4.6. Strength and Limitation
Although glutathione and vitamin C are complementary and play important roles in antioxidant mechanisms, studies on the combined intake of these two substances and exercise are limited. The clinical significance and applicability of this study lie in its findings related to the combined supplementation of vitamin C and glutathione middle-aged triathletes. These findings highlight the potential benefits of such supplementation in enhancing various aspects of exercise performance, including metabolic function, skeletal muscle oxygenation, cardiac function, and antioxidant capacity. By demonstrating the superiority of the combined supplementation over single vitamin C or glutathione supplementation, our study opens up avenues for further research and practical applications in the field of sports and exercise science. These findings could be valuable in guiding supplementation and optimizing performance strategies for middle-aged triathletes and potentially other athletes with similar exercise demands and physiological profiles. However, further investigations and validation studies are warranted to establish specific dosing recommendations and assess long-term effects for a broader range of athletes and athletic contexts.