European Journal of Applied Physiology

, Volume 117, Issue 6, pp 1073–1084 | Cite as

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

  • Astrid Kamilla Stunes
  • Unni Syversen
  • Sveinung Berntsen
  • Gøran Paulsen
  • Tonje H. Stea
  • Ken J. Hetlelid
  • Hilde Lohne-Seiler
  • Mats Peder Mosti
  • Thomas Bjørnsen
  • Truls Raastad
  • Glenn Haugeberg
Original Article
First Online:
Received:
Accepted:

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.

Keywords

Strength training Elderly men Vitamin C + E Bone mineral density 

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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Notes

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.

Compliance with ethical standards

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.

Supplementary material

421_2017_3588_MOESM1_ESM.pdf (9 kb)
Supplementary material 1 (PDF 8 KB)

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Copyright information

© Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2017

Authors and Affiliations

  • Astrid Kamilla Stunes
    • 1
  • Unni Syversen
    • 1
    • 2
  • Sveinung Berntsen
    • 3
  • Gøran Paulsen
    • 4
    • 5
  • Tonje H. Stea
    • 3
  • Ken J. Hetlelid
    • 3
  • Hilde Lohne-Seiler
    • 3
  • Mats Peder Mosti
    • 1
  • Thomas Bjørnsen
    • 3
  • Truls Raastad
    • 4
  • Glenn Haugeberg
    • 6
    • 7
  1. 1.Department of Cancer Research and Molecular MedicineNorwegian University of Science and Technology, (NTNU)TrondheimNorway
  2. 2.Department of EndocrinologySt Olav’s University HospitalTrondheimNorway
  3. 3.Department of Public Health, Sport and NutritionUniversity of AgderKristiansandNorway
  4. 4.Department of Physical PerformanceNorwegian School of Sport SciencesOsloNorway
  5. 5.Norwegian Olympic Sport CenterOsloNorway
  6. 6.Department of RheumatologyHospital of Southern Norway TrustKristiansandNorway
  7. 7.Department of Neuroscience, Division of RheumatologyNorwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU)TrondheimNorway

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