The Effect of Spirulina Supplementation and Combined Aerobic-Strength Training on Serum Homocysteine of Sedentary Females

Abstract

Background: The increasing rate of mortality due to cardiovascular disease has been reported in people with low physical activity worldwide. Objectives: The purpose of the present study was to investigate the effect of spirulina supplementation and combined aerobic-strength training on serum homocysteine of inactive females. Methods: It was a semi experimental study with pre and post-test design. The subjects consisted of 37 sedentary women who participated voluntarily in the study and were randomly divided into supplement; training and supplement+training groups. Measuring the study variables including serum homocysteine and anthropometry variables were done in pre-test and posttest phases. The data were analyzed using paired t test and ANOVA. Results: The results suggested that spirulina supplementation and combined aerobic-strength training had a positive influence on serum homocysteine levels in sedentary women (P = 0.003, P = 0.04 respectively) with a greater influence by the combined effect of exercise and supplement (P = 0.001). Conclusions: The results indicate that homocysteine as an independent cardiovascular disease risk factor in sedentary women can be modified by spirulina and combined strength and aerobic exercise.