Written by Dr. Sanjana V.B Bhms,dbrm,cdn

Founder & medical director of siahmsr wellness.in

All rights reserved with siahmsr digital healthcare[siahmsr wellness]

Reviewed by SIAHMSR medical team.

Does glutathione help in managing exercise induced free radical damage?

    Glutathione is a tripeptide consisting of glutamate, cysteine, and glycine amino acids which  is produced primarily in the liver cells of human body.

It is stored in oxidized or reduced form at high concentrations in most of the body cells. Reduced glutathione is easily oxidized by reactive oxygen species free radicals and later reduced again by glutathione reductase enzyme within the cells.

    Physical exercise decreases the 'reduced form' of glutathione and increases the oxidized form of glutathione by consumption by free radicals. Therefore , Glutathione is closely related to exercise related oxidative stress reduction.

Intense or vigorous exercise may cause oxidative stress to the body as intense exercise training may generate oxygen species free radicals.

Free radicals are harmful to the body as lipid peroxidation occurs during oxidative stress, induced by intense exercise. Glutathione within the body cells help to combat oxidative stress from free radicals.

 Research studies show that an increase in oxidized glutathione occurs after prolonged intense exercise training  along with a concomitant decrease in reduced glutathione .

Glutathione [reduced form of glutathione] levels decrease by 13% after the intense exercise and that points out that the intracellular glutathione [that is, reduced form of glutathione normally present within cells] was being utilized inside the muscle or associated tissues lowering their levels in blood. It happens as a response to free radical activity, that is, lipid peroxidation occurring in intense exercises.

 An increase in glutathione reductase enzyme activity also has been detected during vigorous exercise .It also suggests an increase of oxidative stress induced by exercise.

The potential of glutathione to minimize the effect of free radicals is very clear from the reported changes in glutathione status after exercise.

In response to regular exercise training, resting levels of glutathione increases. It is an adaptive mechanism of the body to deal with free radicals generated by intense exercise training.

It is a normal balance or equilibrium maintaining mechanism of the body.

Summary

Glutathione is used up here to combat oxidative stress induced by exercise. The normal form of glutathione in the body is reduced type glutathione. It gets oxidized by reacting with free radicals which cause oxidative stress within the body. Therefore the end product, oxidized glutathione increases in the body. Later they converted into reduced glutathione again.

Natural glutathione production helping foods or natural precursors of glutahione.

Glutathione is naturally produced by your body from amino acids. Therefore consumption of foods rich in compounds which are precursors for glutathione production can help your body to produce glutathione which has many positive impacts on your health.

Eating sulfur rich foods may help glutathione production naturally.

Sulfur containing amino acids — methionine and cysteine — are precursors for glutathione. Foods rich in Sulphur include vegetables, such as onion, garlic, broccoli, kale, and cabbage and non-vegetarian foods such as meat, eggs, and fish.

A few grains including rice, bread, and pasta also contain glutathione precursors.

 Dairy products contain the protein beta-casein, which can enhance glutathione levels in the body. According to studies higher dairy consumption help higher glutathione concentrations in the brains of older adults.

However, increases in glutathione seem to vary depending on the type of beta-casein.

 Different types of the beta-casein proteins are A1 and A2. Dairy milk containing only A2 beta-casein showed an increase in plasma glutathione concentrations.

 Whey is another type of protein found in dairy products and contains cysteine amino acid which is also a precursor for glutathione.

References

1.    https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/1559931/

2.    https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18029489/  

3.    https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5413479/ 

4.    https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/2501395/  

5.    https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4684116/ 

6.    https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/323936#benefits

7.    https://jissn.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1550-2783-2-2-38

8.    https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4328900/