Dietary antioxidants and exercise

Scott K. Powers, Keith C. DeRuisseau, John Quindry, Karyn L. Hamilton

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

245 Scopus citations

Abstract

Muscular exercise promotes the production of radicals and other reactive oxygen species in the working muscle. Growing evidence indicates that reactive oxygen species are responsible for exercise-induced protein oxidation and contribute to muscle fatigue. To protect against exercise-induced oxidative injury, muscle cells contain complex endogenous cellular defence mechanisms (enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidants) to eliminate reactive oxygen species. Furthermore, exogenous dietary antioxidants interact with endogenous antioxidants to form a cooperative network of cellular antioxidants. Knowledge that exercise-induced oxidant formation can contribute to muscle fatigue has resulted in numerous investigations examining the effects of antioxidant supplementation on human exercise performance. To date, there is limited evidence that dietary supplementation with antioxidants will improve human performance. Furthermore, it is currently unclear whether regular vigorous exercise increases the need for dietary intake of antioxidants. Clearly, additional research that analyses the antioxidant requirements of individual athletes is needed.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)81-94
Number of pages14
JournalJournal of Sports Sciences
Volume22
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - Jan 2004
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • Antioxidants
  • Exercise
  • Oxidative stress
  • Performance
  • Reactive oxygen
  • Species

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Orthopedics and Sports Medicine
  • Physical Therapy, Sports Therapy and Rehabilitation

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