Got this reply on the APNEA mailing listHello all,
The following is taken from a book (The Zone, by Dr Barry Sears and
William Lawren), but rephrased and simplified.
“During the metabolism of food, a significant amount of free radicals
are formed. These free radicals are essential for the transformation of
food into energy. But excessive intake of calories, makes too many of
them. Ingesting greater than 500 calories of food at one time far
exceeds your body’s immediate energy needs. Flooded with excess food
and calories, your system strives to process and store the excess
energy. Free oxygen radicals are produced and spewed in vast amounts.
Any excess radicals not quenched by anti-oxidants are free to attack
other things, a process leading to oxidation of serum fats and damaged
cells. Adding up over the years, these insults lead to diminished
function and bodily deterioration. Too many free radicals can cause
heart diseases and cancer. At the same time, free radicals are some of
the most important weapons of our immune system, they kill bacteria
that cause diseases by entering our body. Without free radicals, it
would be impossible for our body to produce eicosanoids (some very
important hormones).”
I suppose this means that free radicals are not exactly an enemy. Too
few of too many of them are very bad, but in the right amount, they are
a very good friend. If you get too many free radicals, eating extra
anti-oxidants can kill them, but you have the right amount, those extra
anti-oxidants can kill the free radicals that you actually need. I
guess the ancient Greeks were right when they were philosophizing and
said that we need to have things at a “medium” amount.
I don’t know how training in the pool can lead to chlorine intake. If
it’s by absorption though our skin, maybe training with a suit can
minimize that. But I suspect that it’s mainly through our mouth and nose, when small amounts of water get in and find their way to our stomachs.
Panos Lianos
Athens, Greece
PS. Sebastian Murat complained that by training in the pool he noticed that his performance was going down possibly due to exposure to the chlorine in the pool.He started taking an anti oxidant supplement (grape seed) and felt his performance returning.