Moderate and gradual exercise is good for our health, but if we start training hard, the body accumulates more and more reactive oxygen species (ROS), causing oxidative stress and disrupting the oxidative-reduction balance of our body. The very dangerous effects of this process are:
- lipid peroxidation (lipid damage) – causing loss of integrity of cell membranes as a result of the oxidation of their lipid and lipoprotein fractions. This process favors, among others formation of atherosclerotic plaque.
- DNA damage – which can lead to a permanent change in the genetic code of cells
- damage to amino acids and proteins – causing changes in their structure, and consequently weakening the structure of cellular elements and the effectiveness of the course of biochemical reactions
The concentration of antioxidants and enzymes involved in their removal is much lower in the muscle tissue than in other organs, e.g. the liver. This undoubtedly creates the need for appropriate supplementation of compounds with these properties, especially among physically active people. It is obvious that our diet should be enriched with products based only on the most effective and best selected, both in terms of quality and quantity, antioxidants.
The antioxidants available on the market are not surprising:
- Usually, these are single-ingredient products showing low effectiveness due to the mono-pathway effect on metabolism
- They are characterized by low doses of active substances, which makes it necessary to consume several portions a day
- Even their high doses do not guarantee the expected effect, because they are based on low-digestible forms of vitamins and minerals in the form of salts of inorganic acids
- They are characterized by a low content of plant extracts and the lack of standardization of plant extracts, which translates into their low quality