The Effect of Aloe Vera Extract on Immunologic Stress in Active Girls Following an Exhaustive CrossFit Exercise

Acute exhaustive activities result in the physiological and immunological changes of the human body. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of short-term consumption of Aloe Vera extract on immunoglobulin M, G, A responses and cortisol concentrations in active girls following exhaustive CrossFit exercise.

In this study, 30 healthy young girls (age 23.03 ± 2.33 years, weight 65.55 ± 6.36 kg, BMI 22.99 ± 2.47 kg/m2) were randomly divided into two experimental group (consumption of 300 mg Aloe Vera extract and exhausting activity) and control group (consumption of 300 mg placebo and exhausting activity). After the two-week supplementation, both groups performed CrossFit workout until exhaustion. Blood samples were taken to measure the humoral immune variables in similar conditions in three stages of pre-test, after two weeks of Aloe Vera consumption and after the exhaustive activity. The data were analyzed using independent T-test, repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Bonferroni’s post-hoc test in SPSS software (P-value≤ 0.05).

The results demonstrated that the levels of immunoglobulins A, G, and M (p = 0.001) were significantly increased after two weeks of Aloe Vera consumption, however, the acute exhaustive exercise significantly reduced these factors. On the other hand, cortisol levels increased significantly after one session of acute exhaustive exercise (p = 0.001), which was not significant in the Aloe Vera consumer group (p = 0.621).

It seems that the consumption of Aloe Vera extract for two weeks can moderate the suppressive effects of acute exhaustive exercise on the immune system of active young girls through improving the immune system factors and preventing the increase of cortisol concentration.