Quercetin and Vitamin C Supplementation: Effects on Lipid Profile and Muscle Damage in Male Athletes

Background: quercetin, which is considered as a health-promoting antioxidant, belongs to the broad flavonoids group. numerous experimental studies have proved that quercetin and vitamin c provide anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. the aim of this study is to assess the effects of both quercetin and vitamin c on lipid profile and muscle damage in human subjects. methods: a randomized, placebo-controlled, double blind clinical trial was carried out on 60 males for eight weeks. the subjects were randomly assigned to one of the four groups: 1) quercetin + vitamin c (500 mg/day quercetin + 200 mg/day vitamin c) 2) quercetin (500 mg/day quercetin + 200 mg/day placebo) 3) vitamin c (500 mg/day vitamin c + 200 mg/day placebo) and 4) placebo (500 mg/day placebo + 200 mg/ day placebo). blood samples, body weight and percent of body fat were measured before and after intervention. in addition, dietary intake was estimated using 24-h recall. results: no significant changes occurred in high-density lipoprotein levels between groups and in the four groups before and after supplementation. low density lipoprotein values decreased significantly (p = 0.048) in the “quercetin + vit c” group but decrease was not considerable in other groups before and after intervention and among groups. fat-soluble vitamins’ intake was significantly high among 4 groups. conclusions: quercetin and vitamin c supplementation may not be beneficial in lipid profile improvement, although it may reduce induce muscle damage and body fat percent.