RESUMEN
Regular exercise and consuming garlic can independently improve blood pressure and lipid profile. However, combining these lifestyle modifications may be more effective than either intervention alone. We examined the combined effect of garlic supplementation and regular exercise on lipid profile and blood pressure in inactive young men. In this semi-experimental study, 36 young inactive men [20 - 30 years old] were randomly assigned to one of the following interventions: Garlic [G], Training and Garlic [TG], Placebo [P], and Training and Placebo [TP]. Subjects consumed 2 capsules per day which contained 500 mg of garlic powder or placebo. The training groups performed aerobic training including 30 - 45 minutes running at 60 - 75% of maximum heart rate. The exercise training program consisted of running on treadmill 4 times/week. Prior to and after 4 weeks of interventions blood pressure was recorded and blood samples were taken in order to assess lipid profile. Two-way repeated measures analysis and Bonferroni post-hoc test were used to analyze the data. Garlic consumption simultaneous with regular exercise lowered systolic and diastolic blood pressure and there was significant difference between TG and P groups [P > 0.05]. We observed no significant difference among groups in triglyceride, cholesterol, low density lipoprotein [LDL-C] and high density lipoprotein [HDL-C] levels [P > 0.05]. Yet, HDL-C levels significantly increased in TG group compared to pre-test levels [P > 0.05]. We conclude that the combination of regular aerobic exercise and garlic supplementation might be more effective on blood pressure than either intervention alone
RESUMEN
Background and Objectives: regular exercise expands capillary bed in active muscles which is mediated by several angiogenic factors. On the other hand, Ginseng is a herbal supplement that induces angiogenesis. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of circuit resistance training combined with ginseng supplementation on serum Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor [VEGF] and Platelet Derived Growth Factor [PDGF] in inactive females
Material and Methods: in this semi-experimental study Thirty-two healthy and inactive females [20-30years] were randomly divided into four homogenous groups first group received Training and Ginseng supplement [TG], group two received Training and Placebo [TP], group three received only Ginseng and group four only received placebo [P]. The training groups received the circuit resistance training at the 65-75% of maximal intensity, 3 days a week for 6 weeks. Besides resistance training, subjects were given either ginseng [5 mg/kg per day] or placebo. before and 48 hours after interventions body composition was measured and blood samples were taken in order to assess serum levels of VEGF and PDGF. One-way ANOV A and Tukey post hoc test were used to analyze the data
Results: we observed that circuit resistance training with and without ginseng supplementation significantly increased serum levels of VEGF in inactive females [p<0.05] but ginseng supplementation alone had no significant effect on VEGF levels [p>0.05]. Moreover, circuit resistance training by itself also had no significant effect on PDGF levels [p>0.05], but ginseng supplementation alone and in combination with resistance training decreased PDGF levels [p>0.05]
Conclusion: circuit resistance training in a short period of 6 months may increase circulatory levels of antigenic factors such as VEGF but ginseng supplementation had no effect on antigenic factors. Nonetheless, further studies are warranted in this field
RESUMEN
Vaspin is a new discovered adipocytokine which is a member of serine protease inhibitor family secreted from adipose tissue and might play a role in insulin sensitivity. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of acute exercise on serum vaspin levels and its relation to insulin sensitivity in overweight elderly men. In this semi-experimental study, 12 healthy elderly men volunteers randomly selected and performed one session aerobic exercise including 30 minutes of cycling at 70-75% of HRmax, which was followed by 30 minutes of recovery. Three blood samples were taken before exercise, immediately after exercise and after 30 minutes of recovery. Data were analyzed by repeated measure ANOVA and Bonferroni test and Pearson's correlations were performed to identify possible relationship among the assessed variables. Statistical significance was set at p