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. 2017 Dec 14;2017(12):CD009789. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD009789.pub2

Avery 2003.

Methods Randomised controlled trial (parallel design)
Participants Setting: laboratory; USA
n = 18 healthy men who were active in endurance sports but not resistance trained (9 in each group)
Mean age vitamin group: 22.7 ± 4.1 years
Mean age placebo group: 22.3 ± 3.6 years
Inclusion/exclusion criteria
Participants were normally actively participating in endurance and sports activities but not resistance training to ensure the whole‐body resistance exercise protocol resulted in detectable muscle soreness and muscle disruption. The participants had not lost or gained weight in the previous year, were not adhering to special diets and were not regular consumers of nutritional supplements including vitamin E. All participants were non‐smokers and not currently taking any medication known to affect any of the dependant variables in the study.
Interventions Intervention
Vitamin E supplementation 992 mg per day (1200 IU)
Number of capsules per day not specified
Placebo
Microcrystalline cellulose
 Duration
31 days
Outcomes PRIMARY
Delayed onset muscle soreness of the shoulders, chest, quadriceps and hamstrings was evaluated using a visual analogue scale (0 to 10 cm) where 0 is "no pain" and 10 is "extreme pain" after performing shoulder abduction, shoulder horizontal adduction and hip flexion (unloaded squat).
Exercise type Whole body resistance exercise training protocol; 3 sets of 10 repetitions of 30% to 60% 1 RM
Sources of funding None
Notes Authors were contacted on 25 May 2016 to request data for delayed onset muscle soreness with no reply.
Risk of bias
Bias Authors' judgement Support for judgement
Random sequence generation (selection bias) Low risk Participants were matched according to physical characteristics and training history and then randomly assigned using a computer program
Allocation concealment (selection bias) Unclear risk No details in the manuscript
Authors were contacted on 25 May 2016 with no reply
Blinding of participants and personnel (performance bias) 
 All outcomes Low risk Double‐blind
Blinding of outcome assessment (detection bias) 
 All outcomes Low risk Double‐blind
Incomplete outcome data (attrition bias) 
 All outcomes Low risk All participants completed the study
Selective reporting (reporting bias) High risk No published protocol available
All outcomes reported at all time points
Adverse effects of antioxidant supplement were not reported
Other bias Low risk Participants were asked to refrain from using anti‐inflammatory medication and other supplements for the duration of the study as well as any form of therapeutic intervention such as massage and ice
Participants who were exposed to any form of resistance training were also excluded