Training

Why vitamin C and running may not mix

This week’s Jockology column delves into the highly controversial body of research on antioxidants and exercise:

The question

How do antioxidants affect my workout?

The answer

Sales of orange juice are soaring as people seek flu protection from vitamin C, The Globe and Mail reported last month.

Old habits die hard, and our faith in the power of antioxidants is deeply entrenched. Over the past few years, a vast series of studies involving hundreds of thousands of subjects have failed to find any health benefits from antioxidant supplements.

Now, a handful of studies suggest that popping these pills may even block some of the benefits of exercise, and even slow down post-workout muscle recovery. [read on...]

Not to spoil the ending, but to me this research is yet another reason to focus on meeting nutritional needs by eating good foods (in this case, fruits and vegetables) rather than by swallowing pills.