Pre-administration of vitamin C reduces exercise-induced oxidative stress in untrained subjects

Abstract

We investigated the effects of a 40 min bout of bicycle exercise, and the effects of vitamin C administration 12 h before exercise, on the serum markers of oxidative stress in young untrained subjects. Increased levels of malondialdehyde, the marker of the lipid peroxidation, and a decrease in specific activity of the antioxidant enzyme glutathione peroxidase that were observed as a result of exercise, pointed to the presence of exercise-induced oxidative stress. These markers were reduced by pre-administration of vitamin C. The results suggest that physically active subjects could increase their daily dietary vitamin C intake in order to reinforce their antioxidant defenses prior to exercise training.

Keywords

• bicycle exercise
• oxidative stress
• vitamin C