Running the marathon produces oxidative stress on the leg muscles which can
delay post-marathon recovery, so exercise scientists and runners have searched for ways
to thwart this oxidative damage. One theory is that a simple supplementation plan with
the “anti-oxidant vitamins” (vitamin C, vitamin E, and beta-carotene, which is a
precursor to vitamin A) could prevent leg muscles from being damaged by free radicals
during and after marathon running.  MARATHON SUPPLEMENTATION

To check out this theory, scientists from the Laboratory of Physiology and
Biomechanics of Muscular Exercise at the University of Rennes in France recently
worked closely with 17 marathon runners in a double-blind, placebo-controlled
investigation. All of the marathoners took part in the Marathon des Sables, a grueling
competition which actually consists of six long races across the Sahara desert
(http://www.saharamarathon.co.uk/). Beginning three weeks before the races, about half
of the participants supplemented their diets daily with 150 mg of vitamin C, 24 mg of
vitamin E, and 4.8 mg of beta-carotene.

These are relatively modest amounts of the three compounds, and yet plasma
vitamin E, beta-carotene, and retinol (vitamin A) levels all increased in the marathoners
after the three weeks of supplementation.

Better yet, TBARS concentrations were stable in the supplemented marathoners
during the races, while TBARS increased significantly in the non-supplemented athletes.
TBARS stands for thiobarbituric reactive substances – chemicals which are produced as
muscle membranes break down in response to injury. The lack of increase in TBARS in
the supplemented runners suggests that their muscles and muscle membranes held up
better during the marathon competitions, compared with the sinews of the nonsupplemented Individuals. MARATHON SUPPLEMENTATION

Other research indicates that marathon-type running can decrease a runner’s
natural anti-oxidant defense system, which is a concern for marathon runners. The
Rennes study suggests that a simple, inexpensive supplementation program of vitamin C,
E, and beta-carotene may help preserve anti-oxidant function and reduce oxidative
damage to a marathoner’s muscles. ©