When you want to improve your athletic performance, you may consider looking at supplements that go beyond protein powder. In fact, there are many supplements that can support better training results, such as beetroot and branched chain amino acids. However, there are some supplements that can adversely affect performance.
It was once thought to be a supplement worth taking while exercising, but at this point, Scientific studies have shown that antioxidant supplementation is mostly harmful to exercise.. There are always exceptions to the rules and you may feel that you are getting the most benefit from all the vitamin C you take, but generally speaking, professionals don’t buy it.
Sign up for our newsletter!
How Antioxidant Supplements Can Affect Exercise
The redox (or redox) cycle is important for all kinds of biological processes, including muscle building. Exercise increases the concentration of reactive oxygen species, also known as free radicals, in the muscles. Your body then releases antioxidants and fights free radicals. This lasting battle is called the redox cycle and it’s good because your body adapts and gets a little stronger each time it happens.
You might think that putting a lot of extra antioxidants in your mix works only for your benefit, but it doesn’t seem to be the case. Basically, you will overwhelm the free radicals and you will not be able to dance half of the redox tango. If the cycle isn’t done properly, you won’t get the results you’re looking for.
Vitamin C is essentially Exhibit A when opposed to antioxidant supplementation, and studies show that high doses may reduce endurance and reduce maximal oxygen uptake from exercise.
Vitamin C supplementation is not recommended to improve exercise performance, but it is necessary in the diet as it plays an important role in the development and repair of all body tissues, including muscle.
Vitamin E, an antioxidant vitamin, does not get the bad wraps of Vitamin C, but it has never been shown to be very effective from a fitness standpoint.
How to Eat Antioxidants to Support Exercise
There are other areas of health where supplementing with individual antioxidants may help combat excessive oxidative stress, but when it comes to exercise, instead support endogenous (internal) antioxidants. It’s best to allow them to do their job properly. The best way to do this is to use whole foods or whole food extracts. Because the combination of synergistic antioxidants in it should do a better job of strengthening your body’s internal defenses.
This is the phrase eating your fruits and vegetables if you are looking for antioxidants that will help you feel stronger and build muscle.
Related: Best Eating Habits for Stronger Muscles, Dietitians Say
The following antioxidant-rich foods are eaten to support overall health and athletic performance:
Vitamin C
To get vitamin C from food, stuff it with broccoli, cauliflower and other abrana vegetables, citrus fruits such as oranges and limes, strawberries, peppers and tomatoes.
Vitamin E
For Vitamin E, check out seed oils such as sunflower and safflower oil, sunflower seeds, almonds, peanuts, avocados and other foods.
Note that vitamins C and E work synergistically, so combine these foods with vitamin C foods. Did anyone say guacamole?
Polyphenol
Another class of antioxidants known as polyphenols may support exercise performance when consumed throughout foods containing them.
Polyphenols are a type of phytochemical and are healthy compounds found in fruits and vegetables. Well-known polyphenols include curcumin, resveratrol, and quercetin. All studies, from blueberries to purple sweet potato leaves, show that a diet rich in polyphenols can greatly help reduce oxidative damage from exercise.
The best way to get more polyphenols in your diet is to eat the proverbial rainbow by adding a wide variety of different colors of produce to your diet. One trick is to make sure that the salad contains at least two primary colors (red, blue, yellow) and two secondary colors (green, orange, purple).
Dennis Faye, MS
Dennis Fay, MS is a nutrition consultant, journalist, and athlete, working to make people’s lives better.read more
