Antioxidants such as Q10, vitamins C and E, resveratrol are highly prized for their health effects.
But it should not be consumed around training, whether before, during or after.
This is because antioxidants lower insulin sensitivity. However, as I explain in this article (nutrition around training), it is important to maintain high insulin sensitivity during training.
In addition, after training, the body is in an unusual state. In order to reap the benefits of training, the body must be given the power to readjust itself from the inflammation induced by it, otherwise progress will be severely limited. The use of antioxidants impedes the body’s ability to adapt on its own to this inflammation.
I also want to pay attention to non-athletic people who consume antioxidants.
First of all, you should know that athletes produce more free radicals than sedentary people. For this reason, taking antioxidants might be justified, but for non-athletes (which is surely not your case if you are reading this article), taking antioxidants will not really have a specific effect.
Secondly, many studies conducted on animals and / and humans show that taking antioxidants does not allow you to live longer. A study of worms even proves the opposite ( Far from slowing down aging, antioxidants accelerate it, M.Co, research by Siegfried Hekimi, McGill University, Montreal, 2011 ).
So be careful: if you are not affected by oxidative stress like athletes are, it is not useful to take antioxidant supplements in order to lengthen your life.
For athletes, we lack the resources to confirm their usefulness regarding oxidative stress (is it beneficial to fight against?)
However, some supplements like coenzyme Q10 have proven effects on heart health and high blood pressure.
Resveratrol, on the other hand, helps to optimize a favorable testosterone / estrogen balance for building muscle and eliminating fat in men.
Resveratrol is also believed to have positive effects against the development of cancer cells.
In the elderly, taking antioxidants seems to be on the useful side, while for healthy young people, combating oxidative stress has shown no interesting effects so far.
So, once again, you should treat information with caution, and not go to extremes!
If I receive new studies or information that could shed more light on us, I will keep you posted via the newsletter ?
