Antioxidants for preventing and reducing muscle soreness after exercise: a Cochrane systematic review

Study answer

What this study found

High-dose antioxidant supplementation did not provide a clinically relevant reduction in delayed-onset muscle soreness after exercise. Small effects were seen early, including up to 6 hours (SMD -0.30, 95% CI -0.56 to -0.04; MD -0.52 on a 0-10 scale), 24 hours (SMD -0.13, 95% CI -0.27 to 0.00; MD -0.17), 48 hours (SMD -0.24, 95% CI -0.42 to -0.07; MD -0.41), and 72 hours (SMD -0.19, 95% CI -0.38 to -0.00; MD -0.29), but these were below the minimal important difference for pain reduction of 1.4 cm. There was no clear benefit at 96 to 168 hours, and the authors concluded that antioxidant…

Study & population

Cochrane systematic review of 50 randomized trials, including parallel-group and crossover designs, in 1089 adults engaged in exercise.

Intervention

Oral antioxidant supplements or antioxidant-enriched foods were given at doses higher than the recommended daily amount, typically once daily to up to three times per day.

Key limitation

Evidence quality was moderate to low, and the review pooled a highly heterogeneous set of antioxidant products, doses, and exercise protocols.

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Original abstract