By Esmé Maré

Mostly known for its flu-fighting properties , Vitamin C can also pack a punch and influence your physical performance , as well help you recover quicker .

Vitamin C content , and it helps to ward off the winter colds and flu . But there is so much more to this vitamin than just that already useful attribute .

Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant , which may help lower the risk for cancer by reducing free radicals and lipid oxidation in body tissues , and it is also involved in reactions that form collagen , a connective tissue protein . Added to that , vitamin C is also required for wound-healing , and is a watersoluble vitamin essential for normal growth and development . However , we cannot synthesise our own Vitamin C , and excessive amounts can easily be removed from the body through our urine , within 24 hours , rather than it being stored . This means that we need to consume Vitamin C on a regular basis . available to your working muscles .

• Assisting in the transportation and absorption of non-heme iron ( mainly from fruits and vegetables ).

• Assisting in the resynthesis of Vitamin E to its active antioxidant state .

• For runners taking on the bigger distances , Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant that limits the damage from oxidative stress that one undergoes during a long run or race .

• It plays an important role in the healing process by building protein , scar tissue , ligaments and blood vessels .

• Vitamin C also helps the body maintain bone tissue and cartilage .

Good Food Sources

Fresh fruits and vegetables have the highest vitamin C content , while meats and dairy products are low in vitamin C , and cereal grains contain none ( unless fortified ). Fortified beverages and cereals are therefore good sources . Vitamin C can easily be destroyed when exposed to heat ( cooking ) and oxygen ( air ), and can easily be removed from foods boiled in water and strained , as it is water-soluble . Methods of cooking less likely to compromise the vitamin C content of foods include steaming , microwaving and stir-frying . vitamin C by eating the recommended five servings of fruits and / or vegetables a day . Remember that a serving of vegetables is half a cup cooked , or one cup raw , or one cup of vegetable juice . A serving of fruit is one medium fruit , a cup of chopped or canned fruit , or one cup of fruit juice .

• Have a fruit at breakfast or at each snack , or have some fruit juice before , during or after training . Include one or two portions of vegetables ( including salads ) at lunch and dinner . Remember , foods high in vitamin C also contain fibre and other vitamins , including A and K .

• Taking megadoses of vitamin C is not fatally harmful , but side-effects are common when exceeding a dosage of 2000mg / day for a prolonged period of time . These include nausea , diarrhoea , nosebleeds and abdominal cramps .

Vegetables High in Vitamin C Sweet Red Pepper , raw , 1 cup Sweet Green Pepper , raw , 1 cup

Vitamin C 283mg 120mg

This article was written by registered dietician Esmé Maré and is taken from the Modern Athlete archives . With the winter weather here , and many runners looking to stay healthy during the colder months , we ’ re republishing it because it is just as relevant as when first published .

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