Effects of ginger (Zingiber officinale Roscoe) supplementation and resistance training on some blood oxidative stress markers in obese men

Excessive adiposity increases oxidative stress, and thus may play a critical role in the pathogenesis and development of obesity-associated comorbidities, in particular atherosclerosis, diabetes mellitus, and arterial hypertension. Improved body composition, through exercise training and diet, may therefore significantly contribute to a reduction in oxidative stress. Further, some foods high in antioxidants (e.g., ginger) provide additional defense against oxidation. This study was conducted to assess the effects of ginger (Zingiber officinale Roscoe) supplementation and progressive resistance training (PRT) on some nonenzymatic blood [total antioxidant capacity (TAC) and malondialdehyde (MDA)] oxidative stress markers in obese men. Thirty-two obese males (body mass index >= 30, aged 18-30 years) were randomized to one of the following four groups: a placebo (PL; n = 8); resistance training plus placebo (RTPL; n = 8); resistance training plus ginger supplementation (RTGI; n = 8); and ginger supplementation only (GI; n = 8). Participants in the RTGI and GI groups consumed 1 g ginger/day for 10 weeks. At the same time, PRT was undertaken by the RTPL and RTGI groups three times/week. Resting blood samples were collected at baseline and at 10 weeks, and analyzed for plasma nonenzymatic TAC and MDA concentration. After the 10-week intervention, we observed significant training x ginger supplementation x resistance training interaction for TAC (p = 0.043) and significant interactions for training x resistance training and training x ginger supplementation for MDA levels (p <0.05). The results of this study show that 10 weeks of either ginger supplementation or PRT protects against oxidative stress and therefore both of these interventions can be beneficial for obese individuals; however, when combined, the effects cancel each other out. Copyright (C) 2014, The Society of Chinese Scholars on Exercise Physiology and Fitness. Published by Elsevier (Singapore) Pte Ltd. All rights reserved.