Clin Sci (Lond). 2008 Sep 16. [Epub ahead of print]
Oral antioxidants and cardiovascular health in the exercise trained
and untrained elderly: a radically different outcome.
Wray DW, Uberoi A, Lawrenson L, Bailey DM, Richardson RS.
Both antioxidant supplementation and exercise training have been
identified as interventions which may reduce oxidative stress and thus
improve cardiovascular health, but the interaction of these
interventions on arterial blood pressure and vascular function has not
been studied in older humans. Thus, in six older (71 +/- 2 yrs) mildly
hypertensive men, arterial blood pressure was evaluated non-invasively
at rest and during small muscle mass (knee-extensor) exercise with and
without a pharmacologic dose of oral antioxidants (Vitamins C, E, and
alpha-lipoic acid). The efficacy of the antioxidant intervention to
decrease plasma free radical concentration was verified via electron
paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy, while changes in
endothelial function in response to exercise training and antioxidant
administration were evaluated via flow-mediated vasodilation (FMD).
Subjects were re-evaluated after a six-week aerobic exercise training
program. Prior to training, acute antioxidant administration did not
change resting arterial blood pressure or FMD. Six weeks of knee-
extensor exercise training reduced systolic (from 150 +/- 8 to 138 +/-
3 mmHg, pre- vs. post-training) and diastolic (from 91 +/- 5 to 79 +/-
3 mmHg, pre- vs. post-training) blood pressure, and improved FMD (1.5
+/- 1% to 4.9 +/- 1%, pre- vs. post-training). However, antioxidant
administration after exercise training negated these improvements,
returning subjects to a hypertensive state and blunting training-
induced improvements in FMD. The paradoxical effects of these
interventions suggest a need for caution when exercise and acute
antioxidant supplementation are combined in elderly, mildly
hypertensive individuals.
PMID: 18795893 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
The evidence sure is becoming clear that in order to get the benefits from exercise, one should stay clear of antioxidant supps for atleast a few hours.
Thoughts?