Summary
The effects of vitamin E (d-α-tocopherol) on serum enzyme levels after heavy exercise with trained and untrained muscles were studied in 26 subjects, aged 19–24, using a double blind experimental design. After a 6 week medication period (300 mg daily), the serum concentration of d-α-tocopherol had increased from 12.7–19.6 Μg/ml in the vitamin E group, while in the placebo group the value was unchanged. The subjects were then exposed to muscular work with either trained or untrained muscles. Serum concentrations of CK, ASAT and LD were measured prior to exercise and at different time intervals afterwards. In subjects exposed to exercise with trained muscles there was an insignificant elevation in serum enzymes and no indication of any difference between the two groups. Muscular work involving mainly untrained muscles caused a highly significant increase in serum CK activity. A significant elevation was also observed for ASAT and LD. No difference between the vitamin E and the placebo group was found. Isoenzyme studies showed that the rise in CK was due to an increase in the CK-MM fraction, indicating that striated muscle was the major site of enzyme release. It is concluded that vitamin E has no influence on the increase in serum enzyme levels following exercise.
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Helgheim, I., Hetland, Ø., Nilsson, S. et al. The effects of vitamin E on serum enzyme levels following heavy exercise. Europ. J. Appl. Physiol. 40, 283–289 (1979). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00421520
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00421520