The Effect of 8-Week Circuit resistance training and Spirulina Supplementation on Plasma Levels of Irisin and Some Body composition in Overweight and Obese Men

Background and Aim: One of the appropriate ways to control overweight and obesity is regular training and the benefit of antioxidant supplements. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of eight weeks of resistance training and spirulina supplementation on plasma levels of Irisin and some body composition indices in overweight and obese men.   Materials and Methods: This quasi-experimental study was a double blind clinical trial. 60 overweight and obese men (BMI>25) aged 30-55 years were purposefully selected and randomly divided into four groups training + Spirulina, training + placebo, spirulina, and placebo. The intervention and placebo groups consumed two 500-mg capsules of spirulina and placebo for 8 weeks, respectively. Resistance training was performed for 8 weeks, three sessions a week, and 12 movements with 1,2,3,4 min rest intervals with 40,60,75,90% maximal repetition with the principle of overload. Body composition indices, body weight, BMI, and WHR were measured before and after training using a combination gauge. Subjects were fasted for 12 hours in two stages (pre- and post-test) of 10 ml blood from left bra vein. The data were analyzed using Shapiro-Wilk tests, one-way ANOVA, LSD and t-test at α <0.05.   Results: The results showed that there was a significant difference between the plasma levels of Irisin in the intervention group and also in the Spirulina + training + placebo groups (p<0.05), but body weight, BMI and WHR showed a significant decrease only in the in-group study in  the Spirulina + training + Placebo and Spirulina groups (p<0.05).   Conclusion: It seems that eight weeks of resistance training with spirulina supplementation - the richest antioxidant and anti-inflammatory herbal supplement - can improve body composition and abnormalities by increasing plasma levels of Irisin and decreasing body weight, BMI and WHR Linked to obesity.