Antioxidants for preventing and reducing muscle soreness after exercise

Area of Science:

• Exercise Physiology
• Nutritional Science
• Sports Medicine

Background:

• Muscle soreness, particularly delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS), is a common response to intense or unaccustomed exercise.
• Many individuals consume antioxidant supplements or foods believing they can prevent or alleviate post-exercise muscle soreness.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the efficacy and safety of antioxidant supplements and foods in preventing and reducing the severity and duration of DOMS.
• To assess potential benefits and harms associated with antioxidant supplementation for exercise recovery.

Main Methods:

• Conducted a systematic review of randomized and quasi-randomized controlled trials.
• Searched multiple databases including Cochrane, MEDLINE, Embase, and SPORTDiscus up to February 2017.
• Included trials investigating antioxidant supplements or foods for DOMS, excluding studies with combined supplements.

Main Results:

• Fifty trials involving 1089 participants were included; most used high-dose antioxidants and had a high risk of bias.
• Pooled results showed a small, statistically significant difference favoring antioxidants for muscle soreness, but effect sizes were below clinically meaningful levels.
• No significant reduction in muscle soreness was observed at any time point (up to 96 hours post-exercise).
• Limited data exists on subjective recovery and adverse effects, with some trials reporting mild gastrointestinal issues.

Conclusions:

• Moderate to low-quality evidence indicates high-dose antioxidant supplementation does not provide clinically relevant reductions in muscle soreness post-exercise.
• There is a lack of evidence regarding subjective recovery and the adverse effects of antioxidant supplements.
• Further research is needed to determine the priorities and justifications for future studies in this area.