Definition: "An ergogenic aid is any substance or phenomenon that enhances performance "
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23.11.2013 |
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Vitamin C strengthens muscles in the elderly
The more vitamin C there is in your blood as you age, the stronger your muscles will be, report Japanese epidemiologists in the Journal of Gerontology: Medical Sciences. The Japanese data suggest that not only foods that are rich in vitamin C, but also supplements containing vitamin C can help maintain strength in the muscles of the elderly.
Study
Results
The number of seconds that the women were able to stand on one leg was also greater in the group with high levels of vitamin C in their blood.
Click on the figure below for a larger version.
The effect was also visible when the researchers had corrected for the effect of fruit consumption. Fruit is the most important source of vitamin C in the Japanese diet, but fruit also contains many other important nutrients. A high vitamin C level can be an indicator of a high intake of these other substances - but those other substances cannot explain the association.
Conclusion
That would mean that vitamin C supplements might also play a role in muscle maintenance in the elderly. The Japanese then searched the literature for confirmation of this theory, but did not find any supporting evidence. For every study in which vitamin C supplementation stimulated muscle growth or strength, there was one in which vitamin C had no or even a negative effect.
Animal studies have shown that elderly lab rats build up more muscle strength through a training programme if they are also given extra vitamin C and E in their food. In 2009 Canadian researchers discovered a similar effect in a human study. They discovered that elderly people who do weight training build up more muscle mass if they also take vitamin C and E.
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