Vitamins work against you when exercising!

A rather astonishing report this week claims that - taking vitamins C and E after a gym or exercise session can actually work against your body benefiting from the exercise!

Exercise and body regulation.

Apparently the report, from the National Academy of Sciences, was looking into the effectiveness of physical exercise on the body’s energy regulation; and found that some vitamins (C and E in particular) can actually block this beneficial aspect of physical exercise - if taken after the exercise. So, there is, of course, a very simple solution here. If you take vitamin C and/or E supplements - take them before, not after, exercising!

Implications of the report.

The report does have a more serious aspect that some people might need to be aware of. Exercise increases the speed with which we ‘burn’ sugars as an energy source, which in turn increases our sensitivity to insulin. The issue is that people with a decreased sensitivity to insulin can develop Type 2 diabetes. Apparently the study behind the report established that the action of vitamin C and E after exercise neutralizes a particular type of ‘free radical’ molecules that makes the body more sensitive to insulin. The result of this is that the body could become less sensitive to insulin - bringing on Type 2 diabetes.

Should you be worried?

No, is the simple answer. Type 2 diabetes usually affects only the over-40s and is, in itself, a complex disease that results from a combination of factors. Or, put another way, if you have a pre-disposition to Type 2 diabetes, taking vitamin C and/or vitamin E and exercising will have little bearing on its development. In actual fact Type 2 diabetes is frequently due to a poor diet and lack of exercise so, on balance, it is probably more important to keep exercising and keep yourself healthy.

Type 2 diabetes is often caused by a poor diet and no exercise -mmm!