scholarly journals Antioxidants and Exercise Performance: With a Focus on Vitamin E and C Supplementation

Author(s):  
Madalyn Riley Higgins ◽  
Azimeh Izadi ◽  
Mojtaba Kaviani

Antioxidant supplementation, including vitamin E and C supplementation, has recently received recognition among athletes as a possible method for enhancing athletic performance. Increased oxidative stress during exercise results in the production of free radicals, which leads to muscle damage, fatigue, and impaired performance. Despite their negative effects on performance, free radicals may act as signaling molecules enhancing protection against greater physical stress. Current evidence suggests that antioxidant supplementation may impair these adaptations. Apart from athletes training at altitude and those looking for an immediate, short-term performance enhancement, supplementation with vitamin E does not appear to be beneficial. Moreover, the effectiveness of vitamin E and C alone and/or combined on muscle mass and strength have been inconsistent. Given that antioxidant supplements (e.g., vitamin E and C) tend to block anabolic signaling pathways, and thus, impair adaptations to resistance training, special caution should be taken with these supplements. It is recommended that athletes consume a diet rich in fruits and vegetables, which provides vitamins, minerals phytochemicals, and other bioactive compounds to meet the recommended intakes of vitamin E and C.

2015 ◽  
Vol 3 (3) ◽  
pp. 43-52
Author(s):  
Narayan Gautam

Several lung diseases have undergone oxidative stress due to free radical insult. Consequently, antioxidant vitamin C and vitamin E play important role in defense against cellular injury by scavenging free radicals. This article reviews the potential mechanism of free radicals generation and vitamin antioxidant defense to link amongst various lung diseases. One of the manifestations of free radical mediated process is lipid peroxidation subsequently producing malondialdehyde (MDA) in these patients. Supplementation of vitamin C and vitamin E as an adjuvant therapy as well as high intake of fresh fruits and vegetables appear to have a beneficial effect on lung health. Moreover, their consumption should be recommended on a daily basis. Further studies are needed to assess the impact of antioxidants as an adjuvant therapy in patients with lung diseases.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nurhayat Atasoy ◽  
Ufuk Mercan Yücel

Today, many factors such as advancing technology, environmental pollution, radiation, contaminated water, pesticides, heavy metals, stress and oxygen metabolism in living cells inevitably cause the formation of free radicals in the human body. Free radicals are very reactive forms of oxygen that destroy the cells of the organism. This calls for cardiovascular disease, cancer, cataracts, diabetes and many more diseases. To provide solutions to these diseases, firstly, we can eliminate the negative effects of free radicals and prevent the formation of diseases. While there is an antioxidant defense system in the human body that can prevent this, the environmental factors encountered break down this defense resistance and sometimes make it inadequate. We can strengthen our weakened antioxidant defense systems by eating a natural and balanced diet and consuming fruits and vegetables containing antioxidants, thus preventing illness. Research shows that free radicals have a significant effect on aging, free radical damage can be controlled with adequate antioxidant defense, and optimal antioxidant nutrient intake can contribute to improved quality of life. This review is intended to highlight once again the importance of alternative antioxidants in the body to eliminate free radicals and their harmful effects.


2020 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 33-41
Author(s):  
Amel Saidi Merzouk ◽  
Bouchra Loukidi ◽  
Réda Bettioui ◽  
Hafida Merzouk

Objective: Numerous epidemiological studies show an increased prevalence of metabolic diseases related to oxidation stress causing cell damage. Antioxidant supplementation is therefore useful to protect against the oxidative stress mediated disease development and has become an increasingly popular practice. In this review, a selection of clinical and in vitro studies on vitamin C and E supplementation and the evaluation of their beneficial or negative effects have been analyzed. Results: Clinical studies and supplementation trials show a correlation between antioxidants and metabolic improvement in different diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, obesity. Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) and E (α-tocopherol) appear to be among the most commonly used antioxidants. However, taking antioxidant supplements in high doses can be harmful. In some studies, little supportive evidence has been provided on substantial protection against chronic diseases by antioxidants. In addition, previous studies have revealed negative effects of antioxidant supplements such as pro-oxidant activities in particular conditions including their dosage and the body oxidant/ antioxidant status. Conclusion: Antioxidant supplements should be used with caution.


2006 ◽  
Vol 76 (5) ◽  
pp. 324-331 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marsh ◽  
Laursen ◽  
Coombes

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. Aim of study: To examine the effects of antioxidant supplementation (α-lipoic acid and α-tocopherol) and/or endurance training on the antioxidant defenses of erythrocytes. Methods: 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. Results: 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.gHb–1, p < 0.05) and CAT (6.1 ± 0.2 vs. 5.6 ± 0.2 U.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.mgHb–1, p < 0.05) activity was decreased. Plasma MDA was not different among groups (p > 0.05). Conclusions: In a rat model, the combination of exercise training and antioxidant supplementation increased antioxidant enzyme activities (GPX, CAT) compared with each individual intervention.


2019 ◽  
Vol 25 (16) ◽  
pp. 1889-1912 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rosario Pastor ◽  
Josep A. Tur

Background: Antioxidant supplementation has become a common practice among athletes to theoretically achieve a reduction in oxidative stress, promote recovery and improve performance. Objective: To assess the effect of antioxidant supplements on exercise. Methods: A systematic literature search was performed up to January 2019 in MEDLINE via EBSCO and Pubmed, and in Web of Sciences based on the following terms: “antioxidants” [Major] AND “exercise” AND “adaptation”; “antioxidant supplement” AND “(exercise or physical activity)” AND “(adaptation or adjustment)” [MesH]. Thirty-six articles were finally included. Results: Exhaustive exercise induces an antioxidant response in neutrophils through an increase in antioxidant enzymes, and antioxidant low-level supplementation does not block this adaptive cellular response. Supplementation with antioxidants appears to decrease oxidative damage blocking cell-signaling pathways associated with muscle hypertrophy. However, upregulation of endogenous antioxidant enzymes after resistance training is blocked by exogenous antioxidant supplementation. Supplementation with antioxidants does not affect the performance improvement induced by resistance exercise. The effects of antioxidant supplementation on physical performance and redox status may vary depending on baseline levels. Conclusion: The antioxidant response to exercise has two components: At the time of stress and adaptation through genetic modulation processes in front of persistent pro-oxidant situation. Acute administration of antioxidants immediately before or during an exercise session can have beneficial effects, such as a delay in the onset of fatigue and a reduction in the recovery period. Chronic administration of antioxidant supplements may impair exercise adaptations, and is only beneficial in subjects with low basal levels of antioxidants.


2020 ◽  
Vol 16 (5) ◽  
pp. 632-637
Author(s):  
Masih Falahatian

It is an assumption that different kinds of nutrition, diet, and functional foods might have different positive or negative effects on multiple sclerosis (MS), a neuroinflammatory disease of the central nervous system (CNS). This brief paper involved a study on various kinds of nutrition including salt, fat, dairy, fruit, and vegetables. At the end of this study, appropriate diets were evaluated for MS patients. Based on previous studies both on animal models and on MS patients, excessive dietary salt intake and animal fat had worsening effects on MS patients but fruit and vegetable intake helped the remission of MS and decreased the risk of developing it. There were, of course, conflicting results in different studies over the role of some nutrition in MS and future studies on larger numbers of cases were required to collect reliable results. As a result, at the end of this study and based on literature, it is suggested that a diet should be programmed by nutritionists containing fewer salt, fat, and dairy intake and more fruits and vegetables for MS patients in order to better management of the disease.


Author(s):  
Veruscka Leso ◽  
Luca Fontana ◽  
Angela Caturano ◽  
Ilaria Vetrani ◽  
Mauro Fedele ◽  
...  

Particular working conditions and/or organization of working time may cause important sleep disturbances that have been proposed to be predictive of cognitive decline. In this regard, circadian rhythm misalignment induced by exposure to night work or long working hours would be responsible for cognitive impairment. Nevertheless, evidence supporting this correlation is limited and several issues still need to be elucidated. In this regard, we conducted a systematic review to evaluate the association between shift/night work and cognitive impairment and address its main determinants. Information provided by the reviewed studies suggested that night work might have serious immediate negative effects especially on cognitive domains related to attention, memory and response inhibition. Furthermore, cognitive performance would progressively worsen over consecutive night shifts or following exposure to very long work shifts. Otherwise, conflicting results emerged regarding the possible etiological role that night work chronic exposure would have on cognitive impairment. Therefore, circadian rhythm desynchronization, lack of sleep and fatigue resulting from night work may negatively impact worker’s cognitive efficiency. However, in light of the considerable methodological variability of the reviewed studies, we proposed to develop a standardized research and evaluation strategy in order to obtain a better and comprehensive understanding of this topic.


1980 ◽  
Vol 51 (1) ◽  
pp. 231-238 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anders Böök ◽  
Tommy Gärling

How maintenance of orientation during locomotion in unfamiliar environments is accomplished was investigated by presenting subjects ( n = 32) a target in different locations in a dark room, having them walk linearly behind a moving light line (1.12 m/sec.), and from a stopping point 12 and 22.6 m away, numerically estimate direction and distance to the target. An equal number of subjects was assigned to each of 2 × 2 treatment levels: the starting point either visible or invisible from the stopping point and the target either visible only from the starting point or throughout each trial. In the conditions with invisible targets there were mainly negative effects of the visible starting point, partially the same as those previously obtained for a concurrent task during locomotion. The results suggested that maintenance of orientation is achieved by recurrent central processing of information, which if postponed leads to impaired performance mainly because forgetting occurs.


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