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High doses of vitamin C plus E reduce strength training-induced improvements in areal bone mineral density in elderly men

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Abstract

Purpose

Resistance training is beneficial for maintaining bone mass. We aimed to investigate the skeletal effects of high doses of antioxidants [vitamin C + E (α-tocopherol)] supplementation during 12-week supervised strength training in healthy, elderly men

Methods

Design: double-blinded randomized placebo-controlled study. Participants followed a supervised, undulating periodic exercise program with weekly adjusted load: 3 sessions/week and 3–15 repetitions maximum (RM) sets/exercise. The control group (CG, n = 17, 67 ± 5 years) received placebo and the antioxidant group (AO, n = 16, 70 ± 7 years) 1000 mg vitamin C + 235 mg vitamin E, daily. Areal bone mineral density (aBMD) at whole body, lumbar spine (L1–L4), total hip, and femoral neck were measured by dual energy X-ray absorptiometry and muscle strength by 1RM. Serum analyses of bone-related factors and adipokines were performed.

Results

In the CG, total hip aBMD increased by 1.0% (CI: 0.3–1.7) versus pretest and lumbar spine aBMD increased by 0.9% (CI: −0.2 to 2.0) compared to the AO. In the CG, there was an increase in serum concentrations of insulin-like growth factor 1 [+27.3% (CI: −0.3 to 54.9)] and leptin [+31.2% (CI: 9.8–52.6)) versus pretest, and a decrease in sclerostin [−9.9% (CI: 4.4–15.3)] versus pretest and versus AO. Serum bone formation markers P1NP and osteocalcin increased in both groups, while the bone resorption marker CTX-1 remained unchanged.

Conclusion

High doses of antioxidant supplementations may constrain the favorable skeletal benefits of 12 weeks of resistance exercise in healthy elderly men.

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Abbreviations

1RM:

One repetition maximum

aBMD:

Areal bone mineral density

ANCOVA:

Analysis of covariance

AO:

Antioxidant group

BMC:

Bone mineral content

BMD:

Bone mineral density

BMI:

Body mass index (m/h2)

CG:

Control group

CI:

95% confidence interval

CTX-1:

C-terminal telopeptide from type 1 collagen

CV:

Coefficient of variation

DKK1:

Dickkopf-related protein protein 1

DXA:

Dual energy X-ray absorptiometry

GH:

Growth hormone

IGF-1 :

Insulin`-like growth factor 1

IQR:

Interquartile range

OC:

Osteocalcin

OPG:

Osteoprotegerin

P1NP:

Procollagen type 1 N-terminal propeptide

PTH:

Parathyroid hormone

RANKL:

Receptor activator for nuclear factor κB ligand

RM:

Repetition maximum

ROS:

Reactive oxygen species

SD:

Standard deviation

TNF-α :

Tumor necrosis factor α

vitD25:

25-hydroxy vitamin D3

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Acknowledgements

This work has been supported by grants from the Liaison Committee between the Central Norway Regional Health Authority and the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Regional Research Funds, Agder, Norway and The Smartfish Company, Norway. The authors would like to thank Prof. Lene Frost Andersen for analysis of dietary registrations, Hanne Vestaby for conducting the DXA measurements, and the participants for their dedication.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Cancer Research and Molecular Medicine, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, (NTNU), Trondheim, Norway

    Astrid Kamilla Stunes, Unni Syversen & Mats Peder Mosti

  2. Department of Endocrinology, St Olav’s University Hospital, Trondheim, Norway

    Unni Syversen

  3. Department of Public Health, Sport and Nutrition, University of Agder, Kristiansand, Norway

    Sveinung Berntsen, Tonje H. Stea, Ken J. Hetlelid, Hilde Lohne-Seiler & Thomas Bjørnsen

  4. Department of Physical Performance, Norwegian School of Sport Sciences, Oslo, Norway

    Gøran Paulsen & Truls Raastad

  5. Norwegian Olympic Sport Center, Oslo, Norway

    Gøran Paulsen

  6. Department of Rheumatology, Hospital of Southern Norway Trust, Kristiansand, Norway

    Glenn Haugeberg

  7. Department of Neuroscience, Division of Rheumatology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Trondheim, Norway

    Glenn Haugeberg

Authors
  1. Astrid Kamilla Stunes
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  2. Unni Syversen
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  3. Sveinung Berntsen
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  4. Gøran Paulsen
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  5. Tonje H. Stea
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  6. Ken J. Hetlelid
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  7. Hilde Lohne-Seiler
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  8. Mats Peder Mosti
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  9. Thomas Bjørnsen
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  10. Truls Raastad
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  11. Glenn Haugeberg
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Astrid Kamilla Stunes.

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Conflict of interest

All authors declare no conflict of interest.

Author contributions

The project was performed at the Department of Public Health, Sport and Nutrition, University of Agder, Norway and at the Department of Cancer Research and Molecular Medicine, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, (NTNU), Trondheim, Norway. Study design: SB, THS, KJH, and HLS. Study conduct: SB, THS, KJH, HLS, GH, and TB. Data collection: AKS, SB, THS, KJH, HLS, GH, and TB. Data analyses: AKS, TB, and THS. Data interpretation: AKS, MPM, TB, and US. Drafting manuscript: AKS. Revising manuscript: AKS, US, MPM, GH, TB, SB, THS, KJH, HLS, TR, and GP. Approved the final version of the manuscript: AKS, US, MPM, GH, TB, SB, THS, KJH, HLS, TR, and GP.

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Communicated by William J. Kraemer.

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Stunes, A.K., Syversen, U., Berntsen, S. et al. High doses of vitamin C plus E reduce strength training-induced improvements in areal bone mineral density in elderly men. Eur J Appl Physiol 117, 1073–1084 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-017-3588-y

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