Do Vitamins Affect your Liver?

Written by Ben Bunting: BA, PGCert. (Sport & Exercise Nutrition) // British Army Physical Training Instructor // S&C Coach.

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Vitamins play a crucial role in maintaining health and supporting the body's functions.

In the context of heat-related morbidity and mortality, vitamins can be particularly important.

Climate change, especially in hot and humid environments, can increase metabolic rates and heat production in the body.

This, in turn, increases sweating and cutaneous vasodilation as the body tries to dissipate heat.

However, these physiological responses can also negatively affect physical performance, cognitive function, immune function, and oxidative stress.

Therefore, adequate vitamin intake can help support the body's defences and mitigate the potential negative impacts of heat and physical activity.

Heat and Nutrient Turnover

Researchers have studied how hot environments affect nutrient levels, particularly under thermal stress.

However, there is still no clear consensus on which nutrients to consume and in what amounts.

Chronic heat exposure can lead to deficiencies in certain minerals and water-soluble vitamins, as they are lost through sweating.

Some experts argue that nutrient supplements are unnecessary if you follow a normal diet, since these nutrients can be replenished naturally.

However, research also shows that certain supplements can help, such as improving endurance and reducing inflammation.

For example, carbohydrate supplementation has been found to enhance endurance performance, while sodium supplementation can help prevent heat cramping.

Additionally, vitamin C supplementation has been shown to decrease post-exercise cortisol levels in athletes preparing for marathons in hot environments. 

How do Nutrient Supplements Affect Organs?

A 2021 study on the effects of supplementing multiple nutrients after exercise in hot conditions found that it led to faster recovery from muscle damage and improved liver and renal function.

The study consisted of a pilot trial and a randomized controlled trial. In the pilot trial, a single-shot supplement decreased BUN levels at POST and changed AST, Cr, and UA levels at REC.

The pilot trial findings were supported by data from the short-term supplement trial.

In the 7-day supplement trial, multiple-nutrient supplementation significantly decreased changes in AST, CK, and LDH levels at REC. Additionally, it tended to suppress the elevation of Cr and UA levels.

Vitamins play a crucial role in protecting the kidneys from the negative effects of intense physical activity or heat exposure.

These activities can reduce kidney function and cause the retention of substances such as uric acid and creatinine.

However, supplementing multiple nutrients has been shown to counteract these effects by improving kidney excretion and accelerating metabolite clearance.

Additionally, dehydration can contribute to kidney damage, but multiple-nutrient supplements can help maintain hydration and prevent elevations in substances like creatinine.

Overall, vitamin and nutrient supplementation can help protect the kidneys from the harmful effects of exercise-induced muscle damage, inflammation, and oxidative stress, ultimately preventing acute kidney injury.

Vitamins play a crucial role in supporting the body's immune system and aiding repair and recovery after intense exercise.

During intense exercise, the body may experience muscle damage and increased membrane permeability.

This triggers repair signals and the migration of immune cells, such as neutrophils and monocytes, to the damaged site.

These immune cells help degrade cellular debris and promote phagocytosis by producing free radicals.

However, this process can also cause secondary damage and release higher levels of enzymes such as AST, CK, and LDH into the bloodstream.

Studies show that AST, CK, and LDH levels tend to increase after exercise, indicating the body's response to muscle damage and repair.

One study observed a higher elevation of AST (aspartate aminotransferase) in the group that took the multiple-nutrient supplement immediately after the running test.

However, this elevation quickly decreased during recovery, suggesting it may have been a normal physiological response.

The study also found significantly higher activities of AST, CK (creatine kinase), and LDH (lactate dehydrogenase) in the group that took glucose and water supplementation during recovery, suggesting greater cell membrane damage caused by lipolytic enzymes activated by pro-inflammatory cytokines. 

Vitamins and antioxidants have been widely used in sports supplements to combat oxidative stress and inflammation.

A 2020 study demonstrated that vitamin C and taurine can decrease oxidative stress in athletes, while antioxidants have been found to protect the liver from exercise-induced damage.

A recent study found that multiple-nutrient supplementation resulted in higher plasma antioxidant potential and lower lipid peroxidation than the carbohydrate and water groups.

This suggests that adding anti-inflammatory and antioxidative ingredients to supplements can help prevent secondary damage to healthy muscle cells. 

In addition, the short-term supplement trial included extra vitamin K2 in the multiple-nutrient supplement.

Vitamin K2 (MK-7) was previously used to prevent bone fractures, but it has also been discovered to be a bioactive compound that enhances ATP production by improving the efficiency of the electron transport chain.

Furthermore, a 2003 study showed that vitamin K2 may prevent inflammation and the accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) without the risk of negative side effects or overdosing.

However, research on its impact on physical exercise in hot conditions remains limited.

In the current study, we found an additional effect: reduced changes in CK, LDH, IL-6, TNF-α, and 8-iso-PGF2α during recovery, suggesting improved membrane integrity and reduced enzyme leakage from secondary damage.

In addition, our research found that serum glucose levels were elevated after single-shot and short-term supplements.

Previous studies have also shown similar findings, indicating that exercising after overnight fasting does not always decrease glucose levels. This may be due to the breakdown of muscle glycogen during intense physical activity.

Conclusion

Recent evidence shows that taking multiple nutrient supplements can aid recovery from muscle damage and support liver and kidney function after exercising in hot conditions.

These supplements help reduce secondary damage and speed up the removal of metabolic byproducts.

This research will contribute to nutritional recommendations for individuals, such as workers, military personnel, and athletes, who engage in intense physical activity in hot environments, helping them recover more effectively.