Natural News
Antioxidants Fight the Ozone
Cyclists who train in any populated area are probably inhaling ozone, a common pollutant and dangerous oxygen derivative. Ozone compromises breathing ability and limits aerobic capacity. Vitamins C and E, the best-known antioxidants, might protect against the ozone
effect, says Linda Grievink of Wageningen Agricultural University in the Netherlands.
Grievink compared the lung function of 20 cyclists given 500 mg vitamin C and 100 IU vitamin E daily for 15 weeks with 18 cyclists given placebo. The cyclists, recruited from local cycling clubs, were in their early 30s and all but four were men. To measure lung function, Grievink used two measures of lung volume: forced expiratory volume (FEV1), which is the amount of air someone can expel in one second; and forced vital capacity, the total amount of air that can be expelled. Baseline FEV1 was about 4.65 L and forced vital capacity was about 5.8 L.
All cyclists were studied on several occasions, either after a training session or a race, and their lung function was compared with ambient ozone levels. The average ozone concentration was 77 mcg/m3 and ranged from 14 to 186. In this range, ozone did not diminish lung function in supplemented cyclists, but it did decrease lung function among those receiving placebo. Grievink calculated that each increase in ozone concentration of 100 mcg/m3 decreased FEV1 by only 1 mL in the supplemented group compared with 95 mL in the placebo group. It decreased forced vital capacity by 42 mL in cyclists taking the vitamins compared with 125 mL in the unsupplemented group.
Grievink didn't speculate whether the increased aerobic capacity correlated to better athletic performance, but this study certainly suggests that vitamins C and E may help athletes maximize their aerobic potential.
—American Journal of Epidemiology 1999 Feb 15;149(4):306-14
