High Baseline Vitamin C Levels Do Not Prevent a Positive Outcome of a Lifestyle Intervention
- Claus Thamer, MD,
- Fausto Machicao, PHD,
- Norbert Stefan, MD,
- Andreas Fritsche, MD and
- Hans-Ulrich Häring, MD
- From the Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Endocrinology, Diabetology, Vascular Medicine, Nephrology and Clinical Chemistry, Eberhard Karls University, Tübingen, Germany.
- Corresponding author: Hans-Ulrich Häring, hans-ulrich.haering{at}med.uni-tuebingen.de.
Reactive oxygen species (ROS) generated by oxidative stress induced by physical activity are important mediators responsible for adaptive processes in skeletal muscle (1). ROS induce the production of myokines (muscle-derived cytokines) that mediate systemic metabolic effects (1) and induce an increase in the expression of genes involved in mitochondrial biogenesis (2). Therefore, the oxidative stress induced by exercise may play an important role in the cellular responses occurring within skeletal muscle after training.
Supplementation with the antioxidant vitamin C pharmacologically inhibits positive effects of exercise on the parameters of glucose metabolism (3). However, these data conflict with the finding that high levels of vitamin C also reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes (4). Therefore, we …
