The Effect of Strenuous Endurance Training in Combination with Zingiber Supplementation on Serum Interleukin-17 and Skeletal Muscle Total Oxidant in Male Rats

This study aimed to investigate the effect of 8 weeks of strenuous endurance training (ET) with ginger extract supplementation on resting levels of serum interleukin-17 (IL-17) and total antioxidant capacity (TAC) of muscle in male Wistar rats.

Forty rats were divided randomly into five groups: control (n = 8), Sham (n = 8), zingier (n = 8), ET (n = 8), and ET + zingiber (n = 8). The training protocols consisted of ET on a treadmill for 8 weeks (5 days a week). Ginger extract (100 g/kg body weight) was injected subcutaneously in the ginger group and ET + zingiber group for 8 weeks (3 days a week) from the beginning of the second week. Forty-eight hours after the last training session and 4 hours of overnight fasting, blood and tissue samples were collected. The serum concentration of IL-17 was measured using the ELISA method by BT kit, China. TAC concentration of muscle tissue was measured using the colorimetric method with ZELBIO kits, Germany. One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Scheffe’ post hoc tests were used to analyze the data.

This study showed that after 8 weeks, serum levels of IL-17 were significantly higher in the ET groups than in the control group (P < 0.05). Also, serum IL-17 was significantly decreased in the ET + ginger group than the endurance group (P < 0.05). However, there was no significant difference in TAC of muscle tissue in the ET, ginger, and ET + ginger groups than the control group (P < 0.05).

This study demonstrated that 8 weeks of endurance training, combined with ginger supplementation, significantly reduced the inflammatory marker of IL-17. Therefore, ginger supplementation with endurance training seems to have a protective role against oxidative and inflammatory factors.