MedBioTech J. 2017; 1(4): 149-154 | 149
MBTJ, 1(4): 149-154, 2017
Research Paper
Effect of Vitamin C Intake Following Exhaustive
Aerobic Exercise on Serum Immunoglobulins A and G
in Wushu Athletes
Fakhradin Hasanloei
1*
, Hatam Asadpour
1
, Vahid Karvani
2
1
Department of Physical Education, Payame Noor University, Iran
2
Deparment of Statics, Payam Noor Universsity, Iran
Received: 06 October 2017 Accepted: 09 November 2017 Published: 01 December 2017
Abstract
The present study aims to investigate the effect of vitamin C intake following exhaustive aerobic training
on Immunoglobulins A (IgA) and G (IgG) in a number of 24 wushu athletes. The study adopts an
experimental design and a field study approach. The population of the study consisted of 62 wushu
athletes in Oshnavieh County. From among the population, a number of 24 athletes were randomly
selected as the participants and assigned into an experimental group taking vitamin C (N=12) or a
control group without vitamin C (N=12). The experimental subjects took 500 mg vitamin C per day for
five subsequent days while the control subjects received no vitamin supplement during the same period.
Blood samples were taken from each group in three stages. The first blood samples were taken before
the training was started (at rest). The second blood sampling was conducted on the experimental
subjects following vitamin C intake and on the control subjects following the training protocol (after the
Day 5). Then the subjects in either group took Bruce test to measure their peak aerobic power, which
immediately followed by the third blood sampling. In every sampling stage, serum IgA, IgG and cortisol
were measured in either group. The data was collected through a few instruments including Health
Status and Profile Questionnaire, a height meter device, a weight scale, a treadmill, a pulse meter as well
as ELISA kit to measure cortisol concentration, serum IgA and IgG. Results showed that vitamin C intake
significantly affected serum IgA, IgG and cortisol in the experimental subjects (P≤0.05). Findings showed
that vitamin C induced increases in IgA and IgG concentrations, which may in turn contribute to
improved immune performance and decreased risk of infectious diseases. However, cortisol levels
decreased in the experimental subjects considerably (P≤0.05). The results also revealed that vitamin C
intake following exhaustive training helped improve some of the indices in the immune system (3). It is,
therefore, recommended that elite athletes use dietary supplementation and antioxidant vitamins to
reduce the risk of heavy training so that they may minimize the potential disorders in their immune
performance and avoid infections.
Keywords: Vitamin C; Immunoglobulin; Bruce Test; Cortisol
How to cite the article:
F. Hasanloei
1
, H. Asadpour, V. Karvani, Effect of Vitamin C Intake Following Exhaustive Aerobic Exercise on Serum
Immunoglobulins A and G in Wushu Athletes, Medbiotech J. 2017; 1(4): 149-154, DOI: 10.22034/mbt.2017.87028
©2017 The Authors. This is an open access article under the CC By license
1. Introduction
From among the functional systems, the immune
system holds a particular niche so that it not only
sets the stage for growth and development but also
*
Corresponding author Email: iran8878@yahoo.com
increases the resistance to disorders and prevents
diseases. Consistent performance of this system
would guarantee the individual’s health while its
malfunction endangers life [1]. Human body is