Vitamin E: what is it and why is it important to athletes?

Because it can keep us healthy and aid post-exercise recovery, vitamin E is a vital nutrient for athletes.

Often overlooked in favour of better-known vitamins, let’s look at what vitamin E does, where to get it from and how much we need in our diet.

What is vitamin E?

Vitamins E is one of a group of fat-soluble compounds.

They’re different to the water-soluble vitamins (vitamin B complex and vitamin C), in that they need to be transported around the body attached to dietary fat and are stored within the fat compartments of cells.

Vitamin E represents a family of eight antioxidants, which help protect your cells from damage by free radicals.

Vitamin E’s main function is to act as an antioxidant, but it also plays an important role in immune health and cell signalling.

Why is vitamin E important for athletes?

Like vitamin C, vitamin E could help reduce the amount of cell damage caused by free radicals, which are released after exercise.

Similarly, vitamin E plays an important role in immune health, helping prevent loss of training time due to illness.

What are free radicals?

Free radicals are single atoms with unpaired electrons, formed from the splitting of oxygen.

Since electrons like to be in pairs, free radicals search the body for other electrons to pair with, which causes damage to cells.

How much vitamin E do athletes need?

The recommended daily intake of Vitamin E ranges from 4mg to 15mg, depending on your country.

There’s no evidence to suggest athletes need to intake higher amounts than those recommended for healthy people.

Which foods are rich in vitamin E?

Vitamin E is mostly found in oils such as olive, nut or soya oils.

Other foods rich in vitamin E include nuts and seeds, such as brazil nuts, walnuts, and sunflower seeds.

Whole grains and cereals, as well as green leafy vegetables, tomatoes, apples and carrots are also good sources.

Should you supplement?

If you focus on eating a wide range of foods, including nuts, seeds and oils, supplementation for triathletes is rarely necessary.

A standard multi-vitamin will contain enough vitamin E to meet or exceed the recommended daily intake.

However, similarly to vitamin C, large amounts of antioxidants may blunt the cell signals required for the muscles to adapt from exercise, so I’d advise against supplementing with additional vitamin E.

Next, I explain why vitamin D is so important for athletes.