What do you guys think about sprinters taking antioxidants for training purposes? Fighting the free radicals from training, what can we expect?
i.e., list
What can Vit E, C
Beta- carotene
Coenzyme Q10
L-glutathione
N-acetyl cystine
Selenium
Iron
Zinc
Cooper
And other mixed Antioxidants
What about phyotchemicals? those work to fight cancer…it would be logical if they could help training.
I’m banned, what did I say this time 
How about limiting the number of toxins we put in our bodies?
Check this out.
UNREAL!!! I Love this stuff.
Antioxidants are best gained from plants ie. phytochemicals, since this way they are more stable and therefore work for longer and more effectively. There are also far more antioxidants found in our fruit and veg than in a tablet, and when the whole body is of concern, oxidative stress is reduced more effectively when consuming a large range of antioxidants in small-moderate amounts (as in food) when compared to just a few antioxidants from a tablet even if in large amounts. Mega doses as seen in some supplements may also be harmful. One exception may be Vit E which is only found in small amounts in most diets - here 100mg can be taken; any more is probably not necessary if a decent diet is eaten, and several hundred mg may possibly have negative effects, even if only long term.
A new area of research shows that oral antioxidants can actually lower our enzyme antioxidant systems in our muscles which combat muscle damage inc. DOMS. However, this research has only used supplements antioxidants, not food, and the combined effects may be greater than either mechanism alone anyway. We also know oral antioxidants are beneficial to our general health, eg. reducing cancer risk, and therefore unwise to stop consuming them.
Kenny, not all of those substances are antioxidants, and iron can actually increase oxidative stress - we don’t need much of it, and even athletes can get more than enough from food, especially red meat eaters.
How about the type of toothpaste we use for starters. Anyone have any suggestions? Also I have been to numerous anti anging places which also tell me I should have my metals checked. Ah say what. Could someone expand on this.
I agree with Richard. I think it is more important to consume small amounts of a large number of antioxidants than consume large amounts of only a few. Much of the antioxidant activity comes from the interaction of these substances with each other.
Regarding exogenous antioxidants and endogenous enzymes, I haven’t read the research in question, but I have seen a few articles which talk about it. However, this inverse relationship could be indicative of the body having to increase its own antioxidant mechanisms to compensate for deficiencies in the diet, and vice versa.
No matter how you look at it, everything keeps coming back to what we’ve known for generations, eat your fruits and veggies. That’s why I liked The Color Code so much. It doesn’t say anything new, but rather hammers home what we already know and explains why.
Good follow up Flash.
You want to rid your body of toxin go in the sauna. Sweat em out. On a serious note tying this in with sprinting. Could sauna be used effectively immediately after speed endurance. To rid your muscles of waste products build up from intense speed endurance sessions. How long should I wait after SE before I jump in the sauna. Or should I wait. I know we are supposed to cool down first. But why not try and rid the body of toxins through sweating brought on by the suana. It seems to be the fastest way to get your body to start removing toxins. Note i am only focussing for sessions immediately after speed-endurance for now. Any thoughts?
Tim, this is the way I see it. Sweating may help rid toxins that have entered the blood and therefore take some load of the liver and kidneys but I doubt these organs are really compromised after training? Anyone know?
If the sauna can increase circulation throughout the whole muscle, toxins removal from the actual muscle may be greatly enhanced. Some of these toxins may pass through the skin with sweating, some will be processed by the liver to convert them to other substances, and some will be passed out via the kidneys with possible liver intervention first. However, the sauna has to able to increase deep circulation for this.
Comments?
I wouldn’t go in a sauna immediately after an intense Special Endurance workout- you could become severely dehydrated. Antioxidants should help, along with plenty of water.
Charlie,
which antioxidants would you recomend?
I believe it says in dr.squats book entitled “power” that a six minute session of showering or jacuzzi can follow a workout. Though charlie is right. Dehydration is an important issue. Most people believe in a half hour cooldown after the workout where no recovery is performed. I dont. Personally I have been in the sauna immediately following a weight room workout and not experienced any of these systoms. However, after SE might be a little bit different I would assume. Also I used a dry sauna in short increments. I assume a wet sauna would have a different effect.
Regarding post training use of sauna or not, surely it depends on how much we sweat during training, and not the particular training session. Also, sweating obviously still occurs during wet saunas/steam rooms - it is the temperature that is the factor controlling the amount of sweating.
I had a period of using saunas about 3 times per week. I was not doing speed at the time due to injury, just tempo, and a couple of times I suffered great soreness almost as soon as I started the tempo session. It felt just like DOMS but obviously was not delayed. I believe this was due to dehydration.
Thats interesting richard. How long of a duration did you use it for?
Exactly - sweat losses - varying with regard to exercise, temperatures, clothing, supplements, nutrition, etc…
All will affect the sweat and water losses… so be careful!
Incidently I now don’t use saunas at all.
For heat - warm bath and epsom salts …