Vitamins C and E Linked to Muscle Strength

December 11, 2009

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_92278.html

Antioxidants could help preserve muscle strength

By Marilynn Larkin

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - In a study in older adults, dietary intake of

vitamins C and E was linked with muscle strength, leading the researchers to

suggest at a meeting in Atlanta this past weekend that a diet high in

antioxidants could play an important role in preserving muscle function in older

adults

" Muscle strength is really a marker of aging, " one of the investigators, Dr..

Anne Newman of the University of Pittsburgh, told Reuters Health. " Muscle

strength starts declining when people are in their 40s, but it decreases

dramatically after age 60. "

This decline is " a major risk factor " for becoming frail and disabled, she said,

but certain strategies may slow down the loss.

In previous work, Newman and her associates identified physical activity and,

separately, dietary protein as important for maintaining muscle strength..

For their current study, to evaluate the potential benefits of micronutrients,

the researchers asked more than 2,000 men and women in their 70s about their

long term eating habits. They also measured participants' grip strength at the

outset and two years later.

On Saturday at the Gerontological Society of America's annual meeting, the

researchers reported a significant positive link between dietary intake of

vitamins C and E and subsequent change in muscle strength, regardless of

participants' initial strength levels.

At this point, it's not clear whether vitamins C and E specifically help

preserve muscle strength, or if intake of these micronutrients is a marker of a

healthy diet, Newman said. " Since they're in the food, they could be directly

related, or they could be marking diets high in fruits and vegetables and low in

sodium -- all of which would have beneficial effects. "

The average daily dietary intakes of vitamins C and E in the study were 144

milligrams and 11 milligrams, respectively. " For vitamin E at least, our

cohort's intake was on average a little lower than the recommended daily

allowance, " Newman pointed out. " So while it's possible to get enough of this

micronutrient in the diet, you have to pay attention and be sure to include

foods rich in that vitamin. "

The team is trying now to determine " the optimal level of physical activity and

optimal nutrients in the diet that will preserve muscle strength, " Newman said.

Meanwhile, she added, the current findings provide " another reason for doctors

to encourage patients to eat a balanced diet, rich in fruits and vegetables. "

Newman cautioned consumers not to start taking high-dose supplement of vitamins

C and E. " In clinical trials with very high doses of antioxidants, you don't see

any benefits and in some cases, they're potentially harmful, " the researcher

said.

Reuters Health

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Vitamins C and E Linked to Muscle Strength

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