Document Type : Research Paper I Open Access I Released under (CC BY-NC) license
Authors
Sport Science Department, Human Faculty, Semnan University, Semnan, Iran
Abstract
Introduction: Despite the increasing use of Spirulina among athletes, little information is available about the effects of this supplement in combination with resistance training on various body tissues. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of resistance training and Spirulina on EGF/ERK1/2/TSC2/mTOR in male rat kidneys. Methodology: Thirty-two male Sprague-Dawley rats, 3 months old and with a mean weight of 150±20 g, were randomly divided into four groups: control, resistance training, Spirulina supplementation, and training-supplementation. The supplement groups performed resistance training for 8 weeks, and the supplement groups consumed 200 mg/kg/day of Spirulina dissolved in water. The expression levels of the dependent variables of the study were measured using the PCR method. Results: In compared to the control group, EGF gene expression did not increase significantly in any of the groups. In ERK factor, changes were significant in the Spirulina supplement group and the control group (p=0.03). Changes in TSC2 gene did not have a significant effect in any of the groups compared to the control group. In the mTOR, changes were significant in the Spirulina group (p=0.01), but in resistance training (p=0.16) and the interaction of training and supplementation (p=0.06), despite an increase in gene expression, there were no significant changes. Conclusion: taking Spirulina alone has a more significant effect on the investigated signaling pathway. The use of a training program with different intensities along with different doses of the supplement is recommended to accurately evaluate the effect of resistance training along with this supplement.
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