Goji Juice Keeps You In Play

Exercise can build you up, but it can also wear you down. Endurance exercise in particular can increase oxygen utilization from 10 to 20 times over the resting state, and this greatly increases the generation of highly reactive free radicals. Once formed, free radicals begin a chain reaction, attacking and damaging or destroying the cells of muscles, connective tissues, and joints.

To prevent free-radical damage, the body has a defense system of antioxidants. These special molecules interact with free radicals, terminating the chain reaction before healthy body cells are ireparably damaged. Many fruits contain antioxidants, and although they may show impressive antioxidant capacity in a laboratory beaker (also known as the ORAC test), they may perform poorly once inside the human body. In fact, many high-ORAC dietary antioxidants never leave the digestive tract.

The best antioxidant strategy is to optimize the body's production of its own highly active antioxidant enzymes. These circulate in the blood, offering protection for the whole body against the damage and fatigue that can be caused by unchecked free-radical activity.