1500mg/day of Vitamin C reduced ultramarathon post-race cortisol and interleukins IL-6, IL-8, and IL-10
From the article:
In summary, runners completing the 90-km Comrades Ultramarathon experienced strong increases in concentrations of serum cortisol and plasma IL-6, IL-10, IL-1RA, and IL-8. These increases were attenuated in runners ingesting 1500 mg but not 500 mg vitamin C supplements for 1 week prior to the race and on race day.
![]()
Enjoying this research? Get deeper insights like this delivered every other week.
Every other week our Premium Members receive deep dives like this alongside Rhonda's commentary and 8+ other hand-picked papers.
Vitamin C may have a special role in reducing stress-induced cortisol release:
In contrast, others have shown that vitamin C infusion enhances adrenal glucocorticoid production or has no effect on the serum cortisol response to ACTH. Our data suggest that within the context of prolonged and intensive exertion, high vitamin C intake significantly lowers serum cortisol levels.