Chinese Journal of Tissue Engineering Research ›› 2026, Vol. 30 ›› Issue (24): 6345-6353.doi: 10.12307/2026.237

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Effects of antioxidant pretreatment on skeletal muscle damage and oxidative stress following acute high-intensity exercise: a meta-analysis

Xia Caigui, Li Wei, Su Yuying, Shi Yu, Yang Zhonghe   

  1. Beijing Sport University, Beijing 100084, China
  • Received:2025-07-29 Revised:2025-10-19 Online:2026-08-28 Published:2026-02-04
  • Contact: Li Wei, PhD, Professor, Beijing Sport University, Beijing 100084, China
  • About author:Xia Caigui, MS candidate, Beijing Sport University, Beijing 100084, China

Abstract: OBJECTIVE: Current evidence indicates that exercise-induced oxidative stress involves a dual role of reactive oxygen species, which participate in exercise adaptation while potentially causing tissue damage, highlighting the necessity for precise regulation of antioxidant dosage and timing. This study employs a Meta-analytic approach to systematically evaluate the effects of antioxidant pretreatment on biomarkers of skeletal muscle oxidative stress injury following acute strenuous exercise, and to explore the moderating effects of dosage, intervention duration, and training status. 
METHODS: A systematic search was conducted for randomized controlled trials that investigated the effects of antioxidant pretreatment on exercise-induced oxidative stress in PubMed, Web of Science, EBSCO, CNKI, VIP and WanFang databases from inception to February 2025. Literature quality was assessed using the physiotherapy evidence database scale. Data analysis was performed using RevMan 5.4 and Stata statistical software.
RESULTS: (1) This meta-analysis included 16 studies from 12 publications, comprising 264 athletes and regularly exercising individuals. (2) The physiotherapy evidence database scale scores ranged from 6-8 (7 studies) to 9 (5 studies), indicating overall high methodological quality. (3) Meta analysis results showed that antioxidant pretreatment significantly decreased post-exercise serum creatine kinase[standardized mean difference (SMD)=-0.31, 95%confidence interval (CI) (-0.63, 0.00), P=0.05], interleukin-6 [SMD=-0.66, 95%CI (-1.03, -0.29), P=0.0005], and malondialdehyde levels [SMD=-1.10, 95%CI (-1.96, -0.23), P=0.01], while significantly increasing glutathione peroxidase activity [SMD=1.33, 95%CI (0.87, 1.78), P < 0.000 01] and total antioxidant capacity [mean difference=4.77, 95%CI (3.87, 5.67), P < 0.000 01]. Subgroup analysis revealed that low-dose (≤ 500 mg/d) short-term (≤ 14 days) interventions showed superior effects on malondialdehyde reduction (SMD=-1.15), whereas high-dose long-term interventions potentially attenuated exercise adaptation. Training status significantly moderated effect sizes, with greater malondialdehyde reduction in sub-elite versus elite athletes (P < 0.05).
CONCLUSION: Antioxidant pretreatment effectively mitigates oxidative stress injury induced by acute intense exercise, but its efficacy is modulated by dosage, intervention duration, and training level. Short-term high-dose supplementation can aid in rapid recovery during competition periods, while long-term use requires balancing the antioxidant benefits against the risks of adaptive response suppression.

Key words: antioxidant pretreatment, oxidative stress, exercise-induced injury, dose-effect relationship, meta-analysis

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