The effect of Water Based Exercise and Ginger Supplements on Myocardium and Systemic Stress in Obese Women with Breast Cancer

Stress and inflammation are among the most prevalent and disturbing side effects of chemotherapy and anticancer drugs. Therefore, there is a need for additional nondrug agents that could effectively reduce chemotherapy-induced side effects. Ginger are reported to possess antioxidant and anti-inflammatory, anticancer activities. The aim of this study was to determine the individual and concomitant effect of 6-wks water-based exercise and oral ginger supplement on markers related to cardiac stress and systemic stress in obese women with breast cancer. Forty women diagnosed with breast cancer (48±5.4 years, 76±9 kg, fat mass 41.8±4%), that were in the 3 stage of disease and during the study, were only under special medication called tamoxifen. Subjects were randomly assigned into four groups; placebo, exercise training, ginger supplement and exercise training+ ginger supplement groups. Subjects in the ginger supplement group and the exercise training+ ginger supplement group orally daily received 3000 mg ginger powder for 6 weeks. The water-based exercise training program were collected at a ranged from 50% to 75% of heart rate reserve, in a pool. Systolic and diastolic blood pressures at rest was measured using a pressure gauge, and heart rate was measured by polar heart rate monitor. The double product was made by systolic pressure and heart rate. Malondialdehyde levels also were measured by ELISA. Data using one-way ANOVA at an alpha level of 5% was considered. Although, the ginger supplementation and or the water-base exercise resulted in a reduction of rest heart rate, systolic blood pressure, rest rate pressure product or double product (DP), malondialdehyde (MDA) and an increase in maximal heart rate and exhaustive time, in comparison to pretest, the water-base exercise and ginger supplement group showed significantly larger positive effect in all the outcomes, compared to the water-base exercise or ginger supplement alone groups and the age-matched placebo group. These results suggest the nondrug strategies such as waterbase exercise and ginger supplementation may play an important role in improve quality of life by reducing cellular inflammation and stress in obese women diagnosed with breast cancer.