MrPerfect
MuscleChemistry Guru
Many people fear the production of free radicals in the body because of their potential to cause DNA damage. Exercise increases free radical production in the body, and so many bodybuilders and athletes take high amounts of antioxidants in the hope to counteract this. However, what many people do not realize is these radicals are actually extremely important signaling molecules for exercise adaptation (think muscle growth, strength/endurance gains).
Vitamin C and E are both strong dietary antioxidants. Research has shown that supplementing with these antioxidants can actually be a BAD thing for this reason. Supplementing with even 1000mg/day of Vitamin C has been shown to blunt exercise-induced mitochondrial biogenesis, exercise-induced expression of HSP72 (a heat shock protein that stimulates muscle adaptation), and exercise-induced insulin sensitivity of muscle.
Bottom line, take your daily multivitamin, but don't overdo it on the antioxidants, especially Vitamin C. Your body produces free radicals for a reason. If anyone is interested in seeing the actual data for some of these studies I can try to add it to the thread.
Powers SK & Jackson MJ (2008). Exercise-induced oxidative
stress: cellular mechanisms and impact on muscle force
production. Physiol Rev 88, 1243–1276.
Gomez-Cabrera MC, Borr´as C, Pallard´o FV, Sastre J, Ji LL &
Vi˜na J (2005). Decreasing xanthine oxidase-mediated
oxidative stress prevents useful cellular adaptations to
exercise in rats. J Physiol 567, 113–120.
Gomez-Cabrera MC, Domenech E, Romagnoli M, Arduini A,
Borras C, Pallardo FV, Sastre J & Vi˜na J (2008). Oral
administration of vitamin C decreases muscle mitochondrial
biogenesis and hampers training-induced adaptations in
endurance performance. Am J Clin Nutr 87, 142–149.
Hamilton KL, Staib JL, Phillips T, Hess A, Lennon SL & Powers
SK (2003). Exercise, antioxidants, and HSP72: protection
against myocardial ischemia/reperfusion. Free Radic Biol
Med 34, 800–809.
Bassel-Duby R & Olson EN (2006). Signaling pathways in
skeletal muscle remodeling. Annu Rev Biochem 75, 19–37.
Jackson MJ, Khassaf M, Vasilaki A, McArdle F & McArdle A
(2004). Vitamin E and the oxidative stress of exercise. Ann
NY Acad Sci 1031, 158–168.
Jones DP (2006). Redefining oxidative stress. Antioxid Redox
Signal 8, 1865–1879.
Silveira LR, Pilegaard H, Kusuhara K, Curi R & Hellsten Y
(2006). The contraction induced increase in gene expression
of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR)-γ
coactivator 1α (PGc-1α), mitochondrial uncoupling
protein 3 (UCP3) and hexokinase II (HKII) in primary rat
skeletal muscle cells is dependent on reactive oxygen species.
Biochim Biophys Acta 1763, 969–976.
Vitamin C and E are both strong dietary antioxidants. Research has shown that supplementing with these antioxidants can actually be a BAD thing for this reason. Supplementing with even 1000mg/day of Vitamin C has been shown to blunt exercise-induced mitochondrial biogenesis, exercise-induced expression of HSP72 (a heat shock protein that stimulates muscle adaptation), and exercise-induced insulin sensitivity of muscle.
Bottom line, take your daily multivitamin, but don't overdo it on the antioxidants, especially Vitamin C. Your body produces free radicals for a reason. If anyone is interested in seeing the actual data for some of these studies I can try to add it to the thread.
Powers SK & Jackson MJ (2008). Exercise-induced oxidative
stress: cellular mechanisms and impact on muscle force
production. Physiol Rev 88, 1243–1276.
Gomez-Cabrera MC, Borr´as C, Pallard´o FV, Sastre J, Ji LL &
Vi˜na J (2005). Decreasing xanthine oxidase-mediated
oxidative stress prevents useful cellular adaptations to
exercise in rats. J Physiol 567, 113–120.
Gomez-Cabrera MC, Domenech E, Romagnoli M, Arduini A,
Borras C, Pallardo FV, Sastre J & Vi˜na J (2008). Oral
administration of vitamin C decreases muscle mitochondrial
biogenesis and hampers training-induced adaptations in
endurance performance. Am J Clin Nutr 87, 142–149.
Hamilton KL, Staib JL, Phillips T, Hess A, Lennon SL & Powers
SK (2003). Exercise, antioxidants, and HSP72: protection
against myocardial ischemia/reperfusion. Free Radic Biol
Med 34, 800–809.
Bassel-Duby R & Olson EN (2006). Signaling pathways in
skeletal muscle remodeling. Annu Rev Biochem 75, 19–37.
Jackson MJ, Khassaf M, Vasilaki A, McArdle F & McArdle A
(2004). Vitamin E and the oxidative stress of exercise. Ann
NY Acad Sci 1031, 158–168.
Jones DP (2006). Redefining oxidative stress. Antioxid Redox
Signal 8, 1865–1879.
Silveira LR, Pilegaard H, Kusuhara K, Curi R & Hellsten Y
(2006). The contraction induced increase in gene expression
of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR)-γ
coactivator 1α (PGc-1α), mitochondrial uncoupling
protein 3 (UCP3) and hexokinase II (HKII) in primary rat
skeletal muscle cells is dependent on reactive oxygen species.
Biochim Biophys Acta 1763, 969–976.
