Nutritional Antioxidants as Therapeutic and Preventive Modalities in Exercise-Induced Muscle Damage

Abstract

Several mechanisms have been forwarded to explain the etiology of exercise-induced muscle damage. Free-radical mediated processes appear to be an important component of the inflammatory mediated response. Free radicals have also been demonstrated to be a contributing factor in the loss of calcium homeostasis within the cell. Therefore, one of the proposed treatments for preventing or reducing the extent of this damage is the intervention of free-radical mediated processes. Antioxidants are agents that typically work to prevent free-radical mediated alterations within cells by quenching free radicals. The traditional dietary antioxidants most commonly investigated to inhibit free-radical damage are vitamin E, vitamin C, and beta carotene. Other nutritional agents have also been noted to posses antioxidant properties. Isoflavonoids and some phytochemicals have been proposed to contain antioxidant properties. This paper briefly reviews some aspects of these agents and their role, either proven or proposed, in the prevention of oxidative stress and muscle damage. Key words: vitamin E, vitamin C, beta carotene, genistein, oxidative stress