The pain from exercise is due to oxidative stress, chemical changes and muscle damage. Increases in chemicals (like creatine kinase and lactate dehydrogenase) can indicate muscle damage and pain. The good news is that certain antioxidant vitamins (like vitamin C and vitamin E), may mitigate the damage and pain. Research appearing in the International Journal of Preventative Medicine (2013 April; 4(Suppl 1): S16-23) looked at 64 female athletes and the effect of supplementing with vitamins C and E. The subjects were randomly assigned to one of four groups. One group was given 250 mg of vitamin C per day. The second group was given 400 IU of vitamin E each day. The third group was given both vitamin C and vitamin E. The fourth group received a placebo. Chemical markers indicating oxidative stress were lower in the group receiving both vitamins C and E when compared to the placebo group. According to inter-group comparison, creatine kinase was significantly decreased in the vitamin C group and lactate dehydrogenase was significantly decreased in the vitamin E group. According to the authors, “It is induced from the results that vitamin C and E supplementation plays a role in reducing muscle damage markers of aerobic exercises.”