Strenuous exercise, while beneficial for overall fitness and health, can have a downside: lipid peroxidation. This refers to damage to cell membranes caused by free radicals generated during strenuous exercise. Researchers say that lipid peroxidation not only causes muscle soreness, but may also be linked to the progression of degenerative diseases (cardiovascular disease and cancer) and reduction in immune system function.
Hard exercise can have a downside…
Iranian researchers at Guilan University report that supplementation with 1,000 mg of vitamin C was found to prevent exercise-induced lipid peroxidation and muscle damage. Study subjects did 30 minutes of strenuous exercise either with or without prior vitamin C supplementation. Blood tests indicated that levels of a biomarker of free radical stress significantly increased 2 hours post-exercise only in the placebo group, and total antioxidant capacity decreased significantly after 24 hours again only among those in the placebo group, not among those in the vitamin C group.
According to the researchers, supplementation with vitamin C "prevented endurance exercise-induced lipid peroxidation and muscle damage."
Source: J Sports Med Phys Fitness, 2008; 48(2): 217-24
