Anti-Oxidants and Exercise

[Guest guest]

[Mod: Please don't forget to post reference details i.e., authors, Journal,

volume etc]

Background

Both acute bouts of prior exercise (preconditioning) and antioxidant

nutrients have been used in an attempt to attenuate muscle injury or

oxidative stress in response to resistance exercise. However, most studies

have focused on untrained participants rather than on athletes. The purpose

of this work was to determine the independent and combined effects of

antioxidant supplementation (vitamin C + mixed tocopherols/tocotrienols) and

prior eccentric exercise in attenuating markers of skeletal muscle injury

and oxidative stress in resistance trained men.

Methods

Thirty-six men were randomly assigned to: no prior exercise + placebo; no

prior exercise + antioxidant; prior exercise + placebo; prior exercise +

antioxidant. Markers of muscle/cell injury (muscle performance, muscle

soreness, C-reactive protein, and creatine kinase activity), as well as

oxidative stress (blood protein carbonyls and peroxides), were measured

before and through 48 hours of exercise recovery.

Results

No group by time interactions were noted for any variable (P>0.05). Time

main effects were noted for creatine kinase activity, muscle soreness,

maximal isometric force and peak velocity (P<0.0001). Protein carbonyls and

peroxides were relatively unaffected by exercise.

Conclusion

There appears to be no independent or combined effect of a prior bout of

eccentric exercise or antioxidant supplementation as used here on markers of

muscle injury in resistance trained men. Moreover, eccentric exercise as

used in the present study results in minimal blood oxidative stress in

resistance trained men. Hence, antioxidant supplementation for the purpose

of minimizing blood oxidative stress in relation to eccentric exercise

appears unnecessary in this population.

Driscoll

Exercise Physiologist and Sports Dietitian

B.Sc. Exercise Science and Nutrition

M.Sc. Exercise Rehabilitation and Nutrition/Dietetics

AEP ASp AMS APD CSCS

MAAESS MSDA

BEFITting Image Training Nutrition Rehabilitation

Supertraining Australia