The International Society of Sports Nutrition reviewed all the research on antioxidants and exercise to give athletes clear guidance. The main finding: a little bit of stress from working out actually helps your body get stronger, so taking large amounts of antioxidant supplements might actually get in the way of training benefits. The experts recommend getting antioxidants from real foods like berries and nuts first, and only using supplements if you’re not eating enough or training extremely hard. A few specific supplements like creatine and tart cherry juice have good evidence for helping recovery without hurting your gains.

The Quick Take

  • What they studied: Whether taking antioxidant vitamins and supplements helps athletes perform better and recover faster from training
  • Who participated: This wasn’t a study of people—it was experts reviewing hundreds of existing studies to create official guidelines for athletes and coaches
  • Key finding: Small amounts of oxidative stress from exercise actually help your body adapt and get stronger, but too much can hurt performance. Most antioxidant supplements don’t help and may interfere with training benefits, but a few specific ones like tart cherry and creatine show real promise
  • What it means for you: Before buying expensive antioxidant supplements, eat more antioxidant-rich foods like berries, nuts, and leafy greens. Only consider supplements if you’re training extremely hard, not eating well, or recovering poorly—and even then, only certain ones have solid evidence

The Research Details

This is a position statement, which means the International Society of Sports Nutrition (the official organization for sports nutrition experts) reviewed all the scientific research on antioxidants and exercise. They looked at hundreds of studies to understand what actually works and what doesn’t. Instead of doing their own experiment, they summarized what all the other research shows and created official recommendations based on the strongest evidence.

The experts organized their findings into 10 key points that cover everything from how antioxidants work in your body to which specific supplements have good evidence. They looked at different types of antioxidants (vitamins, minerals, plant compounds), different doses, and how timing matters. They also considered that different athletes might respond differently based on their training level, genetics, and diet.

This type of review is important because individual studies can sometimes give confusing or conflicting results. By looking at all the research together, experts can spot patterns and give clearer guidance. This is especially helpful for athletes who see lots of marketing claims about antioxidant supplements but don’t know what actually works. Having official recommendations from the top sports nutrition organization helps athletes, coaches, and doctors make better decisions.

This position statement comes from the International Society of Sports Nutrition, which is the most respected organization in this field. The experts who wrote it are leading researchers with decades of experience. However, this is a review of other studies, not a new experiment, so the quality depends on the studies they reviewed. The statement clearly explains which findings have strong evidence versus weak evidence, which is helpful for understanding how confident we should be in each recommendation.

What the Results Show

The biggest finding is that a little bit of oxidative stress from exercise is actually good for you—it’s what signals your body to build stronger muscles and better endurance. This is called ’eustress’ (good stress). However, too much oxidative stress from very intense training or poor recovery can damage muscles, increase inflammation, and hurt your performance.

Your body already has its own antioxidant defense system that works pretty well, especially if you exercise regularly. Regular training actually makes this natural system stronger over time. This means most healthy athletes don’t need antioxidant supplements—their bodies handle it naturally.

When it comes to supplements, the research shows that taking huge doses of antioxidants might actually interfere with your training adaptations. It’s like your body needs that small amount of stress to trigger improvements, and too many antioxidants can block that signal. This is why more isn’t always better.

The experts identified four supplements with the best evidence: creatine monohydrate (helps muscle strength and recovery), omega-3 fatty acids (reduces inflammation), tart cherry juice (speeds recovery and reduces soreness), and astaxanthin (a plant compound that helps recovery). These showed moderate to high-quality evidence without blocking training benefits.

The review found that individual differences matter a lot. Your genetics, current fitness level, age, diet quality, and injury history all affect whether a supplement will help you. Someone who’s already eating plenty of antioxidant-rich foods probably won’t benefit from supplements, but someone with a poor diet might. Athletes doing extreme training might benefit from targeted supplements, while recreational exercisers probably don’t need them.

Timing and dosage are critical. Taking the right amount at the right time can help, but taking too much or at the wrong time might hurt. Most antioxidant supplements showed weak or low evidence for helping athletes, meaning the research doesn’t clearly show they work.

Whole foods and drinks rich in flavonoids and polyphenols (plant compounds with antioxidant power) are preferred over isolated supplements. This includes berries, dark chocolate, green tea, and colorful vegetables. These foods provide antioxidants plus other beneficial nutrients.

This position statement updates and clarifies earlier thinking about antioxidants and exercise. Previous advice sometimes suggested that more antioxidants were always better, but newer research shows that’s not true. The understanding that mild oxidative stress is actually beneficial for training adaptations is a shift from older recommendations. This aligns with recent research showing that antioxidant supplements sometimes interfere with the training stimulus that makes athletes stronger and more fit.

This is a review of other studies, not a new experiment, so the quality depends on what research already exists. Some areas don’t have enough high-quality studies, so recommendations are based on limited evidence. Most research has been done on adult athletes, so we know less about how this applies to young athletes or older adults. The studies reviewed were mostly done on people doing specific types of training, so results might not apply to everyone. Individual responses to supplements vary so much that what works for one person might not work for another, making it hard to give universal recommendations.

The Bottom Line

High confidence: Eat plenty of antioxidant-rich whole foods like berries, nuts, seeds, leafy greens, and colorful vegetables. Do regular exercise, which naturally builds your body’s antioxidant defenses. Moderate confidence: If you’re training very hard, recovering poorly, or eating a limited diet, consider tart cherry juice (60-90 mL per day for 7-14 days), omega-3 supplements (1000-6000 mg EPA+DHA daily for 6-12 weeks), or creatine (0.1 g per kg of body weight daily). Low confidence: Most other antioxidant supplements don’t have strong evidence, so skip them unless you have a specific deficiency. Avoid mega-doses of antioxidant supplements, as they may interfere with training benefits.

Competitive athletes doing intense training should pay attention to this research. Recreational exercisers who eat a decent diet probably don’t need to worry about antioxidant supplements. People with specific nutrient deficiencies (like low vitamin D or selenium) should address those. Older adults and people recovering from injury might benefit from targeted antioxidant support. Young athletes should focus on whole foods rather than supplements. People with certain health conditions should talk to their doctor before taking supplements.

If you switch to eating more antioxidant-rich foods, you might notice better recovery and less soreness within 1-2 weeks. If you add a supplement like tart cherry juice, benefits typically appear within 7-14 days. Building your body’s natural antioxidant defenses through regular exercise takes weeks to months. Don’t expect overnight changes—these are gradual improvements in recovery quality and training capacity.

Want to Apply This Research?

  • Track daily antioxidant food intake (servings of berries, leafy greens, nuts, colorful vegetables) and recovery metrics like muscle soreness, sleep quality, and perceived fatigue. If using supplements, log which ones, dosage, and timing alongside workout intensity and recovery scores.
  • Replace one sugary snack daily with an antioxidant-rich food like berries, dark chocolate, or almonds. If training intensely, add tart cherry juice or omega-3 supplements on high-intensity training days. Log these additions and track how recovery changes over 2-4 weeks.
  • Weekly: Review antioxidant food variety and supplement adherence. Monthly: Assess recovery quality, muscle soreness patterns, and training performance trends. Quarterly: Evaluate whether current antioxidant strategy (food-based or supplemental) is supporting your performance goals, and adjust based on results.

This summary is based on a position statement from the International Society of Sports Nutrition and is for educational purposes only. It is not medical advice. Individual responses to antioxidants and supplements vary greatly based on genetics, training status, diet, and health conditions. Before starting any supplement regimen, especially if you have existing health conditions, take medications, or are pregnant or nursing, consult with your doctor or a registered sports dietitian. This information should not replace professional medical or nutritional advice tailored to your specific situation.