Effect of Eight Weeks of Resistance Training with Spirulina Platensis Ingestion on the Heart Weight and Cardiac C/EBPβ Expression in Male Rats

Abstract

Background: Resistance training and Spirulina consumption could change the expression of the gene involved in hypertrophy. Objectives: The study investigated the effect of eight weeks of resistance training with Spirulina platensis ingestion on the heart weight and cardiac CCAAT-enhancer-binding proteins beta (C/EBPβ) expression in male rats. Methods: We divided 32 male Sprague Dally rats into four groups: control (CO; n = 8), Spirulina platensis (SP; n = 8), resistance training (RE; n = 8), and Spirulina plus resistance training (SP + RE; n = 8). The resistance training group practiced five sessions a week for eight weeks. Spirulina 200 mg/kg/day was used in the supplement group and the exercise plus Spirulina platensis group. Twenty-four hours after the last training session, the gene expression was measured using real-time PCR. Results: The results showed that resistance training significantly increased heart weight (P = 0.001) and left ventricular weight (P = 0.001) but significantly decreased CEBP (P = 0.001). Spirulina insignificantly increased heart weight (P = 0.46), significantly increased left ventricular weight (P = 0.001), and significantly decreased CEBP (P = 0.02). On the other hand, resistance training plus Spirulina significantly increased heart weight (P = 0.001) and left ventricular weight (P = 0.001) but had no significant effect on C/EBPβ reduction (P = 0.10). Conclusions: A combination of resistance training and Spirulina supplementation cannot have a significant effect on the important signaling factor in heart hypertrophy.