Study summary · research use only
Vitamin C and glutathione supplementation: a review of their additive effects on exercise performance
Plain-language summary
Paraphrased from the published abstract below — not a verdict on whether anything works.
This literature review (species not specified) examined the combined effects of vitamin C and glutathione supplementation on exercise performance, searching PubMed, Google Scholar, and Web of Science using keywords including vitamin C, glutathione, antioxidants, exercise, and oxidative stress. The authors describe findings on vitamin C supplementation and exercise performance or oxidative stress as inconsistent, and note that glutathione supplementation studies, which use diverse forms and methods, show mixed outcomes. Although vitamin C and glutathione have interconnected antioxidant functions, the authors report that research specifically examining their combined intake and effects on exercise performance remains largely unexplored, and conclude that further studies are needed given inconsistent results to date.
Abstract
This review aimed to investigate the effects of vitamin C and glutathione supplementation on exercise performance. We conducted a literature search across the PubMed, Google Scholar, and Web of Science databases using the keywords vitamin C, glutathione, antioxidants, exercise, and oxidative stress. The effects of vitamin C supplementation on exercise performance and oxidative stress levels are inconsistent. Glutathione, with its diverse forms of supplementation and methods, presents mixed outcomes. Vitamin C and glutathione have deeply interconnected antioxidant functions and are mutually essential to each other. Research investigating the combined intake of these two substances, which are intricately linked biochemically, and their effects on exercise performance remain largely unexplored. Studies on the effects of vitamin C and glutathione intake on exercise have been conducted using diverse approaches; however, the results have not been consistent. Although an additive effect is anticipated with the combined intake of vitamin C and glutathione, research on this topic is currently insufficient, and further studies are required.
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