Many researchers have emphasized the relation between nutrition and development and sustaining performance. Two methods are
commonly employed to identify the interaction between physical activity and nutrition. The first consists of administering
food with a variety of contents to people engaged in physical activity and observing their performance responses, and the
other is concerned with determining the effects of physical activity on nutrition. Therefore, it can be said that there has
been a growing interest in the explorations into the relation between exercise and vitamins, minerals, and elements. The present
study reports the effects of 6 weeks administration of 300 mg/day vitamin E on the distribution of serum elements in elite
taekwondo athletes. Seven male athletes, mean ages 22.1 ± 0.5 years weighing on average 66.4 ± 2.4 kg were included in the
study. The athletes had been practicing taekwondo for 10–12 years. Resting blood samples were collected in duplicate before
and after supplementation for determination of serum levels of cobalt, boron, cadmium, chromium, nickel, manganese, sulfur,
copper, iron, zinc, phosphorus, sodium, potassium, and calcium. Supplementation resulted in significant increases of all elements
relative to values before supplementation (p < 0.001), with the exception of boron and sulfur, which remained without change. The results of the present study demonstrate
that vitamin E supplementation crucially influences the element and mineral metabolism in elite athletes.
Keywords Taekwondo – Athletes – Vitamin E supplementation – Element status