Working out? Do you know that antoxidants can help you in your physical activity? Do you want to know the benefits you can get by taking in ample amounts of antioxidants before and after your workout routine?
What are antioxidants?
Antioxidants are special substances taken from the foods we eat. These special substances protects the cells from the harmful effects of free radicals, the atoms or group of atoms which may cause early aging and damage to the tissues of the body.
What are the most common examples of antioxidants?
Plant foods are the most abundant sources of antioxidants. The most common examples of antioxidants include vitamin C and E, Co-enzyme Q10, gluthathione and ALA or alpha lipoic acid, an important antioxidant which can be synthesized naturally within the body.
What benefits can I get from taking in antioxidants from foods and supplements when working out?
Improvement of immunity. According to an article published online by UPMC, intense workout and physical training can lower a person’s immune response to infection. This is the reason why some athletes tend to go sick after intense physical exertion. However, according to Animal Feed Science and Technology, natural antioxidants, such as carotenoids, vitamin E, vitamin C and vitamin A, can improve the immune system activity thereby decreasing an athletes risk for the development of infectious diseases.
Decrease the rate of the formation of free radicals during exercise. Exercise can potentially increase the amount of free radicals within the body, says UPMC. Because of this, antioxidant intake and possibly,the addition of antioxidant supplementation, may be necessary to combat this problem.
Decrease muscle soreness after intense workout. As mentioned by UPMC, muscle soreness and swelling may improve with the proper intake of foods rich in antioxidants. Because of this reason, some athletes use antioxidants to improve their muscle status and enhance their overall physical performance.
Improvement of post exercise recovery. Some scientists believe that post exercise recovery may improve with the intake of antioxidant-rich foods and antioxidant supplements. However, there are still conflicting ideas with the use of antioxidants for the faster recovery of skeletal muscles. Thus, further studies are necessary to further prove this fact.
What are the possible side effects of antioxidant supplementation treatment?
According to UPMC, there are no known side effects with the use of antioxidant supplementation. However, caution must still be observed with taking these supplements. If you really have fear with the use of antioxidant supplementation, the best thing to do is to take your much needed supply of antioxidants from natural food sources such as whole grains, legumes, veggies and fruits.
Are there possible drug interactions with antioxidant supplementation?
As mentioned by UPMC, scientists failed to demonstrate the dangers with the use of antioxidant supplementation. However, further clinical investigations are necessary to further prove the safety of antioxidant supplements in patients who want to be healthy and fit.
