What Do Broccoli and Exercise Have in Common?

Source: Tufts University
April 30, 2002 (Reviewed: April 6, 2004)

Many health-conscious consumers are eating more fruits and vegetables, in part for their disease-fighting potential. Fruits and vegetables contain antioxidants, which may protect against heart disease and some cancers by countering cell damage that results from everyday wear and tear on the body. A study from the Netherlands, published in the Journal of the American Geriatric Society, suggests that regular physical activity may also promote health by this same mechanism.

Effects of exercise

Twenty-six healthy, older adults volunteered for the study. Using a variety of laboratory techniques, the researchers measured their physical activity levels, metabolic rates, and oxidative stress, which is the balance between the formation of toxic, cell-damaging compounds and the body's ability to convert them to harmless substances. The more efficient the conversion, the lower the oxidative stress level, as measured by particular markers in the blood. Because exercise itself can induce higher levels of oxidative stress, the researchers analyzed blood samples that were given after the participants cycled on stationary bikes in order to see how well their bodies "coped."

Volunteers who were more physically active before the study had lower levels of oxidative stress after riding the stationary bicycle when compared with less active volunteers. According to the authors, these results show that regular exercise maintains and strengthens the body's defense mechanism against oxidative stress.

How do antioxidants work?

Antioxidants provide the body with some protection against "free radicals," altered oxygen molecules that, over time, damage cells and set the stage for disease. Antioxidant nutrients such as vitamin E, vitamin C, and beta-carotene neutralize free radicals before they do any harm. This study suggests that regular physical activity may have a similar effect.

Healthy lifestyle includes diet and exercise

This was a small study, and more research is needed to fully understand how exercise may protect against free radical formation. There are already plenty of reasons to be physically active, even without this added value. Weight loss and maintenance, increased energy levels, better moods, and improved health are well-established benefits of a regular exercise program. Coupled with an extra helping of fruits and vegetables on a daily basis, exercise can definitely put you "on the road" to better health.

Source

• Exercise-induced oxidative stress in older adults as a function of habitual physical activity. EP. Meijer, AHC. Goris, JLJ. Van Dongen,  et al., J Am Geriatr Soc, 2002, vol. 50, pp. 349--353

Related Links
Can Antioxidants Keep Arteries Healthy?
Introduction: What is Oxidative Damage?
It's Never Too Late to Get Moving
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