A dose of vitamin E may ease that stiff ache some of us feel after a bout of exercise, according to the results of a study in healthy men. The study's authors believe the vitamin acts as an antioxidant, mopping up the damaging byproducts of a strenuous workout.

While the very physically fit may not need extra vitamin E after exercise, if you are one to experience a great deal of soreness and fatigue after a workout -- especially those people who do not always exercise habitually -- vitamin E might be of benefit to help combat soreness and exercise-induced stress.

The lead researcher was Dr. Jennifer Sacheck, of Tufts University in Boston, Massachusetts.

Exercise is one of the healthiest activities possible, but even exercise has its down side. As the body increases its use of oxygen, byproducts of oxygen metabolism -- called free radicals -- can do damage to muscle tissue. This damage can result in soreness and fatigue after strenuous exercise.

Vitamin E is a powerful antioxidant, capable of soaking up excess free radicals. In the study two groups of men -- young men aged 23 to 35, and older men aged 66 to 78 -- take either a dummy placebo or a 1000 IU supplement of vitamin E every day for 3 months.

They then compared self-reported rates of post-exercise soreness before and after the 3-month study.

Muscle damage, oxidative stress and inflammation all still occurred following intense exercise. However, these responses (were) blunted in both young and older men who took vitamin E.

Annual Experimental Biology 2002 Conference New Orleans, LA April 22, 2002