The Influence of Hypoxia and Exercise on Ascorbic Acid Metabolism

Abstract

reported that there was a decrease in the adrenal ascorbic acid content and an increase in the blood ascorbic acid content of guinea pigs exposed to a gradual reduction in O2 tension (10.5 to 3.5%). Teppermann et a1.44) and Aschan3) observed the depletion of ascorbic acid in the adrenal cortex of rats exposed to anoxic hypoxia. Furthermore, Wachholder and Podesta,48) Ratsimamanga and Giroud,Namyslowski,29) Arai,1) and Ottowicz et al.30) observed a highly significant depletion of the adrenal ascorbic acid in rats subjected to experimental muscular exercise. These reports suggest that ascorbic acid plays an important role in the metabolism of an organism during hypoxia and exercise.