Background Antioxidant supplementation may provide protection against negative health consequences of oxygen-free radicals caused by aerobic and re-sustained exercise. The aim is to find out the efficacy of antioxidant rich nutrient bar supplementation on the antioxidant status and physical fitness components of athletes. Method Forty track and field athletes were selected using convenience sampling technique. The Human Research Ethics Committee of PSG College of Arts and Science, Coimbatore approved the study. Voluntary participation of the subjects was emphasized and a written consent was obtained from them in order to be included in the study. An interview schedule was formulated to collect general information such as name, age, gender, and academic qualifications, as well as information pertaining to the types of sporting activity, duration of the activity per day, number of years involved in the respective sports and level of participation (district/state/national). Nutrient bars each weighing 50gm were prepared with rolled oats, pumpkin seeds, dehydrated carrots, flax seeds, peanuts, almonds, honey and date syrup as ingredients. Each athlete was provided with two bars containing 110 mg of antioxidant. The prepared bars were analyzed for their total anti-oxidant content using DPPH method. The experimental group (n = 20) was supplemented with the formulated nutrient bars every day for a period of 3 months, and the control group (n = 20) with a placebo. Bio-chemical parameters namely GSH, GSH-px, SOD, vitamin C, serum LPO and physical fitness tests such as 12 minutes test, speed test, step test, push-ups test, vertical jump test and hexagon agility test were assessed at baseline and after 90 days. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS (version 15). ResultsThe mean age was 18 ± 3.2 yrs. Sixty percent of the selected athletes were males and 40 % females. The main source of nutrition information was from coaches (56 %) and magazines (30 %). The athletes of the experimental group, when compared with the control group, showed a significant increase in serum levels from 37.42 ± 12.01 units/min/ml to 42.08 ± 13.16 units/min/ml of SOD (p = 0.000). LPO increased from 2.89 ± 0.82 μg/ml to 3.80 ± 1.37 μg/ml (p = 0.005), GSH increased from 209.76 ± 8.17 μg/ml to 244.58 ± 33.36 μg/ml (p = 0.000). The mean levels of vitamin C and GSH-px decreased minimally in the experimental group but significantly in the control group. Significant improvement in all six physical fitness tests namely 12 minutes test (from 1.44 ± 0.142 to 1.56 ± 0.134) , speed test (from 6.5940 ± 0.258 to 6.7435 ± 0.25) step test (from 68.65 ± 5.51 to 78.35 ± 4.004) push-ups (from 22.25 ± 3.97 to 29.70 ± 3.40), vertical jumps test (from 60.00 ± 5.620 to 63.75 ± 6.043) and hexagon agility tests (from 12.255 ± 0.42 to 12.400 ± 0.51) were observed in the experimental group). However in the control group, the improvements were significant only in the 12 minutes test, step test and speed test. Conclusion Supplementation of athletes with antioxidant-rich...

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