Rat Study Suggests Increased Selenium Requirements in Athletes

Calcium and magnesium, zinc and maybe chromium those are the top sellers among minerals and trace-minerals. Others, such as selenium are likely to be overlooked by the average fitness maniac, who says to him/herself "Selenium? Its in my multi, anyway!"

Yet, a recent study published in Biological Trace Element Research (Akil. 2010) reports well measurable effects of selenium supplementation to rats on an exhaustive exercise regimen. The scientists measured the impact of acute swimming exercise on erythrocyte-reduced glutathione (GSH), serum glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and superoxide dismutase (SOD), and plasma malondialdehyde (MDA) and lactate levels of the animals and found:

Results of the study indicate that the increase in free radical production and lactate levels due to acute swimming exercise in rats might be offset by selenium supplementation. Selenium supplementation may be important in that it supports the antioxidant system in physical activity.

On a side note: With its importance in the deiodinasation of T4 to the active thyriod hormone T3, the provision of adequate selenium supply is also of great importance to maintain a healthy thyroid metabolism. If this means that it is necessary to consume 0.98 mg Selenium /kg body weight per day (this is the human equivalent dose to the dosage the Turkish scientists used in rats), is yet questionable. Dependend on ones diet and other supplements a quality selenium supplement or an anti-oxidant complex, would however be worth considering.