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Effects of vitamin E supplementation on recovery from repeated bouts of resistance exercise
Strenuous physical exercise has been shown to increase free radical production in skeletal muscle. The increased generation of free radicals with intense physical exercise can exceed the capacity of the antioxidant defense systems in the body. Therefore, the ingestion of antioxidant vitamins has been proposed to attenuate this increase in free radicals. Vitamin E is a lipid soluble antioxidant which accumulates in the cell membrane and can limit the cell destruction within the membrane. Vitamin E supplementation has been shown to significantly decrease the amount of lipid peroxidation and membrane damage associated with single bouts of low and high intensity sub-maximal exercise and resistance exercise. The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of vitamin E supplementation on lipid peroxidation (MDA), DOMS, and muscular performance after resistance exercise. Eighteen men were assigned to supplement with either vitamin E or a placebo for three weeks and then perform three resistance exercise sessions separated by three days of recovery.
Results showed that there were no significant differences between vitamin E and placebo groups in muscle soreness, performance measures, or plasma peroxidation. Vitamin E supplementation was not effective at neutralizing membrane damage, oxidative stress, or performance decrements after repeated bouts of whole body resistance exercise.
Bottom line: Vitamin E supplementation had no effect on muscle soreness, membrane disruption, free radical generation or exercise performance following a bout of whole body resistance exercise.
Strenuous physical exercise has been shown to increase free radical production in skeletal muscle. The increased generation of free radicals with intense physical exercise can exceed the capacity of the antioxidant defense systems in the body. Therefore, the ingestion of antioxidant vitamins has been proposed to attenuate this increase in free radicals. Vitamin E is a lipid soluble antioxidant which accumulates in the cell membrane and can limit the cell destruction within the membrane. Vitamin E supplementation has been shown to significantly decrease the amount of lipid peroxidation and membrane damage associated with single bouts of low and high intensity sub-maximal exercise and resistance exercise. The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of vitamin E supplementation on lipid peroxidation (MDA), DOMS, and muscular performance after resistance exercise. Eighteen men were assigned to supplement with either vitamin E or a placebo for three weeks and then perform three resistance exercise sessions separated by three days of recovery.
Results showed that there were no significant differences between vitamin E and placebo groups in muscle soreness, performance measures, or plasma peroxidation. Vitamin E supplementation was not effective at neutralizing membrane damage, oxidative stress, or performance decrements after repeated bouts of whole body resistance exercise.
Bottom line: Vitamin E supplementation had no effect on muscle soreness, membrane disruption, free radical generation or exercise performance following a bout of whole body resistance exercise.