Ali Rajabi, Ali Akbar Nezhad Gharehlo, Elham Madadizadeh, Aref Basereh, Kimya Khoramipoor, Hossein Pirani, Karen Khoramipour, Othmar Moser, Kayvan Khoramipour
Journal: European journal of sport science 2024;24(7):899-906
PMID: 38874882
Individuals with type 2 diabetes (T2D) face an 80% higher mortality rate due to cardiovascular disease. Given the rising prevalence of T2D and its associated complications, exploring non-pharmacological interventions is crucial. The primary aim was to evaluate whether 12 weeks of aerobic exercise, with or without saffron supplementation, could improve diabetes-specific markers and reduce inflammation in women with T2D. This study was a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Participants were randomly assigned to one of four groups: aerobic exercise with saffron supplementation, aerobic exercise with placebo, saffron supplementation alone, or placebo alone. Results showed that 12 weeks of aerobic exercise, especially when combined with saffron supplementation, significantly improves diabetes-specific markers and reduces inflammation in women with T2D. Authors concluded that their findings suggest that incorporating aerobic exercise and saffron into the management plan for T2D could be beneficial.
This study was conducted to investigate the effects of 12 weeks of aerobic exercise (AT) and saffron supplementation on hemostasis, inflammatory markers, and insulin resistance in obese women diagnosed with type 2 diabetes (T2D). A total of 44 women with T2D (mean age: 54.12 ± 5.63 years, mean BMI: 31.15 ± 1.50 kg/m, HbA1c: 85 ± 4.2 mmol/mol) were included in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study. We were randomly assigned to one of four groups (n = 11 per group): saffron + training (ST), placebo + training (PT), saffron supplement (SS), and placebo (P). The ST and PT groups completed 12 weeks of AT (three sessions per week of mild to moderate intensity). The ST and SS groups were administered a daily dose of 200 mg of saffron powder for 12 weeks. Fasting blood samples were collected 48 h before the first AT session and/or nutritional supplementation and 48 h after the last AT session and/or nutritional supplementation. Post-evaluation, homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance value (HOMA-IR, p < 0.001) and serum levels of glucose (p < 0.001), fibrinogen (FIB, p < 0.001), homocysteine (HCY, p < 0.001), interleukin-6 (IL-6, p < 0.001), and tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα, p < 0.001) showed significant reduction in the ST, PT, and SS groups compared to the P group (p < 0.05). In particular, the ST group showed a more significant reduction in all variables compared to the PT and SS groups (p < 0.05). Our results suggest that a 12-week intervention with AT and saffron supplementation can independently improve markers related to hemostasis, inflammation, and insulin resistance. However, their combination showed the greatest effectiveness on the above markers.
© 2024 The Author(s). European Journal of Sport Science published by Wiley‐VCH GmbH on behalf of European College of Sport Science.
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