vit C, a must for athletes

[goes4ever]

originally posted by thrower74 on MMI:

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One of the little but valuable pieces of information that I have gotten from reading article by Charles Poliquin is the importance of vitamin C post workout. Poliquin recommends that men take about 4-6 grams of vitamin C post workout and womwn about 2-3 grams. Here are some benefits of Vitamon C:

- Vitamin C is an excellent antioxidant and can protect your body from free radicals, which may cause heart disease and cancer.

- Vitamin C is responsible for producing collagen. Collagen is present in your muscles and bones. It is responsible for holding the cells together.

- Vitamin C helps your immune system. It helps you heal from scrapes and bruises.

- Vitamin C is good for protecting your body. For vegetarians it is even healthier. When combined with iron, iron becomes more absorbable allowing an increased iron intake.

- Lessen the severity and duration of colds and flu.

- Increase resistance to heart disease (and angina) by improving cholesterol levels.

- Relieve allergies, eczema, sinusitis, and asthma.

- Fight chronic fatigue syndrome.

 

[sifu]

Women who add extra vitamin C to their diet during pregnancy may lower their risk of premature delivery. Just another reason to take your vitamins

 

[sifu]

Researchers at the Children's Hospital & Research Center at Oakland in California have completed a study that has shown that vitamin C could be a therapeutic agent that improves lung function.

In this two-year study, vitamin C was shown to improve the health of the cells that line the surface of the lungs. It appears that vitamin C supports the normal hydration of airway surfaces, where as a vitamin C deficiency may lead to dry, sticky mucus membranes lining the airway. When the airway is not sufficiently hydrated, it becomes susceptible to infections, which may eventually cause asthma attacks in asthmatics.

Low levels of vitamin C in the body appear to play a role in the progression of common inflammatory airway diseases such as asthma. An inadequate supply of this important vitamin may increase a person?s the susceptibility to asthma and respiratory tract infections such as chest colds and the flu. The vitamin C requirements of hard training athletes are extensive. People that exercise intensely have greater demands for this vitamin. To ensure optimal lung function and decrease the risk of infections, hard training bodybuilders should supplement with vitamin C, 500-1000mgs per day.

 

[sifu]

About 102-million Americans have high cholesterol. Anyone with high cholesterol levels has a much greater chance of developing heart disease, diabetes and other diseases. Vitamin supplements have been shown to lower high cholesterol levels in children to protect them from heart attacks in later years.

Children with inherited blood lipid disorders (some 50 million in the US) usually have to avoid the cholesterol-lowering drugs prescribed to adults. However their condition puts them at high risk for suffering heart attacks later in life.

When 15-children (aged between 9 and 18) were given moderate doses of vitamins C and E for six weeks researchers saw a significant improvement in blood-vessel (endothelium) function. The endothelium is the inner lining of the blood vessels. Endothelial dysfunction is a precursor to atherosclerosis, or the plaque build-up characteristic of cardiovascular disease.

The dosage used in this study was 500mg of vitamin C and 400 IU of vitamin E per day. The beneficial impact of this dose of C and E was quite significant. The results suggest that we may be able to improve the cardiovascular health of children with inherited lipid disorders using vitamin supplements.

Circulation Sept 2003.

 

[Sir Foxx]

I recommend using a combo of Ascorbyl Palmitate and mineral ascorbates, instead of ascorbic acid, for all of your vitamin c needs.