Low-volume exercise training and vitamin E supplementation attenuates oxidative stress in postmenopausal women

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of low-volume exercise training (90 min/wk) and vitamin E supplementation on oxidative stress markers in postmenopausal women. The participants were non-randomly assigned the following four groups: control (C, n=8), vitamin E (S, n=8), exercise (Ex, n=6), or vitamin E and exercise (S+Ex, n=7). The S and S+Ex groups were instructed to take vitamin E (α-tocopherol, 300 mg/d) capsules for 12 wk. The exercise program of Ex and S+Ex groups consisted of walking for a 30-60 min/session 2 d per week for 12 wk. The serum derivatives of reactive oxygen metabolites concentrations were significantly decreased in the Ex, and S+Ex groups after 12 wk compared with the baseline values (three-factor ANOVA, an interaction between exercise and time, p<0.05). Conversely, serum biological antioxidant potential concentrations in the S and Ex groups were significantly higher at 12 wk than at the baseline, but not in the S+Ex group (three-factor ANOVA, an interaction between supplementation, exercise and time, p<0.05). Plasma thioredoxin concentrations in the S, Ex, and S+Ex groups were significantly higher at 12 wk than at the baseline values (three-factor ANOVA, interactions between exercise and time, and between supplementation, exercise and time, p<0.05). Our findings suggest that low-volume physical activity may improve resting oxidative stress status in postmenopausal women.