Are we rusting out? Antioxidants are a class of nutrients, including vitamins and minerals that offer protection against the oxidative damage caused by free radicals (unstable molecules) that is a byproduct of metabolism. Just as metal rusts, or a cut apple soon turns brown, the body's organs and tissues are also negatively affected by oxidation. If not for the body's production of endogenous production of antioxidants we would all be dead tomorrow. However exercise and several other stressors increase the need for antioxidants, often more than the body can generate, creating the need for antioxidant intake via food and supplements. In addition, as we age we lose the ability to combat free radical production, and not surprisingly, many of the diseases we associate with old age can be attributed to damage caused by excess free radical production. In fact, according to Dr. Robert D. Willis in his book, Healthy at 100, "Free radicals have been linked to (at last count) to about 60 diseases. And we now have evidence that antioxidants from both the diet and supplementation, can reduce the risk of damage by free radicals."
Some will argue (particularly conservative physicians) that you can get all the vitamins and mineral you need from a well balanced diet. Others will simply take a multivitamin bought at the supermarket, or a single antioxidant, (such as Vitamin-E) and assume that this is ample insurance. There is however, a growing group of cutting-edge physicians, biochemists, and researchers (Dr. Michael Colgan, Dr. Myron Wentz, and Dr. Ray Strand to name a few) that are beginning to understand the need for full-spectrum antioxidant supplementation.
A well-balanced diet is not enough. The assumption that a well-balanced diet is enough may have been true a generation or so ago, but today's food supply is quite different than that of our parents and grandparents, and so is our environment. Greater time and distance from the field to the table, longer shelf lives, canning, freezing, processing, modern, genetically engineered strains of fruits and vegetables, and depleted soil have all robbed our food of vital nutrients. Add to that the greater amount of air pollution, pesticides, PVCs, and other chemicals and contaminants in the food and water, plus the greater amount of daily stress that comes with modern urban life. All of these factors increase our need for antioxidants and other nutrients, which are becoming harder to supply by food alone. Let's assume that one could get all the nutrients necessary from food sources, it would require eating several very large helpings of fruits and mixed greens every meal of everyday. With our fast-paced lives and reliance on modern prepared foods, people who do so are in the minority. Consider the following: The USDA surveyed 21,500 people and discovered that only three percent ate healthful, balanced diets daily. And not a single person received the RDA recommendation of the 10 most important vitamins and minerals regularly.
Most supplements are insufficient. Those who take a supermarket multivitamin, believing it to be ample protection should be aware that most of these preparations contain merely the USRDA (United States Food and Drug Administration Recommended Daily Allowance) of most of their contents. Isn't this enough? Probably not. These guidelines were based on the amount of a nutrient needed to avoid diseases like scurvy and rickets, but don't even consider the amounts necessary to prevent cancer or heart disease.
So how much is enough? Only recently have scientists started researching how much of a given nutrient is necessary for optimal health. In his book Antioxidants, leading researcher Dr. Michael Colgan gives a method for calculating one's own antioxidant needs based on several criteria: weight, age, bodyfat percentage, environment (rural, suburban, or urban), amount and intensity of exercise. For example, a 165 pound 35-year-old male who exercises 3-times a week at 70% of his VO Max, has a bodyfat percentage of 15%, and lives in an urban environment would need 5-gms of vitamin-c (5000 milligrams) or about 83 times the minimum daily requirement. This is just for starters; because antioxidants work synergistically, he would also need to take beta-carotene, vitamin-e, selenium, alpha lipoic acid, and several others to get full protection. Simply taking large doses of a single antioxidant like vitamin-c or vitamin-e is not effective, and may even do more harm than good. For optimum protection a full spectrum of antioxidants is needed.
Athletes need more than sedentary people. Athletes in training generally use 12-20 times more oxygen than people with sedentary lifestyles. This extra use of oxygen increases free radical production and oxidative damage, therefore exercising without nutritional protection is downright unhealthy. Increasing the body's protective reserve of nutrient antioxidants, by supplementation, minimizes the destruction of cellular membranes, reduces muscular damage during intense training, and facilitates recovery.
Beware of snake oil. According to several independent researchers, most brands of vitamins and nutritional supplements fail to meet their label claims. Some of them are just plain dishonest, and others just don't have the resources to maintain strict quality control. Myron Wentz, Ph.D., reports, "I began testing health supplements in my analytical laboratory to measure their nutritional balance and their effectiveness in promoting and sustaining a healthy life. Many of the products I analyzed were not only nutritionally unbalanced, but had incorrect and misleading labels. My research proved many times that what consumers thought they were buying and what they were receiving were two different things."
What should one do? Before buying vitamins or other nutritional supplements become educated. Do what you can to find out about the manufacturer, their formulations, and the quality and potency of their products. A good resource is the Comparative Guide to Nutritional Supplements, available at: http://macwilliam.net/
About the author: Mark Ginther has over 20 years experience in sports, martial arts, and strength training. He has worked with numerous athletes including Michael Hawkins (formerly of the Boston Celtics), as well as several pro and amateur boxers. In 1999 he became the Strength & Conditioning Coach for AMC Kickboxing & Pankration.
He's recently returned from 6 years in Tokyo, where he was highly respected in both the fitness and martial arts industries. He trained K-1 Champion Nicholas Pettas for his comeback, and has written for, or been featured in several of the industry’s top publications. His monthly strength & conditioning column has appeared in Full Contact Fighter for 4 years, and ran for 2 years in IRONMAN Japan. He was featured in a cover story in Tokyo city magazine, Metropolis, and interviewed for the Japanese bodybuilding magazine, BODYPOWER. His fitness column ran in Tokyo’s Player for 6 months.
