Vitamin C (Ascorbate)
Other marker
Vitamin C
Vitamin C (Ascorbate)
Plasma ascorbate (vitamin C), a water-soluble antioxidant essential for collagen synthesis, immune function, and iron absorption. Deficiency causes scurvy; it is not stored in large amounts, so status depends on regular intake.
PED Notes
Vitamin C is not directly altered by AAS, GH, or peptides, but low status is common and relevant to lifters. Vitamin C is required for collagen synthesis, so adequacy supports tendon, ligament, and connective-tissue integrity, which matters for athletes under heavy mechanical load and for recovery from injury. Restrictive contest-prep diets low in fruit and vegetables can drive intake down, and smoking and high oxidative stress increase requirements. Vitamin C also enhances non-haem iron absorption, useful for those managing iron status around blood donation. Both low and high results are worth understanding, though high values are usually benign. The bodybuilder range equals the standard range.
When high
When high (usually benign):
- High plasma vitamin C almost always reflects recent supplementation and is generally harmless because the excess is excreted in urine.
- What to do: no treatment needed. Very high chronic doses (typically several grams per day) can cause GI upset and, in predisposed people, raise oxalate kidney-stone risk, so there is no benefit to megadosing; keep supplementation modest (a few hundred mg/day).
When low
When low (<23 umol/L; deficiency <11 umol/L):
- Low plasma vitamin C reflects inadequate recent intake and, at the lower end, risks impaired collagen synthesis (poor wound and tendon healing, easy bruising, bleeding gums) and frank scurvy below ~11 umol/L.
- What to do:
- Increase dietary vitamin C: citrus, kiwifruit, berries, capsicum, broccoli, and other fruit and vegetables.
- Supplement: 250-500mg/day is ample to restore and maintain status for most people; higher doses give diminishing returns because absorption saturates.
- Address drivers: stop smoking, and ensure fruit and vegetable intake does not collapse during aggressive cutting phases.
- Recheck after several weeks of consistent intake.
History Chart
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Frequently Asked Questions
Reference Ranges
Standard Range
VitalMetrics Range