Race Series: Nutrition tips You train hard and you need to fuel your body accordingly. Don't let your hard earned gains go out the window because you are not fuelling optimally. In this post I will talk about antioxidants. Antioxidants protect your body from free radicals and other toxins. There must be a balance of antioxidants and free radicals in the body or oxidative stress occurs. Free radicals can alter fats, proteins, cells or DNA and lead to disease. A free radical is a molecule with an unpaired valence electron that is free to react with other molecules by either donating or accepting an electron. Radicals are highly reactive and unstable. A good visual example is an apple. If you cut an apple and leave it exposed, it will turn brown. If, however, you coat the slice of apple with lemon juice before leaving it to sit, it will take longer for the brown to appear. The vitamin C in the lemon juice is a powerful antioxidant and slowed the oxidation process o