Want to increase your endurance when you exercise? Try adding a daily dose of 500 mg of vitamin C to your workout regimen.

That’s what participants in a recent study did to power through their workout with less effort, fatigue and a lower heart rate.

For the study, 20 adults (4 men and 16 women) were randomly assigned to receive 500 mg of vitamin C or a placebo daily for 4 weeks while adhering to a vitamin C and calorie-controlled diet for the duration of the study.

The average age of the participants was 35 with an average BMI that indicated they we obese.

At the start and the end of the study, participants performed 60 minutes of moderate exercise to assess various indicators of physical stamina.

Results

By the end of the study, both groups lost about eight pounds and breathing was about the same for each group. But the vitamin C group had much lower heart rates during exercise compared to the control group. The vitamin C group also reported less fatigue and exertion.

These findings are encouraging as we all know that sticking to an exercise routine is much easier when it doesn’t seem so difficult.

Source:

PubMed