Effects of a Unique Vitamin C Ingredient on Chronic Knee Complaints
Susan Mitmesser The FASEB Journal April 2015 vol. 29 no. 1 Supplement LB351
Background: Chronic knee complaints are very common in athletes. Overuse injury can cause pain in the patellar tendon. Vitamin C is required for collagen synthesis, which is an important component of tendons. It has been reported that vitamin C can suppress cytokine production, which is indicative of an inflammatory response. Ester-C®, calcium ascorbate plus vitamin C metabolites, has been clinically studied and may have a higher biological availability in body tissues than ascorbic acid.
Objective: To examine the effect of Ester-C® on the improvement of injury complaints in athletes with patella tendonitis (also known as “jumper's knee”).
Methods: Basketball players with patella tendonitis were recruited to participate in this study. Each athlete received Ester-C® in increasing daily doses for 6 weeks (Week 1: 1000 mg, Week 2: 2000 mg, Weeks 3-6: 3000 mg). Improvement scores of six complaints - pain, power, mobility, speed, jumping ability, and general condition - were assessed on a scale of 0-3 (0=no improvement; 1=noticeable improvement; 2=full improvement at rest; 3=full athletic improvement). The percentage of subjects that showed improvement in each category and the average improvement scores (AIS) were calculated.
Results: A total of 16 basketball players completed the study. Most complaints started to show improvement after Week 2. Dramatic improvements were observed in all injury criteria during Week 5 and were maintained at the end of Week 6. The greatest improvements were in pain reduction (AIS 1.75) and jumping ability (AIS 1.5), with the least improvement observed in mobility (AIS 0.38).
Conclusion: Ester-C® has a positive effect on chronic knee complaints caused by overuse in high-impact sports, such as basketball.