Ascorbic acid + vitamin E
Ascorbic acid + vitamin E has been studied in 4 papers since 2016: 2 trials in people, 2 in animals. The newest paper, Aug 22, 2025: “Effects of vitamins C and E supplementation combined with 12-week resistance training in older women with sarcopenia: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial”.
“skeletal muscle mass index (Δ = 0.71 vs 0.42 kg/m2; P = .004, d = 0.71)”
None of its findings points the other way.
- 4 independent labs in 3 countries
- Funders: Austrian Research Promotion Agency and 6 more
- Human trial2
- Animals2
Studies in people
2 studies gave ascorbic acid + vitamin E to people and measured what changed.
up: Increases skeletal muscle mass index
up: Improves knee extension strength
no change: Has no effect on physical function
Randomized trial60 peoplewomenaged 60 to 75 years12-week
Medicine, Aug 22, 2025
no change: Has no effect on perceived fatigability
no change: Has no effect on performance fatigability
Randomized trial25 peopleVIT: 51.0 ± 9.0 years; PLA: 48.2 ± 8.3 years10 weeks
Midlife adults; Patient cohorts
Applied physiology, nutrition, and metabolism = Physiologie appliquee, nutrition et metabolisme, Apr 29, 2020
What did studies of Ascorbic acid + vitamin E find?
15Studies of Ascorbic acid + vitamin E measured 15 outcomes; the most studied are IL-6 (1 study), oxidative stress and ROS signaling (1) and knee extension strength (1).
IL-6
downin humans1
1 study
IL-6
downin humans1
Ascorbic acid + vitamin E decreases IL-6 in humans.
“Intergroup changes showed that serum IL-6 concentration was lower in the AS group than in the PLA group in the post-test (P <.001, d = 1.16) (Fig. 6H).”
Human trialcombined with resistance training12-weekfemalesn = 60
Medicine
Ascorbic acid + vitamin E decreases IL-6 in humans (d = 1.16).
“IL-6 was lower in the AS group than in the PLA group (P < .001, d = 1.16)”
Human trialsarcopenia, combined with resistance trainingplasma-serum1000 mg/d vitamin C and 335 mg/d vitamin E12 weeksfemalesn = 60
Medicine
Oxidative stress and ROS signaling
downin humans1
1 study
Oxidative stress and ROS signaling
downin humans1
Ascorbic acid + vitamin E decreases oxidative stress and ROS signaling in humans.
“Intergroup changes showed that MDA was lower in the AS group than in the PLA group in the post-test (P <.001, d = 1.65).”
Human trialcombined with resistance training12-weekfemalesn = 60
Medicine
Ascorbic acid + vitamin E decreases oxidative stress and ROS signaling in humans (d = 1.65).
“reduced GSSG (P < .001, d = 0.96) and malondialdehyde (P < .001, d = 1.65) compared to the PLA group”
Human trialsarcopenia, combined with resistance trainingplasma-serum1000 mg/d vitamin C and 335 mg/d vitamin E12 weeksfemalesn = 60
Medicine
Knee extension strength
upin humans1
1 study
Knee extension strength
upin humans1
Ascorbic acid + vitamin E improves knee extension strength in humans.
“It was higher in the AS group than in the PLA group in the post-test (P <.001, d = 0.89).”
Human trialcombined with resistance training12-weekfemalesn = 60
Medicine
Ascorbic acid + vitamin E improves knee extension strength in humans (Δ = 2.28 vs 1.02 kg).
“knee extension strength (Δ = 2.28 vs 1.02 kg; P < .001, d = 0.89) than the PLA group”
Human trialsarcopenia, combined with resistance training1000 mg/d vitamin C and 335 mg/d vitamin E12 weeksfemalesn = 60
Medicine
Physical function
no changein humans1
1 study
Physical function
no changein humans1
Ascorbic acid + vitamin E has no effect on physical function in humans.
“No significant difference was observed between the groups in the post-test (P =.966, d = 0.01).”
Human trialcombined with resistance training12-weekfemalesn = 60
Medicine
Skeletal muscle mass index
upin humans1
1 study
Skeletal muscle mass index
upin humans1
Ascorbic acid + vitamin E increases skeletal muscle mass index in humans.
“Indeed, there was a difference between the groups in the post-test so much so that the SMI in the AS group was better than in the PLA group (P =.004, d = 0.71).”
Human trialcombined with resistance training12-weekfemalesn = 60
Medicine
Skeletal muscle mass index
upin humans1
1 study
Skeletal muscle mass index
upin humans1
Ascorbic acid + vitamin E increases skeletal muscle mass index in humans (Δ = 0.71 vs 0.42 kg/m2).
“skeletal muscle mass index (Δ = 0.71 vs 0.42 kg/m2; P = .004, d = 0.71)”
Human trialsarcopenia, combined with resistance training1000 mg/d vitamin C and 335 mg/d vitamin E12 weeksfemalesn = 60
Medicine
Performance fatigability
no changein humans1
1 study
Performance fatigability
no changein humans1
Ascorbic acid + vitamin E has no effect on performance fatigability in humans.
“antioxidant supplementation does not add any positive synergistic effect to ST in terms of improving perceived or performance fatigability in BCS.”
Human trialadded to strength training in breast cancer survivors, compared with placebo plus strength trainingvitamin C 500 mg/day and vitamin E 180 mg/day10 weeksn = 25
Applied physiology, nutrition, and metabolism = Physiologie appliquee, nutrition et metabolisme
Perceived fatigability
no changein humans1
1 study
Perceived fatigability
no changein humans1
Ascorbic acid + vitamin E has no effect on perceived fatigability in humans.
“antioxidant supplementation does not add any positive synergistic effect to ST in terms of improving perceived or performance fatigability in BCS.”
Human trialadded to strength training in breast cancer survivors, compared with placebo plus strength trainingvitamin C 500 mg/day and vitamin E 180 mg/day10 weeksn = 25
Applied physiology, nutrition, and metabolism = Physiologie appliquee, nutrition et metabolisme
TNF-alpha
downin mice1
1 study
TNF-alpha
downin mice1
Ascorbic acid + vitamin E decreases TNF-alpha in mice.
“lowered serum TNF-α levels”
Animalsin atherogenic diet-fed SR-B1 KO/ApoER61h/h mice
Biological research
Total cholesterol
downin mice1
1 study
Total cholesterol
downin mice1
Ascorbic acid + vitamin E decreases total cholesterol in mice.
“combined vitamin C and E administration reduced serum total cholesterol and triglyceride levels”
Animalsin atherogenic diet-fed SR-B1 KO/ApoER61h/h mice
Biological research