NO EFFECTS OF SHORT-TERM VITAMIN E SUPPLEMENTATION ON INFLAMMATORY AND MUSCLE DAMAGE MARKERS AFTER REPEATED BOUTS OF PROLONGED EXERCISE IN HEALTHY YOUNG MEN

Abstract

After a single bout of prolonged strenuous exercise, inflammatory and muscle damage markers increase. The present study investigated whether vitamin E supplementation can attenuate inflammatory (C-reactive protein (CRP) and interleukin-6 (IL-6)) and muscle damage (creatine kinase (CK) and lactate dehydrogenese (LDH)) markers after prolonged repeated bouts of cycling in healthy young men. Eight young males (aged 21–30 y) were received both vitamin E supplement (300 mg/day) and placebo (control) for 14 days separated by at least an interval of 1 month in a randomised, counterbalanced design. On day 12 of both trials, subjects cycled at 80% of maximal heart rate in two, 90-min bouts (150 min rest between each). Blood samples were collected on days 1 (baseline), 12 (pre- and post-exercise 1 and pre- and post-exercise 2), 13, 14, and 15. After 14 days of supplementation, serum α-tocopherol concentrations increased in the vitamin E trial (P<0.0005) but not the placebo trial. Serum CRP concentrations did not differ between trials and did not significantly change over the observation period in both trials. Serum IL-6, CK, and LDH concentrations increased (P≤0.024) in response to repeated bouts of exercise in both trials but did not differ between trials. The study demonstrates that short-term vitamin E supplementation appears to have no effect on attenuating markers of inflammatory and muscle damage in response to repeated bouts of prolonged exercise in healthy young men.