The Combined Effect of Aerobic Activity and Ginger Supplementation on Blood Glucose and Lipid Profile in Overweight Girls

Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate the combined effect of aerobic activity and ginger supplementation on blood glucose and cardiovascular risk factors in overweight girls. Materials and Methods: In this semi-experimental study, 24 overweight female students were randomly divided into two groups; supplement group (n: 12, age: 25.88 (±0.46), Body Mass Index (BMI): 28.53 (±0.43)) and placebo group (n: 12, age: 26.23 (±0.77), BMI: 28.31 (±0.62)). The supplement group consumed 2 grams of ginger powder daily for two weeks before meals. Aerobic activity included two sessions of exhausting eccentric activity (negative slope on treadmill, one session before and one session after two weeks of supplementation). For data analysis, covariance analysis method with repeated measures and dependent T-test were used. Results: The results showed that one session of aerobic activity induced the significant decrease of fasting blood glucose (FBS) in supplement group (P-value: 0.001), placebo (P-value: 0.001), and no significant changes of lipid profile, LDL (P-value: 0.45), HDL (P-value: 0.57), triglyceride (P-value: 0.42), total cholesterol (P-value≥ 0.61) in supplement group. Also, result of between-group comparison showed that compared to placebo group, using ginger supplementation for two weeks after aerobic activity caused the significant reduction in FBS (P-value: 0.001), triglyceride (P-value: 0.001) and total cholesterol (P-value: 0.01) levels in the supplement group. Conclusion: Regarding the effects of physical activity and ginger supplement on FBS and lipid profiles, it is recommended to use ginger supplement along with physical activity to control blood glucose and lipids levels.