Antioxidants

[Guru]

Vitamins C and E - Heart health for scuba divers

A small study conducted in Norway might give vitamin marketers a new marketing angle for antioxidant vitamins C and E - heart health for scuba divers.
In recent times, faced with the maturity of the market, vitamin makers have aimed products at specific consumer groups to prevent sales taking a dip.

Granted, divers may not make up a huge demographic compared to the groups that are usually targeted, such as women, children, or the elderly. But they do, nonetheless, form a sub-section of the overall sports nutrition sector, which is made up of generally health-aware individuals.

Decompression sickness is considered to be the main health concern related to diving, which is by-and-large considered to be a safe pastime. According to the UK Health and Safety Executive, the death risk associated with scuba diving is one in 200,000 dives.

But researchers from the University of Split School of Medicine were aware of recent reports of diving-induced alterations in cardiovascular function.

They set out to investigate the effect of 2g of vitamin C and 400IU of vitamin E on cardiovascular changes in a group of professional divers divided into two groups: seven were given the supplements two hours prior to the diving to 30 minutes for 30 minutes, and participants in the six-strong control group were given placebos.

Ventricular volumes and function and pulmonary and brachial artery function were assessed by ultrasound before and after the open-sea dive.

While mild changes were seen in cardiac function and a significant decrease in endothelial function after the control dive, a positive effect on endothelial function was seen with the intervention. Other cardiac changes were unaffected.

Endothelial dysfunction is regarded as a hallmark of cardiovascular disease and may lead to atherosclerosis.

"The new data raise the possibility that pre-dive intake of antioxidant vitamins may prevent some of the negative effects of diving on vascular function," said Blackwell, publisher of the Journal of Physiology in which the study appears.

"The results of this study are of interest for those involved in all types of recreational and professional diving."

Source: The Journal of Physiology
DOI: 10.1113/jphysiol.2006.122218
" The effects of acute oral antioxidants on diving-induced alterations in human cardiovascular function"
Authors: Ante Obad, Ivan Palada, Zoran Valic, Vladimir Ivan ev, Darija Bakovi , Ulrik Wisløff, Alf O. Brubakk and eljko Duji