Exercise-induced oxidative stress in elderly subjects: the effect of red orange supplementation on the biochemical and cellular response to a single bout of intense physical activity.

Aging is characterized by an impaired capacity to maintain the redox balance both in physiological and pathological situations associated with an increased production of reactive oxygen species. Since the extent of this phenomenon may be influenced by an antioxidants rich diet, we investigated the effect of supplementation with fresh red orange juice (ROJ) on biochemical and cellular biomarkers of oxidative stress in healthy, trained elderly women after a single bout of exhaustive exercise (EE). Blood samples were collected immediately before, 30’, and 24hr after a single bout of EE, at baseline and after 4 weeks of ROJ supplementation. Our results demonstrate that, while markers of DNA damage or apoptosis were not affected by EE or ROJ, after ROJ supplementation, subjects had lower EE-induced MDA, consumed less ascorbic acid, and had less activation of the hypoxanthine/xanthine system, i.e. they seemed to be protected from hypoxia/reoxygenation mechanisms.