Two of the biggest buzzwords floating around grocery stores, gyms, conversations, and health articles are “antioxidants” and “free radicals.” So what are these things and what do they have to do with health and more so exercise? First we will take a look at free radicals.
Free radicals are atoms with an unpaired electron, which is a big no-no for an atom. What these unpaired atoms will do is move through the body and steal electrons from other molecules or drop electrons to become more stable, starting a chain reaction of destruction of the body’s cells, which causes the inability for the cell to perform, tissue degradation, advanced again, and disease promotion. But wait! Free radicals are also a necessity of life. According to renowned free radical production expert, Prof. Britton Chance from Univ of Penn, free radicals are a crucial to the immune system by going through veins and attacking foreigners as well as fighting off bacteria. But, we do not want excessive amounts of them around as it is at that point they begin destruction in the cells. So, how do you keep this from happening?
Free radicals are unavoidable if you are a breathing human. They are present in the air, pesticides, toxins, as well as gained through any aerobic exercise (when exercise is comfortable), drinking, smoking, and diet. The best way to keep your free radicals at safe levels is to increase your antioxidant intake. Why antioxidants? Well, antioxidants are molecules that break the chain of destruction initiated when a free radical steals an electron from another molecule. They also prevent oxidation by scavenging for free radicals and preventing cell damage, as well as prevent the formation of new free radicals. Best sources of antioxidants are organic and fresh fruits and veggies most notably, berries, pinto, red, black, and kidney beans, artichokes, prunes, apples, and pecans.
Now, what does all this have to do with an athlete? Well, as discussed above, training increases oxidative stress in the body as a result of the increased oxygen intake and inability to properly detoxify the oxygen, which in turn increases the amount of free radicals that roam around inside of us. So antioxidants are key for aiding free radical production in athletes. In order to limit the production it is important to increase consistency of our exercising which increases our antioxidant defense system, as well as through making some of the already mentioned dietary changes.
Jay’s tip of the week; when you know who is calling you do not say “hello” when you answer the phone, it makes no sense.
