Does Vitamin C and E Supplementation Impair the Favorable Adaptations of Regular Exercise?
Open accessAbstract
The detrimental outcomes associated with unregulated and excessive production of free radicals remains a physiological concern that has implications to health, medicine and performance. Available evidence suggests that physiological adaptations to exercise training can enhance the body’s ability to quench free radicals and circumstantial evidence exists to suggest that key vitamins and nutrients may provide additional support to mitigate the untoward effects associated with increased free radical production. However, controversy has risen regarding the potential outcomes associated with vitamins C and E, two popular antioxidant nutrients. Recent evidence has been put forth suggesting that exogenous administration of these antioxidants may be harmful to performance making interpretations regarding the efficacy of antioxidants challenging. The available studies that employed both animal and human models provided conflicting outcomes regarding the efficacy of vitamin C and E supplementation, at least partly due to methodological differences in assessing oxidative stress and training adaptations. Based on the contradictory evidence regarding the effects of higher intakes of vitamin C and/or E on exercise performance and redox homeostasis, a permanent intake of non-physiological dosages of vitamin C and/or E cannot be recommended to healthy, exercising individuals.
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Conflicting evidence has accumulated that ingesting high doses of Vitamins C and E may negatively impact intracellular adaptations seen in response to exercise training, which may consequently negatively impact an athlete's performance.
“Alternatively, conflicting evidence has accumulated that ingesting high doses of Vitamins C and E may negatively impact intracellular adaptations seen in response to exercise training [141–144], which may consequently negatively impact an athlete’s performance.”
From ISSN exercise & sports nutrition review update: research & recommendations (2018) · cites this paper as [142]
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References 60 · Cited by 116
Research works printed but not linked: 1
- [35]Buettner GR The pecking order of free radicals and antioxidants: lipid peroxidation, α-tocopherol, and ascorbate Archives of Biochemistry and Biophysics 1993 300 2 535 543 2-s2.0-0027251053 8434935
- Authors
- Nikolaidis, M. G., Kerksick, C. M., Lamprecht, M., & McAnulty, S. R.
- Affiliations
- Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (GR)
- University of New Mexico (US)
- Medical University of Graz (AT)
- Appalachian State University (US)
- Corresponding author
- Nikolaidis, Michalis G.
- Venue
- Oxidative Medicine and Cellular Longevity
- Publisher
- Hindawi Limited
- Published
- 2012
- Volume
- 2012
- Pages
- 1-11
- ISSN
- 1942-0994 (ISSN-L)
- 1942-0900
- PMC
- PMC3425865
- OpenAlex
- W2137805558
- Cited by
- 116
- References
- 60
- Citations by year
- 2026: 3 · 2025: 9 · 2024: 5 · 2023: 4 · 2022: 8 · 2021: 5 · 2020: 7 · 2019: 5 · 2018: 11 · 2017: 8 · 2016: 14 · 2015: 10 · 2014: 20 · 2013: 5 · 2012: 2
- FWCI
- 1.50
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- hybrid
- doi.org
- Locations
- Oxidative Medicine and Cellular Longevity (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Rehabilitation › Exercise and Physiological Responses
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Biochemistry › Antioxidant Activity and Oxidative Stress
- Health Sciences › Nursing › Nutrition and Dietetics › Vitamin C and Antioxidants Research
- Keywords
- vitamin C supplementation, vitamin E supplementation, antioxidant supplementation, training effects, oxidative stress, free radicals, exercise performance, redox homeostasis, oxidative stress biomarkers
- MeSH terms
- Adaptation, Physiological, Animals, Ascorbic Acid, Humans, Physical Conditioning, Animal, Vitamin E, Exercise, Dietary Supplements
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