Exercise and antioxidant supplements in the elderly

Both exercise and aging increase reactive oxygen species (ROS), which can result in damage to cells. Aging is the result of damage caused by ROS to the mitochondrial genome in post mitotic cells and numerous studies have demonstrated an increase in ROS or their byproducts with exercise. ROS can cause oxidative stress as they overwhelm the antioxidant cellular defenses. Therefore interventions aimed at limiting or inhibiting ROS production, such as supplementation with antioxidant vitamins, should be able to reduce fatigue during muscle contraction and the rate of formation of aging changes with a consequent reduction of the aging rate and disease pathogenesis. However, it has been shown that ROS are essential signaling molecules which are required to promote the health benefits of exercise and longevity. In young individuals, ROS are required for normal force production in skeletal muscle, for the development of training-induced adaptations in endurance performance, as well as for the induction of the endogenous defense systems. Thus, taking antioxidants during training, in young athletes, seems to be detrimental. However, antioxidant supplementation may be expected to be beneficial and is receiving growing attention in the active old population. In this manuscript we review the literature associated with the main areas of interest in this topic.