Antioxidants and post-exercise damage

[Joh]

Of all the nutritional supplements, antioxidants (mostly vitamins C and E) seem the most controversial from a sports science viewpoint. One minute theyââ,¬â,,¢re Godââ,¬â,,¢s gift to athletes, fighting the good fight against free radical damage; the next theyââ,¬â,,¢re accused of doing the opposite. Thereââ,¬â,,¢s no such thing as a final conclusion to any scientific tale, but in his article in Peak Performance, nutrition expert Andrew Hamilton presents some of the latest twists in the antioxidants tale, including new evidence that they reduce post-exercise damage, particularly in women and older men.

After examining the most recent research evidence, Hamilton comes to the following conclusions:

Although an improved antioxidant intake doesnââ,¬â,,¢t appear to prevent the mechanical damage induced by exercise, in some circumstances it may be able to reduce the amount of post-exercise damage that occurs as part and parcel of the repair and regeneration process;
For younger male athletes this beneficial effect is felt mainly when the exercise is ââ,¬Ëœunaccustomedââ,¬â,,¢, vigorous in nature and including a significant amount of eccentric (as opposed to concentric) muscular work;
Female athletes may have more to gain from antioxidant supplementation than men ââ,¬â€œ even during regular training;
For older athletes, who are most at risk from exercise-induced muscle damage, the case for antioxidant supplementation is particularly strong;
Long-term supplementation (i.e. weeks rather than days) is most likely to produce beneficial results. And it is better to take a combination of antioxidants rather than a single large dose of any one;
Diet is important too. Some of the most powerful dietary antioxidants come in the form of the brightly colored phytochemicals found in a wide range of fresh fruit and veg. As a rule of thumb, the more colorful the fruit or vegetable, the higher its phytochemical content.

Read the full article by subscribing to Peak Performance (it costs!) http://www.pponline.co.uk