title: Effect of dietary antioxidants, training, and performance correlates on antioxidant status in competitive rowers.
abstract: The beneficial effects of exercise and a healthy diet are well documented in the general population but poorly understood in elite athletes. Previous research in subelite athletes suggests that regular training and an antioxidant-rich diet enhance antioxidant defenses but not performance.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To investigate whether habitual diet and/or exercise (training status or performance) affect antioxidant status in elite athletes.
  
  
  METHODS
  Antioxidant blood biomarkers were assessed before and after a 30-min ergometer time trial in 28 male and 34 female rowers. The antioxidant blood biomarkers included ascorbic acid, uric acid, total antioxidant capacity (TAC), erythrocyte- superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase (GPx), and catalase. Rowers completed a 7-d food diary and an antioxidant-intake questionnaire. Effects of diet, training, and performance on resting biomarkers were assessed with Pearson correlations, and their effect on exercise-induced changes in blood biomarkers was assessed by a method of standardization.
  
  
  RESULTS
  With the exception of GPx, there were small to moderate increases with exercise for all markers. Blood resting TAC had a small correlation with total antioxidant intake (correlation .29; 90% confidence limits, ±.27), and the exercise-induced change in TAC had a trivial to small association with dietary antioxidant intake from vitamin C (standardized effect .19; ±.22), vegetables (.20; ±.23), and vitamin A (.25; ±.27). Most other dietary intakes had trivial associations with antioxidant biomarkers. Years of training had a small inverse correlation with TAC (-.32; ±.19) and a small association with the exercise-induced change in TAC (.27; ±.24).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Training status correlates more strongly with antioxidant status than diet does.
authors: Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.
authors: Andrea J
authors: AJ
authors: Braakhuis
authors: Will G
authors: WG
authors: Hopkins
authors: Timothy E
authors: TE
authors: Lowe
mesh_terms: D000975:Antioxidants / Q000494:pharmacology*; D056352:Athletes; D054874:Athletic Performance / Q000502:physiology*; D015930:Diet Records; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D015444:Exercise / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants