Research

Mixed

Exercise-induced production of reactive species (ROS) acts as a necessary signaling mechanism that triggers beneficial physiological adaptations, including angiogenesis, mitochondrial biogenesis, and muscle hypertrophy, rather than solely causing damage.

Do not fear the 'burn' or oxidative stress from exercise; it is the signal your body needs to build better blood vessels, more energy-producing mitochondria, and stronger muscles. You do not need to neutralize this stress with high-dose antioxidants, as doing so might prevent these adaptations.

GoodSupportsHIGH confidence
Recent studies show a beneficial role of the reactive species, produced during a bout of exercise, that lead to important training adaptations: angiogenesis, mitochondria biogenesis, and muscle hypertrophy.
Elisa Couto Gomes et al. · Oxidative Medicine and Cellular Longevity · 2012

Why this rating

Review article citing multiple studies; mechanism is well-established in literature though direct measurement is difficult.

Source

Oxidants, Antioxidants, and the Beneficial Roles of Exercise-Induced Production of Reactive Species

Elisa Couto Gomes et al. · Oxidative Medicine and Cellular Longevity · 2012

DOI 10.1155/2012/756132

narrative_reviewCited 282×
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DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10

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