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Oxidative stress, inflammation and recovery of muscle function after damaging exercise: effect of 6-week mixed antioxidant supplementation

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Abstract

There is no consensus regarding the effects of mixed antioxidant vitamin C and/or vitamin E supplementation on oxidative stress responses to exercise and restoration of muscle function. Thirty-eight men were randomly assigned to receive either placebo group (n = 18) or mixed antioxidant (primarily vitamin C & E) supplements (n = 20) in a double-blind manner. After 6 weeks, participants performed 90 min of intermittent shuttle-running. Peak isometric torque of the knee flexors/extensors and range of motion at this joint were determined before and after exercise, with recovery of these variables tracked for up to 168 h post-exercise. Antioxidant supplementation elevated pre-exercise plasma vitamin C (93 ± 8 μmol l−1) and vitamin E (11 ± 3 μmol l−1) concentrations relative to baseline (P < 0.001) and the placebo group (P ≤ 0.02). Exercise reduced peak isometric torque (i.e. 9–19% relative to baseline; P ≤ 0.001), which persisted for the first 48 h of recovery with no difference between treatment groups. In contrast, changes in the urine concentration of F2-isoprostanes responded differently to each treatment (P = 0.04), with a tendency for higher concentrations after 48 h of recovery in the supplemented group (6.2 ± 6.1 vs. 3.7 ± 3.4 ng ml−1). Vitamin C & E supplementation also affected serum cortisol concentrations, with an attenuated increase from baseline to the peak values reached after 1 h of recovery compared with the placebo group (P = 0.02) and serum interleukin-6 concentrations were higher after 1 h of recovery in the antioxidant group (11.3 ± 3.4 pg ml−1) than the placebo group (6.2 ± 3.8 pg ml−1; P = 0.05). Combined vitamin C & E supplementation neither reduced markers of oxidative stress or inflammation nor did it facilitate recovery of muscle function after exercise-induced muscle damage.

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Acknowledgments

This study received financial support from Unilever R&D. The authors thank Ruth Carr, Faye Hext and Simon Jones for their assistance with data collection and Duncan Talbot for assistance with sample analysis.

Conflict of interest

Dr Hurst is employed by Unilever.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Sport, Exercise and Health Sciences, Loughborough University, Loughborough, UK

    David M. Bailey & Clyde Williams

  2. Human Physiology Research Group, University of Bath, Bath, UK

    James A. Betts & Dylan Thompson

  3. Unilever Discovery, Colworth Park, Sharnbrook, Bedfordshire, UK

    Tina L. Hurst

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  1. David M. Bailey
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  2. Clyde Williams
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  3. James A. Betts
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  4. Dylan Thompson
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  5. Tina L. Hurst
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Correspondence to James A. Betts.

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Communicated by William Kraemer.

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Bailey, D.M., Williams, C., Betts, J.A. et al. Oxidative stress, inflammation and recovery of muscle function after damaging exercise: effect of 6-week mixed antioxidant supplementation. Eur J Appl Physiol 111, 925–936 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-010-1718-x

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