Vitamins E and C reduce interleukin-6 levels

Danish researchers studied a group of young healthy men who received a vitamin supplement containing a combination of ascorbic acid (500 milligrams daily) and 400 IU of natural vitamin E (RRR-alpha-tocopherol), or a placebo.

After 28 days of supplementation, the subjects performed three hours of exercise at 50% of maximal power output.

Muscle biopsies from muscles in the thigh were obtained at rest, immediately after exercise and after three hours of recovery

The release of interleukin-6 from the leg, which increased during exercise with a peak at 3.5 hours in the control group, was completely blunted during exercise in subjects given vitamin C and E.

Moreover, C-reactive protein and cortisol levels all increased after the exercise in the group given the placebo, but not in those using antioxidant supplements.

While supplementation with vitamins C and E reduces the interleukin-6 response to exercise, nobody knows for sure if this is a good thing or not.

Muscles grow in response to injury and inflammation. Inhibiting the activity of chemicals such as interleukin-6 and prostaglandins can interfere with muscle hypertrophy and protein synthesis (see Why pain killers can stop muscle growth dead in its tracks).

However, there's currently no reliable evidence to show that vitamins C and E slow muscle growth.

References
Supplementation with vitamins C and E inhibits the release of interleukin-6 from contracting human skeletal muscle. J Physiol. 2004 Jul 15;558(Pt 2):633-45