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N-acetylcysteine supplementation increases exercise performance and reduces oxidative stress only in individuals with low levels of glutathione

Vassilis Paschalis, Anastasios A Theodorou, Nikos V Margaritelis, Antonios Kyparos, Michalis G Nikolaidis
Free Radic Biol Med 2018 115:288-297

Bibliography

PubMed
PMID 29233792
DOI
10.1016/j.freeradbiomed.2017.12.007
Funding
Funding disclosure was not located in the indexed record reviewed; consult the source publication for the full funding statement.
Competing interests
Competing-interest disclosure was not located in the indexed record reviewed; consult the source publication for the full declaration.

Study snapshot

DesignDouble-blind placebo-controlled crossover study
ModelHuman
SampleParticipants selected after screening 100 individuals; 12 low-GSH and 12 high-GSH subjects
InterventionOral NAC approximately 2,400 mg/day for 30 days
Duration30 days per supplementation condition
EndpointsExercise performance; Glutathione; Oxidative stress

What the study showed, in plain terms

Study testing whether baseline glutathione status modifies the exercise response to NAC.

Key findings

Performance and oxidative-stress improvements were concentrated in the low-glutathione group, suggesting baseline redox status may influence response.

What this study can and cannot tell us

Small selected subgroups and a responder-enrichment design; findings should not be generalized to all athletes.

Editorial review

Reviewed by the Biohack Blueprint research team

Last verified

Dr. Khaled Mahmoud, MBBChCritical Care Medicine, Longevity Science & Editorial Direction Dr. Amr Yasser, PhDCardiometabolic, Musculoskeletal, Gut & Bioavailability Dr. Abdulla Mostafa, PhDCellular Senescence, Neurological, Mitochondrial & Brain-Ageing Biology