title: The effect of vitamins C and e supplementation on muscle damage, performance, and body composition in athlete women: a clinical trial.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Due to the special training conditions and lifestyle athletes require an antioxidant system that is more efficient than others. To keep this system optimal, many of them use antioxidant supplements. This study aimed to investigate the effects of vitamins C and E supplementation on muscle damage, performance, and body composition in athlete women.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study was a 4-week randomized, double-blind clinical trial conducted on 64 trained female athletes recruited in Isfahan sports club. They were randomly assigned to one of the following four groups; A: vitamin C (250 mg/day), B: vitamin E (400 IU), C: vitamin C + vitamin E and control (placebo). Harvard Step Test was used to measure maximal oxygen consumption for performance, body composition, and damage marker (myoglobin) were measured before and after the intervention.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Comparing the result of the test in performance of sport, there was no significant difference between groups in VO2 max. Also, vitamin supplements had no significant effect on subcutaneous fat between the groups, however, in the intergroup comparison, were significantly increased in group control (P = 0.03). But, there were no significant differences, change in myoglobin between the groups. There was a significant increase in group A (P = 0.04).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Vitamins C and E supplementation had no significant effect on any of the studied parameters.
authors.affiliation: Food Security Research Center, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran ; Department of Community Nutrition, School of Nutrition and Food Science, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.
authors.forename: Maryam
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Taghiyar
authors.forename: Reza
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ghiasvand
authors.forename: Gholamreza
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Askari
authors.forename: Awat
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Feizi
authors.forename: Mitra
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hariri
authors.forename: Nafiseh Shokri
authors.initials: NS
authors.lastname: Mashhadi
authors.forename: Leila
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Darvishi
keywords: Body composition; clinical trial; female athlete; muscle damage; performance; vitamin C; vitamin E; vitamin supplementation