title: Intravenous vitamin C administration reduces fatigue in office workers: a double-blind randomized controlled trial.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Studies of the efficacy of vitamin C treatment for fatigue have yielded inconsistent results. One of the reasons for this inconsistency could be the difference in delivery routes. Therefore, we planned a clinical trial with intravenous vitamin C administration.
  
  
  METHODS
  We evaluated the effect of intravenous vitamin C on fatigue in office workers. A group of 141 healthy volunteers, aged 20 to 49 years participated in this randomized, double-blind, controlled clinical trial. The trial group received 10 grams of vitamin C with normal saline intravenously, while the placebo group received normal saline only. Since vitamin C is a well-known antioxidant, oxidative stress was measured. Fatigue score, oxidative stress, and plasma vitamin C levels were measured before intervention, and again two hours and one day after intervention. Adverse events were monitored.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The fatigue scores measured at two hours after intervention and one day after intervention were significantly different between the two groups (p = 0.004); fatigue scores decreased in the vitamin C group after two hours and remained lower for one day. Trial also led to higher plasma vitamin C levels and lower oxidative stress compared to the placebo group (p < 0.001, p < 0.001, respectively). When data analysis was refined by dividing each group into high-baseline and low-baseline subgroups, it was observed that fatigue was reduced in the lower baseline vitamin C level group after two hours and after one day (p = 0.004). The same did not hold for the higher baseline group (p = 0.206).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Thus, intravenous vitamin C reduced fatigue at two hours, and the effect persisted for one day. There were no significant differences in adverse events between two groups. High dose intravenous vitamin C proved to be safe and effective against fatigue in this study.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  The clinical trial registration of this trial is http://ClinicalTrials.govNCT00633581.
authors.affiliation: Department of Family Medicine, Dongguk University Ilsan Hospital, Goyangsi, Gyeonggi-do, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Sang-Yeon
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Suh
authors.forename: Woo Kyung
authors.initials: WK
authors.lastname: Bae
authors.forename: Hong-Yup
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Ahn
authors.forename: Sung-Eun
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.forename: Gyou-Chul
authors.initials: GC
authors.lastname: Jung
authors.forename: Chang Hwan
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Yeom
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000008:administration & dosage; D001205:Ascorbic Acid / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000097:blood; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005221:Fatigue / Q000188:drug therapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007275:Injections, Intravenous; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000187:drug effects; D010919:Placebos; D014815:Vitamins / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D010919:Placebos; D014815:Vitamins; D001205:Ascorbic Acid