Factors that Increase Oxidative Stress:

Intense exercise:

Three significant events or systems occur during exercise that combine to create increased oxidative stress loads

1) Whole body oxygen consumption:  Exercise can demand a 10-20 fold increase in whole body oxygen consumption, and a staggering 100-200 fold increase in local muscle oxygen consumption.  Most of this oxygen is transformed to water, but 2-4% is converted into damaging free radicals.

2) Ischaemia-reperfusion:  This is a result of redistribution of blood away from our organs to our working muscles, which in turn leads to local muscle hypoxia (shortage of oxygen).  When intense exercise stops, a reoxygenation of your organs and local muscles takes place.  This results in a burst of free radicals.

3) Auto-oxidation of catecholamines:  Rising levels of the stress hormones adrenaline and noradrenaline are normal during exercise.  Some of these hormones become oxidized and then create free radicals, which contributes to muscular fatigue during and after exercise.

Environmental Accelerants:

1) Excessive intake of pro-oxidants:  A pro-oxidant would include smoking, certain drugs, alcohol, additives/preservatives in foods, and exposure to industrial toxins from air pollution, ozone, and smog.

2) Ultraviolet light:  We all know that excessive sun causes our skin to age prematurely.  The reason behind this is oxidative stress from UV radiation.  Athletes and active people are at particular risk to over exposure of UV light.