Discount Health Supplements, Vitamins, Herbs

In recent times experts have concluded that antioxidants are positive influences on anti-aging.  That is they can slow down the effects of aging. Studies have also shown that anti-oxidants provide protection against some diseases such as cataracts, diabetes and many cancers. In the sports world, antioxidants have received attention due to the prospect antioxidants enhance performance, support recovery and protect against free radicals. Since this article just skims the surface, read more about athletes and antioxidants here.

What are Free Radicals and Why Should I Care About Them?

Free radicals are highly reactive chemical species with at least one unpaired electrons in their outer orbit. Exercise produces a rise in oxygen consumption reflecting the muscle’s use of oxygen to supply energy in the form of ATP (adenosine triphosphate). As oxygen use rises so does the manufacture of free radicals. There is concern that the increase in free radicals generated during strenuous exercise may exceed the body’s antioxidant defense system.  To guard against this we propose  athletes  take antioxidant supplements.

In the past we have said that frequent physical exercise boosts the antioxidant defense system and defends against exercise induced free radical damage. Are we currently saying that frequent physical exercise is damaging?  No, the intensity and duration are what we should to pay attention to: Intense exercise, particularly in untrained persons, overrides the defense system resulting in increased free radical damage. In addition, endurance exercise increases oxygen use up to 20 times as much as the resting state. Increased oxygen consumption means an increase in the generation of free radicals.  The consequence  is muscle and tissue damage.

Antioxidant supplementation was once supposed as being safe. Yet, there is growing evidence of interactions and potential toxicity. For example, vitamin C and beta-carotene are considered antioxidants at normal concentrations, but at higher concentrations they become harmful substances called prooxidants.

Degree of conditioning of the athlete, intensity of exercise, and diet are thus among the factors determining the extent of exercise induced free radical damage. This commentary focuses on 1) how well athletes can guard against the increased free radicals resulting from exercise and 2) whether antioxidant supplementation is essential.

In general, the role of overall antioxidant supplementation in a well-nourished athlete is controversial. It is not doable to directly calculate free radicals in the body. Most studies gauge the by-products that result from free radical reactions.  If the creation of free radicals exceeds the body’s antioxidant defenses then we will be able to calculate and discover the by-products of free radicals. The results of many studies are conflicting.

Other than vitamins C and  E, which positively show protection against exercise induced oxidative damage, there is no clear scientific evidence that the majority antioxidant supplements aid in defense against exercise induced oxidative damage. Vitamin E has proven to aid in recovery following intense exercise.

For athletes adapting to high altitude exercise (such as skiing or mountaineering), vitamin E may be a useful supplement because it did exhibit less free radical damage and a lesser drop in anaerobic threshold in one particular placebo-controlled review on mountaineers.

Recommendations for Athletes and Antioxidants

Antioxidant supplementation is sure to stay a debatable issue because of its suggestion of  performance and health-enhancing roles. Yet, taking chemicals without a complete knowledge of all of their effects may interrupt balance in our bodies. Until more definitive research data is presented, the following are recommendations for those athletes considering supplementation:

* An athlete’s diet is capable of providing the needed components for an inherent antioxidant system. Eating 5 servings of fruit or vegetables per day along with a steady exercise program will ensure this.
* Weekend warriors should strongly ponder a more evenhanded method to exercise. Failing that, consider supplementation but be sensitive to the fact that very little is proven about the long term cost of antioxidant supplementation.
* For extremely challenging races (endurance events such as Ironman), or when adapting to high altitude, think about taking a vitamin E supplement (100 to 200 IU, approximately 10 times the RDA) per day for several weeks up to and following the race.
* Continuously explore FDA recommendations, but be wary of advertising and media hype.
* Keep in mind that other than exercise-induced, free radicals can also be created from smog and other environmental sources. Do not exercise in areas with considerable air pollution.

Technorati Tags: antioxidants and exercise, exercise antioxidants, exercise free radical, oxidative stress exercise and antioxidant supplementation

Tags: antioxidants and exercise, exercise antioxidants, exercise free radical, oxidative stress exercise and antioxidant supplementation

This entry was posted on Monday, January 25th, 2010 at 9:14 am and is filed under health. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.