There is little doubt that exercise increases the production of free radicals, particularly in the form of reactive oxygen species and the hypothesis that has been put forward is that the antioxidant supplements may protect the athlete from the increased production of the reactive oxygen species. By supplementation then the athlete will be able to counteract and reduce the cellular damage that exercise may cause.

However, the research that has been performed in this area is mixed with respect to findings. Some studies have indicated that high mileage runners may benefit from taking antioxidants whereas low mileage runners will not receive similar advantages. There is also some conjecture that the body itself adapts to the greater oxidative stress through training and competition and as such, there is limited benefit to increasing the amount of antioxidants consumed.

Despite the lack of clear direction, there is relatively universal agreement though that, in general, athletes and runners do have an increased requirement for antioxidants. Yet, if the athlete has a good quality diet with lots of fresh fruits and vegetables and limited processed foods it is likely that they will be getting sufficient from the diet regardless, rendering antioxidant supplementation redundant.

Foods that are particularly good include:

• Green vegetables such as spinach and broccoli
• Carrots, tomatoes and red capsicum
• Berries
• Fruits such as oranges, kiwifruit, grapefruit etc
• Nuts
• Whole Grains and Seeds
• Dark chocolate.