This is something I was thinking about the other day I thought I should post on this board.
Antioxidents taken after a hard run helps lessen the damage done by free radicals by "donating" their own electrons and stopping the chain reaction the free radicals create.
Avoiding antioxidents would create more damage after a workout. The body would be forced to rebuild the damaged cells. My question is:
1) By allowing the cells to be damaged will they then reconstructed to be more fit for running (more and bigger mitochondria for example)?
2) If we protect the cells from free radical damage will they retain the same lame quailities that you have been trying to change by doing the workouts?
There might be an obvious answer to this. Just thought it would be fun to throw around because I've never heard it discussed before. I know I will continue taking my post workout drink loaded with Vitamin E and C.