Vitamins may not boost your long workouts

Listen up runners and triathletes.  A new study from Norway suggests that supplements may have negative effects on endurance training.

Vitamins have been shown to inhibit muscle’s natural response to build and repair. Scientists now know that the presence of excess vitamins, such as vitamins C and E, can inhibit cell’s ability to produce mitochondria, the “powerhouses” which build our cells.

To prove this, they studied two groups of people over an 11-week period. One group was the controlled placebo group and the other was given real vitamins C and E. The supplement group ingested 1,000 milligrams of vitamin C and 235 milligrams of vitamin E per day. Both groups followed the same regimen of endurance training, which consisted of running three or four times a week.

The group that showed more mitochondria growth and cell repair was the placebo group. Researchers said this result was expected, as it is a natural response to endurance training. On the other hand, those taking supplemental vitamins had low mitochondria numbers.

Scientists were able to track the production of mitochondria in the cells. They concluded that the vitamins were preventing the muscle’s natural response to increase mitochondria production.

The good news was that the supplements did not hurt the subjects. They were able to train at the same pace as those who did not take vitamins. However, the supplement group did not see improvements in cell repair. The four people with the best increase in performance belonged to the group who were not ingesting supplements.

What does this mean for you? Experts say to always ask your physician before beginning any kind of vitamin regimen. Supplements can be dangerous if taken in large doses and it is best to check with an expert before taking them.

The researchers plan to continue their study on the effects of vitamins on endurance training to further understand them better.