The effect of eight weeks of progressive resistance training with garlic supplementation on serum levels of C-reactive protein and insulin resistance in overweight women

Resistance exercise can reduce inflammation. On the other hand, garlic supplementation may have beneficial effects in combination with resistance training due to its wide-ranging effects, including its effect on inflammation. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the effect of eight weeks’ progressive resistance training with garlic supplementation on serum hs-Crp levels and insulin resistance in overweight young women.

Forty-eight healthy age range: 20 to 40 years, randomly divided into four groups: resistance training + supplement (age=31.3 ± 3.1y, BMI=28.2 ± 2.7kg/m2), resistance training + placebo (age=30.7 ± 3.8y, BMI=26.4 ± 2.4 kg/m2), Garlic supplement (age=27.9 ± 2.5y, BMI=26.7 ± 3.9 kg/m2) and control (age=29.7 ± 3.8y, BMI=28.8 ± 3.3 kg/m2). Before and after eight weeks of training period, anthropometric data, one repetition maximum (1-RM), C-reactive protein (CRP), insulin and glucose were measured and insulin resistance (IR) was calculated. The subjects of the training group performed a progressive resistance training program for eight weeks, three sessions per week, including three sets with 10 repetitions maximum and one minute rest between sets and movements. Subjects in the supplement and placebo groups took two 500mg tablets of garlic or placebo daily in the morning and at night with a meal. Changes in the results before and after the in four research groups were examined using one-way analysis of variance. If statistical analysis were significant, the Bonferoni posthoc test was used for finding the place of differences.

Significant decrease in serum CRP levels, insulin resistance and glucose was observed in the training + supplement group compared to other groups (P < 0.05). In contrast, insulin levels did not show significant changes in all groups (P > 0.05). Regarding body composition analysis, the results were accompanied by a significant decrease in fat mass and a significant increase in lean body mass, especially in the training + garlic group (P < 0.05).

Although hs-CRP data and insulin resistance index of the present subjects were in the normal range and seemed safe, but in general, according to the results of the present study, it seems that the progressive resistance training program with garlic supplementation had double effects on CRP as important inflammatory index and insulin resistance in overweight women compared to either alone.