The Study
Can supplementation with vitamin C and E alter physiological adaptations to strength training?
This study gave some people special pills and others fake pills, then made them lift weights for weeks to see if the pills changed how strong or muscular they got. It’s like a fair test where no one knew who got the real pills — so we can guess the pills might have caused the changes, but only in the people tested.
Analysis score
Maximum 90 for a randomized controlled trial.
Where the score came from
Taking big doses of vitamin C and E every day while lifting weights might help older people but hurt young people's muscle gains.
Where does this study sit?
Reviews of RCTs (Meta-analyses)
Max 100Randomized Trials
Max 90Reviews of Cohort Studies
Max 85Cohort Studies
Max 72Reviews of Case-Control Studies
Max 63Case-Control Studies
Max 58Cross-Sectional & Case Series
Max 50Expert Opinion
Max 576 / 100
Quality score
Participants are randomly assigned to treatment or control groups, minimizing bias. The gold standard for testing whether an intervention causes an effect.
Key takeaways
Summary
Based on the study abstract and findings.
- 1For young athletes, these vitamins may block the body’s natural signal to build muscle after workouts.
- 2For older adults, they might reduce damaging stress and help muscles respond better.
- 3Young adults: 1000 mg vitamin C + 235 mg vitamin E daily for 10–12 weeks reduced muscle growth and strength gains.
- 4Elderly men: same doses did not reduce gains and may have helped a little.
Score breakdown, methodology, conflicts of interest, evidence analysis & raw study data
Publication
Journal
BMC Sports Science, Medicine and Rehabilitation
Year
2014
Authors
G. Paulsen, K. Cumming, H. Hamarsland, E. Børsheim, S. Berntsen, T. Raastad
Related Content
Claims (5)
Taking high doses of vitamin C and E supplements reduces the body's physiological adaptations to exercise by blocking the signaling triggered by oxidative stress.
In healthy men aged 60–80 who perform resistance training, taking 1000 mg of vitamin C and 235 mg of vitamin E daily for 10–12 weeks does not reduce muscle mass or strength gains and may lead to a small increase in these outcomes, possibly due to lower levels of oxidative stress.
Taking vitamin C and E supplements affects how muscles adapt to strength training differently in young people versus older adults, and age determines how the body responds to these antioxidants in muscle tissue.
Taking 1000 mg of vitamin C and 235 mg of vitamin E daily for 10 to 12 weeks reduces increases in muscle mass and maximal strength in young adults who perform resistance training, due to suppression of redox-sensitive signaling pathways involved in muscle growth.
In young adults, taking high doses of vitamin C and E after weight training reduces a specific molecular signal involved in muscle growth, leading to less muscle growth over time.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making health decisions.