THE INFLUENCE OF HYPOXIA AND EXERCISE ON ASCORBIC ACID METABOLISM
- Author:
KATSUMI ASANO
- Publication Type:Journal Article
- From:Japanese Journal of Physical Fitness and Sports Medicine
1972;21(2):69-86
- CountryJapan
- Language:English
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Abstract:
Sacerdote reported that there was a decrease in the adrenal ascorbic acid content and an increase in the blood ascorbic acid content of guinea pigs exposed to a gradual reduction in O2 tension (10.5 to 3.5%) . Teppermann et a1. and Aschan observed the depletion of ascorbic acid in the adrenal cortex of rats exposed to anoxic hypoxia. Furthermore, Wachholder and Podesta, Ratsimamanga and Giroud, Namyslowski, Arai, and Ottowicz et al. observed a highly significant depletion of the adrenal ascorbic acid in rats subjected to experimental muscular exercise.
These reports suggest that ascorbic acid plays an important role in the metabolism of an organism during hypoxia and exercise.
Sayers concluded in his review that, in general, increased adrenocortical activity was associated with a reduction in the concentration of adrenal ascorbic acid.
A number of physiological studies suggest that ascorbic acid plays an important role in adrenal cortex activity. However, the physiological role of ascorbic acid in the metabolic processes of the organ tissues during hypoxia and exercise is unknown. Therefore, this study was carried out in order to determine the relations between the changes in ascorbic acid concentration in various organs under hypoxic conditions as well as during muscular exercise.
Vitamin C (total ascorbic acid : T-AsA) consists of ascorbic acid (C6H8O6 ; AsA) and dehydroascorbic acid (C6H6O6; DHA) . The major purpose of this study was to elucidate the changes in the ratios of AsA and DHA to T-AsA in different organs during hypoxia and exercise.
