Exercise-induced oxidative stress is one of the main causes of tissue damage and exercise-induced fatigue. Supplementing exogenous antioxidants can control and reduce the generation of endogenous free radicals and lipid peroxidation during exercise, and delay exercise-induced fatigue. Lycopene is one of the most effective antioxidants recently discovered in the world in recent years.
Under normal physiological conditions, the generation and scavenging of free radicals maintain a dynamic balance. A certain amount of free radicals, as cell conversion molecules, participate in the regulation of important physiological processes, such as immune function, angiogenesis, and skeletal muscle contraction. However, in the state of exercise, whether it is short-term large-scale exercise or long-term sub-maximal exercise, the generation of free radicals in the body increases.
A large number of free radicals generated during exercise are an important cause of exercise-induced fatigue. Since oxygen free radical damage is not specific, it can occur in any tissue or organ and cause exercise fatigue. Therefore, supplementing antioxidants to fight against a large number of free radicals generated during exercise is one of the important means to delay the occurrence of exercise-induced fatigue, promote the elimination of fatigue after exercise and the recovery of bodily functions.
The application of lycopene in sports is mainly related to its strong antioxidant properties.
1. Improve the body's antioxidant function
As a lipid-soluble antioxidant, lycopene not only reacts with oxygen free radicals through a reversible electron transfer pathway, but also acts directly on free radicals to quench singlet oxygen through both physical and chemical methods.
2. Delay the onset of exercise-induced fatigue
Lycopene has a certain anti-fatigue effect. The weight-bearing swimming time of mice in the high-dose lycopene group is significantly higher than that in the control group, indicating that lycopene can enhance the exercise endurance of mice, and the improvement of exercise endurance shows that the body's anti-fatigue ability is strengthened. .
3. Enhance the body's immune function
Exercise stress has a great impact on the body's immune function, especially after high-intensity exercise, the body often appears immunosuppressed and is prone to infectious diseases. Lycopene can improve the immunity of the body to a certain extent and reduce the possibility of disease occurrence. Supplementing lycopene during high-intensity training can effectively prevent the decline of athlete's immune function and ensure athlete's good physical function.