Antioxidants And Exercise

Antioxidants and Exerise

BY TERRI WEST

How many times have you seen an ad for the latest new designer antioxidant? A new wave of heart-healthy fruits and bottled products claiming to have the secret to rescuing your body from toxins, have made their way into the wallets of millions of curious consumers.

Why do we need antioxidants?

As we live, eat, and breathe, we increase our oxidation rate; That is, our aging process. Although we inhale much needed oxygen during our workout, we are also inhaling all kinds of nasty environmental toxins. Picture this: When you exercise, you are stirring up “dirt” in your body, so to speak. So when you perform a strenuous workout, it is vital that you clean your body’s dirty environment. For example, certain compounds such as lactic acid build-up in the muscles during weight-training generate massive free-radical damage to cells throughout the body which can damage muscle tissue and cause fatigue.

Antioxidants assist in slowing down the aging rate of these cells, thereby helping your body to recover from exercise. Unfortunately, oxidative damage can affect cells after intense physical activity so it is important to repair the damage with antioxidant ingredients.

Although our bodies produce antioxidants, the amount is not sufficient to fight the internal damage caused by our external toxic environment, so we must constantly flush our bodies with enough antioxidant properties without over doing it. Some good, safe sources of antioxidants to counteract these toxins can be found right in your own home. They include vitamin C, vitamin B1, vitamin E, green tea, chocolate, and fatty acids in some foods, like salmon, among others. These simple nutrients neutralize byproducts and protect cells against the damaging effects of free radicals.

What makes one antioxidant better than another?

The problem is not really the variety of products on the market, it is how much to consume because of certain ingredients, like sugar, that some manufacturers add for better taste. Adding more sugar to your diet would obviously be counter-productive to your fitness goals. In addition, while antioxidants at normal concentrations can be harmless, at higher concentrations with certain other dietary supplements they can be harmful. Like prescription drug medications, combining certain supplements is dangerous.

Whether you hike, jog, cycle or weight-train, keep your body free of damaging toxins. Repair, replenish, and rebuild with smart antioxidants, not pricey formulas that clean your wallet instead of cleaning you. Your body’s environment is depending on you.

Terri West is a nationally-accredited certified fitness trainer and former natural bodybuilder. For more information or to schedule a consultation, please visit www.terriwest.com.