletes to mitigate this damage.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review existing research on the effects of antioxidant vitamins C and E on muscle damage and oxidative stress.
- To evaluate the efficacy of these vitamins, alone or combined, in protecting against exercise-induced muscle damage.
- To assess potential adverse effects of high-dose antioxidant supplementation.
Main Methods:
- Systematic review of studies investigating vitamin C and E supplementation.
- Analysis of various supplementation strategies including dosage, timing, and duration.
- Examination of markers for muscle damage and oxidative stress.
Main Results:
- Evidence suggests antioxidant vitamins can reduce markers of oxidative stress.
- Limited evidence supports a protective role against exercise-induced muscle damage.
- High doses may disrupt cellular signaling and negatively impact muscle performance.
Conclusions:
- Current evidence does not strongly support the use of vitamin C or E for preventing exercise-induced muscle damage.
- Potential risks associated with long-term, high-dose antioxidant supplementation exist, including increased all-cause mortality with high-dose vitamin E.
- Athletes and individuals should exercise caution regarding casual, high-dose antioxidant use.
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