Exercise, oxidative stress and risk of cardiovascular disease in the elderly. Protective role of antioxidant functional foods.
Free radicals and oxidative stress are involved in the pathogenic mechanisms of cardiovascular disease (CVD), diabetes and cancer. Exercise is a useful strategy for preventing CVD but in elderly persons it can enhance oxidative stress, which is why some studies recommend antioxidant supplementation for exercising elderly subjects. This intervention study was performed on 320 elderly subjects following a Geriatric Revitalization Program (GEREPRO) to maintain physical health and reduce CVD risk. GEREPRO was based on regular exercise concurrent with a nutritional antioxidant treatment based on daily intake of a functional antioxidant food, Biofrutas. Sustained exercise (10 months, 3 sessions/week) significantly increased cardiorespiratory fitness and plasma HDL-cholesterol; it reduced some predictors of cardiovascular risk (arterial pressure, LDL-cholesterol, total cholesterol/LDL-C, LDL-C/HDL-C), but significantly enhanced some biomarkers of oxidative stress. Concurrent antioxidant supplementation did not produce any ergogenic effects but, meaningfully, enhanced some positive effects of exercise on physical health and the CDV risk index, and it totally prevented the exercise-induced oxidative stress. Our results show that regular and moderate exercise improves cardiorespiratory function and reduces CVD risk in elderly people, while concurrent antioxidant supplementation modulates oxidative insult during exercise in the elderly and enhances the beneficial effects of exercise.
Galán
Ana I
AI
Department of Physiology & Pharmacology, and School of Physiotherapy, University of Salamanca, E-37007 Salamanca, Spain.
Palacios
Encarna
E
Ruiz
Francisco
F
Díez
Arancha
A
Arji
Mohamed
M
Almar
Mar
M
Moreno
Carlos
C
Calvo
José I
JI
Muñoz
María E
ME
Delgado
Marco A
MA
Jiménez
Rafael
R
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL / Q000097:blood; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL / Q000097:blood; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D015444:Exercise / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D050356:Lipid Metabolism / Q000187:drug effects; D008055:Lipids / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000502:physiology*; D012307:Risk Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014815:Vitamins / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use
D000975:Antioxidants; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL; D008055:Lipids; D014815:Vitamins; D002784:Cholesterol