Writing in the journal Medicine, researchers from Liaoning University of Traditional Chinese Medicine and other institutions in China suggested that the underlying mechanism may be related to the alleviation of oxidative stress and inflammation.
“Emerging evidence suggests that targeted nutritional supplementation may mitigate oxidative stress by augmenting antioxidant defense mechanisms,” they wrote.
“Among dietary antioxidants, vitamins C and E have demonstrated particular promise in attenuating oxidative damage through free radical scavenging and lipid peroxidation inhibition.”
Sanofi-Aventis Healthcare Pty Ltd, Australia provided the vitamins used in the study.
Targeted nutrition for sarcopenia
Sarcopenia is the progressive loss of muscle mass and strength, primarily affecting older ad. It is estimated to affect approximately 10% of individuals over the age of 60.
The condition can lead to a reduced quality of life and independence, an increased incidence of falls and a higher risk of fractures.
Physical activity, particularly resistance training, is the primary strategy for preventing and managing sarcopenia. In addition, nutritional interventions, such as increasing protein intake, are also recommended.
Oxidative stress plays a central role in the pathophysiology of sarcopenia. As people age, reduced levels of antioxidant enzymes in muscles and inadequate micronutrient intake in the diet can contribute to increased inflammation. Furthermore, while resistance training is beneficial, it can also generate reactive oxygen species, potentially exacerbating oxidative stress if not properly managed.
As antioxidants, vitamins C and E may help to counteract oxidative stress. However, the researchers noted that previous studies indicate that supplementation can impede muscular adaptations depending on an individual’s redox state.
“This dichotomy underscores the importance of precision nutrition strategies, wherein antioxidant supplementation is tailored to address specific deficiencies, thereby optimizing exercise benefits,” they wrote.
Study details
The researchers randomly assigned sixty women between the ages of 60 and 75 with sarcopenia to consume either 1,000 mg of vitamin C and 335 mg of vitamin E or a placebo daily for 12 weeks.
Participants also attended three 50-minute training sessions a week involving elastic band resistance exercises targeting different parts of the body.
While both groups increased their muscle mass, strength and physical performance after 12 weeks, participants in the antioxidant group had larger increases in arm lean mass, skeletal muscle mass index, handgrip strength and knee extension strength.
The researchers did not observe a significant difference in physical performance between the two groups.
The findings indicated that serum vitamin C and E levels at the end of the study were adequate in the supplement group but not in the placebo group. In addition, “changes in blood biomarkers proved the beneficial effects of vitamins C and E supplementation on physiological adaptation to RT [resistance training],” the researchers wrote.
They reported that reduced glutathione (GSH) and the reduced glutathione/oxidized glutathione (GSH/GSSG) ratio increased in the supplement group, which they noted may be attributed to the synergistic effects of the vitamins promoting GSH synthesis, regeneration and reduced consumption.
“Elevated serum GSH levels are particularly significant, as skeletal muscles can deliver GSH to the circulation, and increased serum GSH reflects positive muscle adaptations to exercise training,” the researchers wrote.
They also found significantly lower levels of IL-6, leading them to hypothesize that the vitamins improved the redox state or exerted anti-inflammatory effects.
“It has been reported that reduced circulating levels of IL-6 play an important role in mitigating muscle mass and strength loss in sarcopenia,” they wrote.
The study recommended future research to explore whether longer-term interventions could lead to further improvements in physical performance.
Source: Medicine 104(34) p. e43976, Aug. 22, 2025. | doi: 10.1097/MD.0000000000043976 “Effects of vitamins C and E supplementation combined with 12-week resistance training in older women with sarcopenia: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.” Authors: X. Liu et al.