Vitamin E and aerobic exercise: effects on physical performance in older adults

Abstract

Background and aims: Aerobic endurance exercise enhances antioxidant defenses and improves the physical performance of older adults. However, the combined effect on physical performance of exercise and an antioxidant such as vitamin E has not been investigated. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of six months of vitamin E supplementation and supervised aerobic training on physical performance and body composition in sedentary older adults.

Methods: Fifty-seven adults, whose average age was 71.5+/-7.5 years, were randomly assigned to an exercise (E), exercise-vitamin (EV), control (C) or vitamin (V) group, and were evaluated before, halfway through, and after training. The dose of vitamin E was 900 IU/day. The training program comprised three sessions of walking exercise per week, at an intensity of 70% of heart rate reserve.

Results: In the E and EV groups, the training program significantly reduced (p<0.016 for each) body weight and body mass index (BMI), and improved performance in the 6- min walk, chair stand, arm curl, and back scratch tests. Performance on the 6-min walk test improved in E and EV, but decreased in the V group. Performance on the chair stand test increased in the EV and E groups, but decreased in the V and C groups. Body weight and BMI decreased more in the EV group than in the C and V groups (p<0.016).

Conclusions: Six months of vitamin E supplementation has no additive effect beyond that of aerobic training on indices of physical performance and body composition in older sedentary adults.