Antioxidants and Exercise: A Redox-Informed Framework for Training Adaptation, Performance, and Recovery.
Level 5 - mechanism / opinion, no new human data
Structured narrative review and expert framework without systematic meta-analytic synthesis
PubMed 42072098 · doi:10.3390/antiox15040456
What was done
The authors conducted a structured narrative review searching MEDLINE, Scopus, and SPORTDiscus (2000–2025) for human intervention studies and mechanistic research. They evaluated how different antioxidant classes, doses, and administration timings affect training-induced mitochondrial and hypertrophic adaptations, acute recovery, and exercise performance.
What was found
The abstract reports no numerical data or effect sizes. Chronic high-dose vitamins C and E consumed near training sessions were consistently linked to attenuated redox-sensitive adaptive signaling. In contrast, food-derived polyphenols and bioactives (such as tart cherry, pomegranate, and curcumin) frequently supported post-exercise recovery when timed away from adaptation-focused workouts, without clear impairment of training gains. N-acetylcysteine acutely enhanced tolerance to repeated high-intensity bouts, though its chronic effects during extended training remain variable and context-dependent.
Why it matters
This review formalizes a "Redox-Adaptive Periodization" framework, helping athletes and practitioners strategically time antioxidant intake to prioritize either long-term physiological adaptation or acute performance and recovery.
Limits
The review is narrative rather than a formal systematic review or quantitative meta-analysis, and the abstract does not report the total number of included studies, sample sizes, or effect estimates. High heterogeneity in antioxidant dosing, timing protocols, and training modalities across individual human trials limits generalized dosing recommendations.
Cited by
- supports Consuming dietary antioxidants from whole food sources does not blunt exercise adaptations.