One of vitamin E’s greatest attributes is its ability to inhibit inflammation in most tissues, including muscle. The anti-inflammatory effect of vitamin E may help speed recovery after intense exercise and help prevent arteriosclerosis – the buildup of plaque on artery walls which promotes heart disease.
Interestingly, most people don’t get enough vitamin E in their diet. According to a study published in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association, most men and women don’t even get the Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) of E which is 15milligrams a day.
An anti-inflammatory response has been observed with a dose of 500 to 1000 milligrams of E daily, so this amount for athletes, maybe a good start. However, people that don’t train regularly do not possess the upgraded antioxidant defense systems that athletes do – they may be exposing themselves to more cellular damage during exercise. Therefore, people new to exercise or those that do not exercise regularly, may need even more vitamin E than athletes.
