Effects of dietary strategies on reactive oxygen species production

Abstract: Antioxidant strategies using dietary approaches are gaining increasing attention in physiological and in functional research. Although several recent studies have shown the positive effects of some antioxidant-rich foods on oxidative stress compared to control diets, evidence is still scarce, particularly from studies applying direct assays to evaluate the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Therefore, the main purpose of the experimental part of this thesis was to investigate the antioxidant effects of dietary strategies on immediate ROS production in vivo during rest and following exercise.

Study 1: The first study of this thesis investigated whether changes in the diet that lead to an increased intake of antioxidant micronutrients could affect ROS generation by using electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy. The individuals enrolled in the study demonstrated nutritional behavior below current national recommendations and were instructed to follow a mixed healthy diet for two weeks. The results indicated that dietary changes led to a significantly increased intake of vitamin C, vitamin E, and β-carotene which was accompanied by a significant decrease in ROS generation. This finding showed that a mixed healthy diet increased dietary intake of antioxidant vitamins and reduced ROS generation.

Study 2: The second study investigated the acute effects of oatmeal consumption on high-intensity interval training (HIIT)-induced ROS generation by using EPR detection method. Thirty-four young female participants were randomly allocated to one of two groups: “oatmeal prior to HIIT” or “HIIT alone”. The results showed that ROS generation in the oatmeal group was significantly lower than in the control group immediately after HIIT. A significant interaction between time and meal was detected from the pre-meal to 15 minutes post- HIIT for ROS generation. These findings revealed that the consumption of oatmeal rich in antioxidant secondary plant products before HIIT may mitigate exercise-induced ROS generation.

Study 3: In order to further summarize the current state of research concerning the effects of antioxidant-rich diets on exercise-induced oxidative stress, a narrative review of 28 studies was conducted. In general, these studies showed that most dietary strategies attenuated exercise-induced oxidative stress; only one study did not find positive effects. The majority of the included studies demonstrated positive effects of phenol-rich foods on exercise-induced oxidative stress in short-term as well as longer-term experimental designs. Nevertheless, the protocols used in these studies were highly heterogeneous and further systematically designed studies are needed.

In summary, the findings from this thesis provide evidence that a diet rich in antioxidant nutrients is an effective strategy for combating oxidative stress both during rest and following exercise. Further studies examining a greater number of dietary regimens and with a special focus on potential mechanisms are warranted to further strengthen the evidence on this topic

Angaben zum Objekt

• Standort: Deutsche Nationalbibliothek Frankfurt am Main
• Umfang: Online-Ressource
• Sprache: Englisch
• Anmerkungen: Universität Freiburg, Dissertation, 2021

Klassifikation und Themen

• Schlagwort: Species

Beteiligte, Orts- und Zeitangaben

• Ereignis: Veröffentlichung
• (wo): Freiburg
• (wer): Universität
• (wann): 2021
• Urheber: Zeng, Zhen
• Beteiligte Personen und Organisationen: Gollhofer, Albert ; König, Daniel ; Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg. Wirtschafts- und Verhaltenswissenschaftliche Fakultät

Weitere Informationen

• DOI: 10.6094/UNIFR/219317
• URN: urn:nbn:de:bsz:25-freidok-2193172
• Rechteinformation: Kein Open Access; Der Zugriff auf das Objekt ist unbeschränkt möglich.
• Letzte Aktualisierung: 14.08.2025, 10:48 MESZ