Effect of strength training combined with antioxidant supplementation on muscular performance

This was a placebo-controlled randomized study that aimed to investigate the effects of strength training (ST) combined with antioxidant supplementation on muscle performance and thickness. Forty-two women (age, 23.8 ± 2.7 years; body mass, 58.7 ± 11.0 kg; height, 1.63 ± 0.1 m) were allocated into 3 groups: vitamins (n = 15), placebo (n = 12), or control (n = 15). The vitamins and placebo groups underwent an ST program, twice a week, for 10 weeks. The vitamins group was supplemented with vitamins C (1 g/day) and E (400 IU/day) during the ST period. Before and after training, peak torque (PT) and total work (TW) were measured on an isokinetic dynamometer, and quadriceps muscle thickness (MT) was assessed by ultrasound. Mixed-factor ANOVA was used to analyze data and showed a significant group × time interaction for PT and TW. Both the vitamins (37.2 ± 5.4 to 40.3 ± 5.6 mm) and placebo (39.7 ± 5.2 to 42.5 ± 5.6 mm) groups increased MT after the intervention (P < 0.05) with no difference between them. The vitamins (146.0 ± 29.1 to 170.1 ± 30.3 N·m) and placebo (158.9 ± 22.4 to 182.7 ± 23.2 N·m) groups increased PT after training (P < 0.05) and PT was higher in the placebo compared with the control group (P = 0.01). The vitamins (2068.3 ± 401.2 to 2295.5 ± 426.8 J) and placebo (2165.1 ± 369.5 to 2480.8 ± 241.3 J) groups increased TW after training (P < 0.05) and TW was higher in the placebo compared with the control group (P = 0.01). Thus, chronic antioxidant supplementation may attenuate peak torque and total work improvement in young women after 10 weeks of ST.