What are Antioxidants ?
Antioxidants are very well involved in the reduction of cellular damage, the common road for cancer, aging, and a range of diseases. The clinical community has begun to discover some of the mysteries around this topic and the media has begun quenching our thirst for information. Athletes have a eager interest because of health concerns and the probability of improved performance or recovery from exercise. This is a guide to help understand what antioxidants are and where their roles are in exercise and overall health.
Antioxidants Are Found In
There is powerful extensive study technology used to measure antioxidant levels in more than 100 foods! Antioxidants exist within fruits, vegetables, cereals, breads, nuts, and spices. Among the fruit research, cranberries, blueberries, and blackberries ranked highest. Other fruit that rate high in antioxidants are pomegranates, acai berries, and goji berries.
Understanding Free Radicals
Free radicals are atoms or groups of atoms with an odd number of electrons. Usually, these can be formed when oxygen communicates with specific molecules. Once created these highly reactive radicals can start a chain effect, like dominoes. Their primary source of danger comes from the damage they can do when they react with critical cellular components such as DNA or the cell membrane. Cells may operate poorly or die if this happens. To prevent free radical damage the body has a security system of antioxidants.
Working Together
Antioxidants are molecules which can safely work together with free radicals and eliminate the chain reaction before important molecules are damaged. Although there are various enzyme systems within the body that feed on free radicals, the principle micro-nutrient (vitamin) antioxidants are vitamin E, beta-carotene, and vitamin C. Furthermore, selenium, a trace metal that is necessary for proper functionality of one of the body’s antioxidant enzyme systems, is often involved in this group. The body cannot produce these micro-nutrients so they must be provided in the diet.
Do Antioxidants help prevent cancer and heart disease ?
Epidemiologic findings show lower cancer rates in people whose diets are rich in fruits and vegetables. This has led to the idea that these diets contain ingredients, perhaps antioxidants, which protect against the growth of cancer. There is currently powerful scientific research into this topic. So far, none of the significant, well developed studies have shown that dietary supplementation with extra antioxidants lowers the risk of developing cancer. In fact, one study exhibited an greater risk of lung cancer in male smokers who took antioxidants versus male smoker who did not take supplements. Whether this was an result of the antioxidants, it does raise the concern that antioxidants may be harmful under certain conditions.
Antioxidants are also believed to have a factor in slowing down the aging process and preventing heart related diseases and issues like heart attacks and stroke. However, the data is still pending. Therefore from a public health viewpoint it is too early to make recommendations regarding antioxidant supplements and disease prevention. New data from continuous studies will be accessible in the next few years and will shed more light on this consistently evolving area. Perhaps the best advice is to eat 5 servings of fruit or vegetables per day.
Exercise and Oxidative Damage
Endurance exercise can improve oxygen utilization from 10 to 20 times over the relaxing state. This greatly increases the era of free radicals, prompting concern about greater damage to muscles and other tissues. The question at hand is, how effectively can athletes protect themselves against the free radicals resulting from exercise? Do athletes need to take additional antioxidants?
It is not possible to directly calculate free radicals in the body, so scientists have approached this question by measuring the by-products that outcome from free radical reactions. If the generation of free radicals surpasses the antioxidant defenses then one would expect to see more of these by-products. These statistics have been performed in athletes under a range of conditions.
Several interesting concepts have emerged from these types of experimental studies. Regular physical exercise enhances the antioxidant defense system and protects against exercise induced free radical damage. This is an important finding because it shows how smart the body is about adjusting to the demands of exercise. These changes occur gradually over time and appear to parallel other variations to exercise.
On the other hand, intensive exercise in under trained individuals overwhelms defenses resulting in greater free radical damage. Thus, the “weekend soldier” who is primarily sedentary during the week but engages in brisk rounds of exercise during the weekend may be doing more damage than good. There are many factors which may identify whether exercise induced free radical damage occurs, including stage of conditioning of the athlete, intensity of exercise, and diet.
Can antioxidant supplements reduce work out induced injury or increase recovery from exercise?
Although it is well known that vitamin deficiencies can create difficulties in training and recovery, the role of antioxidant supplementation in a well revitalized athlete is debatable. The experimental studies are often conflicting and conclusions are difficult to reach. Nonetheless, most of the data suggest that increased intake of vitamin E is protective against exercise induced oxidative harm. It is hypothesized that vitamin E is also involved in the recovery process right after exercise. Currently, the amount of vitamin E needed to generate these effects is unidentified. The diet may supply enough vitamin E in most athletes, but some may require supplementation. There is no firm data to support the use of increased amounts of the other antioxidants.
What is enough?
Although there is little question that antioxidants are a essential component for good health, no one knows if supplements should be taken or how much. Antioxidants supplements were once thought to be harmless but progressively we are becoming aware of relations and potential poisoning. It is interesting to note that, in the normal concentrations found in the body, vitamin C and beta-carotene are antioxidants; but at higher concentrations they are pro-oxidants and dangerous. Very little is known about the long term repercussions of megadoses of antioxidants. The body’s well tuned parts are carefully balanced to withstand a wide range of insults. Taking chemicals without a complete comprehension of all of their effects may affect this balance.
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