Exercise and oxidative stress methodology: A critique

Abstract

Historically, exercise physiologists' interest in oxygen has primarily centered on the problem of oxygen consumption. However, the interest of the general scientific community in oxygen-centered radicals has raised awareness of the oxygen paradox and has motivated investigators to question whether exercise-stimulated 'overconsumption' of oxygen might induce an oxidative stress and pose some risk to biological systems. In recent years, a considerable amount of research has demonstrated that radicals are capable of damaging a vast array of biological targets. Unfortunately, the work related to oxidative stress and antioxidants subsequent to exercise has been narrow in scope. This paper provides a brief review of the shortcomings of the present state of knowledge in this discipline and outlines topics requiring attention.