Journal of Sport and Exercise Physiology

Journal of Sport and Exercise Physiology

The effect of eight weeks of concurrent training combined with ginseng supplementation on serum fibroblast growth factor 21 concentration in overweight and obese women

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
Rejne Bahrami 1
Hassan Faraji 2
Mohammad Rahman Rahimi 3
Mahdi Ghahremani Moghaddam 4
1 Sarovabad Education Department, Kurdistan, Iran
2 Department of Physical Education and Sport Sciences, Mari.C. Islamic Azad University, Marivan, Iran
3 Department of Exercise Physiology, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Kurdistan, Sanandaj, Iran
4 Department of Exercise Physiology, School of Sport Sciences, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran
10.48308/joeppa.2025.237132.1299
Abstract
Background and Purpose: The effect of ginseng supplementation and concurrent exercise on fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21) levels is not known. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of ginseng supplementation with concurrent exercise on FGF21 levels in overweight and obese women.
Results: The levels of FGF21 in the supplement group were significantly higher compared to the placebo group in the post-test (F=5.73, p=0.03). FGF21 levels were also significantly higher in the supplement group in the post-test than in the pre-test (F=17.73, p=0.001). The interaction of time and group was also significant (F=10.96, p=0.005). There was no significant difference in glucose levels in the supplement group compared to the placebo group (F=2.19, p=0.16). Glucose levels in the supplement group had a significant decrease compared to the pre-test (F=14.07, p=0.003). The changes in FGF21 and glucose levels in the placebo group were not significant (p>0.05).
Conclusion: A two-month period of 500 mg ginseng supplement daily with concurrent training may be associated with increased FGF21 levels and decreased blood glucose in overweight and obese women.
Keywords
Obesity
Ginseng
Parallel Exercise
Fibroblast Growth Factor 21
Subjects
  1. 1. Kim H, Jung J, Park S, Joo Y, Lee S, Sim J, et al. Exercise-induced fibroblast growth factor-21: A systematic review and meta-analysis. International Journal of Molecular Sciences. 2023;24(8):7284. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms24087284
  2. 2. Liu C, Yan X, Zong Y, He Y, Yang G, Xiao Y, et al. The effects of exercise on FGF21 in adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis. PeerJ. 2024;12:e17615. DOI: 10.7717/peerj.17615
  3. 3. Chen Z, Yang L, Liu Y, Huang P, Song H, Zheng P. The potential function and clinical application of FGF21 in metabolic diseases. Frontiers in pharmacology. 2022;13:1089214. doi: 10.3389/fphar.2022.1089214.
  4. 4. Tezze C, Romanello V, Sandri M. FGF21 as modulator of metabolism in health and disease. Frontiers in physiology. 2019;10:419. https://doi.org/10.3389/fphys.2019.00419
  5. 5. Yang M, Liu C, Jiang N, Liu Y, Luo S, Li C, et al. Fibroblast growth factor 21 in metabolic syndrome. Frontiers in Endocrinology. 2023;14:1220426. https://doi.org/10.3389/fendo.2023.1220426
  6. 6. Arner P, Pettersson A, Mitchell PJ, Dunbar JD, Kharitonenkov A, Rydén M. FGF21 attenuates lipolysis in human adipocytes–a possible link to improved insulin sensitivity. FEBS letters. 2008;582(12):1725-30. doi: 10.1016/j.febslet.2008.04.038. Epub 2008 May 5.
  7. 7. Wang N, Zhao Tt, Li Sm, Sun X, Li Zc, Li Yh, et al. Fibroblast growth factor 21 exerts its anti‐inflammatory effects on multiple cell types of adipose tissue in obesity. Obesity. 2019;27(3):399-408. doi: 10.1002/oby.22376. Epub 2019 Jan 31.
  8. 8. Yu Y, He J, Li S, Song L, Guo X, Yao W, et al. Fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21) inhibits macrophage-mediated inflammation by activating Nrf2 and suppressing the NF-κB signaling pathway. International immunopharmacology. 2016;38:144-52. doi: 10.1016/j.intimp.2016.05.026. Epub 2016 Jun 5.
  9. 9. Yang W, Liu L, Wei Y, Fang C, Zhou F, Chen J, et al. Exercise ameliorates the FGF21–adiponectin axis impairment in diet-induced obese mice. Endocrine connections. 2019;8(5):596-604. doi: 10.1530/EC-19-0034
  10. 10. Geng L, Liao B, Jin L, Huang Z, Triggle CR, Ding H, et al. Exercise alleviates obesity-induced metabolic dysfunction via enhancing FGF21 sensitivity in adipose tissues. Cell reports. 2019;26(10):2738-52. e4. doi: 10.1016/j.celrep.2019.02.014.
  11. 11. Dastah S, Babaei S. Effect of aquatic training on serum Fetuin-A, ANGPTL4 and FGF21 levels in type 2 diabetic obese women. Journal of Applied Health Studies in Sport Physiology. 2021;8(2):51-60. doi: 10.22049/JAHSSP.2021.27436.1390
  12. 12. Jamali R, Arshadi S, Banaeifar A, Azarbayjani MA. Effect of 8 Weeks of Incremental Aerobic Training on Adipsin, FGF21 and ABCA1 in Obese Men. Razi Journal of Medical Sciences. 2023;30(7):1-9. DOI: 10.47176/rjms.30.129
  13. 13. Matsui M, Kosaki K, Tanahashi K, Akazawa N, Osuka Y, Tanaka K, et al. Relationship between physical activity and circulating fibroblast growth factor 21 in middle-aged and older adults. Experimental Gerontology. 2020;141:111081. doi: 10.1016/j.exger.2020.111081. Epub 2020 Sep 7.
  14. 14. Besse-Patin A, Montastier E, Vinel C, Castan-Laurell I, Louche K, Dray C, et al. Effect of endurance training on skeletal muscle myokine expression in obese men: identification of apelin as a novel myokine. International journal of obesity. 2014;38(5):707-13. doi: 10.1038/ijo.2013.158. Epub 2013 Aug 27.
  15. 15. Amiri Farsani P, Ghazalian F, Mobarak S, Radmanesh E, Gholami M. The Effect of Eight Weeks of Selected Resistance Training on the Levels of Irisin, Follistatin and FGF21 in Women Recovering from Covid-19. Journal of Jiroft University of Medical Sciences. 2023;9(4):1129-39. DOI: 10.32592/JSMJ.22.4.526
  16. 16. Fereidoonfar K, Monazzami A, Razimi Z, Rahimi M. Effects of eight-week resistance training on serum level of βKlotho and FGF21 in diabetic women with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. Iranian Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology. 2020;4(1):48-39. URL: http://ijpp.phypha.ir/article-1-438-en.html
  17. 17. Fallah E, Mirzayan SS, Banaifar A, Kazemzadeh Y, Sedaghati S. The Effect of Combined Exercise and Broccoli Supplementation on FGF-21 and Insulin Resistance in Type-2 Diabetes Obese Men. 2022. DOI: 10.22034/ascij.2022.1938916.1294
  18. 18. Ghiyami H, Afroundeh R, Pourvaghar MJP, Sadeghi A. The effect of 8 weeks of combined exercises with supplemental consumption of mulberry leaf extract on the serum levels of fibroblast growth factor 21, glucose and insulin in elderly men with type 2 diabetes. Complementary Medicine Journal. 2023;12(4):1-12. DOI: ‎61186/cmja.12.4.1
  19. 19. Faramarzi M, Bagheri L, Banitalebi E. Effect of sequence order of combined strength and endurance training on new adiposity indices in overweight elderly women. Isokinetics and Exercise Science. 2018;26(2):105-13. DOI: 10.3233/IES-172195
  20. 20. Lu J-M, Yao Q, Chen C. Ginseng compounds: an update on their molecular mechanisms and medical applications. Current vascular pharmacology. 2009;7(3):293-302. doi: 10.2174/157016109788340767
  21. 21. Iqbal R, Jahan N, Hanif A. Epidemiology and Management Cost of Myocardial Infarction in North Punjab, Pakistan. Iranian Red Crescent Medical Journal. 2015;17(7). DOI: https://doi.org/10.5812/ircmj.13776v2
  22. 22. Jung S, Lee M-S, Shin Y, Kim C-T, Kim I-H, Kim Y. High hydrostatic pressure extract of red ginseng attenuates inflammation in rats with high-fat diet induced obesity. Preventive Nutrition and Food Science. 2015;20(4):253. doi: 10.3746/pnf.2015.20.4.253
  23. 23. Chen W, Balan P, Popovich DG. Review of ginseng anti-diabetic studies. Molecules. 2019;24(24):4501. doi: 10.3390/molecules24244501.
  24. 24. Hwang H, Kim J, Lim K. The Effect of a 2-Week Red Ginseng Supplementation on Food Efficiency and Energy Metabolism in Mice. Nutrients. 2020;12(6):1726. doi: 10.3390/nu12061726
  25. 25. Zhang X-Y, Khakisahneh S, Han S-Y, Song E-J, Nam Y-D, Kim H. Ginseng extracts improve circadian clock gene expression and reduce inflammation directly and indirectly through gut microbiota and PI3K signaling pathway. npj Biofilms and Microbiomes. 2024;10(1):24. doi: 10.1038/s41522-024-00498-5.
  26. 26. Delaye J, Lanznaster D, Veyrat-Durebex C, Fontaine A, Bacle G, Lefevre A, et al. Behavioral, hormonal, inflammatory, and metabolic effects associated with FGF21-pathway activation in an ALS mouse model. Neurotherapeutics. 2021;18(1):297-308. doi: 10.1007/s13311-020-00933-3. Epub 2020 Oct 6
  27. 27. Health UDo, Services H. 2018 Physical activity guidelines advisory committee. 2018 Physical activity guidelines advisory committee scientific report. 2018.
  28. 28. Bagheri R, Kargarfard M, Jalali K, Ashtary-Larky D, Cheraghloo N, Ghobadi H, et al. The effects of 12 weeks of concurrent and combined training on inflammatory markers, muscular performance, and body composition in middle-aged overweight and obese males. Nutrients. 2023;15(6):1482. doi: 10.3390/nu15061482.
  29. 29. Vakili J, Amirsasan R, Nourmohammadi O. The effect of four weeks HIIT training with ginseng supplementation on aerobic, anaerobic powers and body composition of Overweight and obese females. Journal of Sport and Exercise Physiology. 2019;12(2):45-54. doi: 52547/JOEPPA.12.2.45
  30. 30. Hill CM, Albarado DC, Coco LG, Spann RA, Khan MS, Qualls-Creekmore E, et FGF21 is required for protein restriction to extend lifespan and improve metabolic health in male mice. Nature communications. 2022;13(1):1897. doi: 10.1038/s41467-022-29499-8.
  31. 31. Motahari Rad M, Bijeh N, Attarzadeh Hosseini SR, Raouf Saeb A. The effect of two concurrent exercise modalities on serum concentrations of FGF21, irisin, follistatin, and myostatin in men with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Archives of Physiology and Biochemistry. 2023;129(2):424-33. doi: 10.1080/13813455.2020.1829649. Epub 2020 Oct 12.
  32. 32. Pérez-López A, Gonzalo-Encabo P, Pérez-Köhler B, García-Honduvilla N, Valadés D. Circulating myokines IL-6, IL-15 and FGF21 response to training is altered by exercise type but not by menopause in women with obesity. European Journal of Sport Science. 2022;22(9):1426-35. doi: 10.1080/17461391.2021.1939430. Epub 2021 Jul 5.
  33. 33. Rockl KS, Hirshman MF, Brandauer J, Fujii N, Witters LA, Goodyear LJ. Skeletal muscle adaptation to exercise training: AMP-activated protein kinase mediates muscle fiber type shift. Diabetes. 2007;56(8):2062-9. doi: 10.2337/db07-0255. Epub 2007 May 18.
  34. 34. Saltiel AR, Kahn CR. Insulin signalling and the regulation of glucose and lipid metabolism. Nature. 2001;414(6865):799-806. doi: 10.1038/414799a.
  35. 35. Lin W, Zhang T, Zhou Y, Zheng J, Lin Z. Advances in biological functions and clinical studies of FGF21. Diabetes, Metabolic Syndrome and Obesity. 2021:3281-90. doi: 10.2147/DMSO.S317096.
  36. 36. Park S-J, Park M, Sharma A, Kim K, Lee H-J. Black ginseng and ginsenoside Rb1 promote browning by inducing UCP1 expression in 3T3-L1 and primary white adipocytes. Nutrients. 2019;11(11):2747. doi: 10.3390/nu11112747.
  37. 37. Im D-S. Pro-resolving effect of ginsenosides as an anti-inflammatory mechanism of Panax ginseng. Biomolecules. 2020;10(3):444. doi: 10.3390/biom10030444.
  38. 38. Inagaki T. Research perspectives on the regulation and physiological functions of FGF21 and its association with NAFLD. Frontiers in endocrinology. 2015;6:147. https://doi.org/10.3389/fendo.2015.00147
  39. 39. Shishtar E, Sievenpiper JL, Djedovic V, Cozma AI, Ha V, Jayalath VH, et al. The effect of ginseng (the genus panax) on glycemic control: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled clinical trials. PloS one. 2014;9(9):e107391. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0107391.
  40. 40. Carella AM, Marinelli T, Melfitano A, Di Pumpo M, Conte M, Benvenuto A. Hypoglycemia by ginseng in type 2 diabetic patient: case report. New Insights in Obesity: Genetics and Beyond. 2017;1(1):001-6. DOI: 10.29328/journal.hodms.1001001
  41. 41. Li K, Li L, Yang M, Liu H, Boden G, Yang G. The effects of fibroblast growth factor-21 knockdown and over-expression on its signaling pathway and glucose–lipid metabolism in vitro. Molecular and cellular endocrinology. 2012;348(1):21-6. doi: 10.1016/j.mce.2011.07.026. Epub 2011 Jul 27.
  42. 42. Maheri S, Atashak S, Roshdi Bonab R. Comparison of the effect of endurance and strength concurrent training order on the level of the lipocalien-2 and insulin resistance in inactive obese women. Journal of Practical Studies of Biosciences in Sport. 2022;10(22):74-85. DOI: https://doi.org/10.22077/jpsbs.2021.4005.1611
  43. 43. Pinheiro BN, Júnior LS, Uchoa PA, Almeida SB, Barroso FD, Cavalcante JF, et al. Does the exercise order affect body composition in ten weeks of concurrent training? Motricidade. 2019;15(2-3):32-9. DOI: https://doi.org/10.6063/motricidade.19471
  44. 44. Bagheri R, Moghadam BH, Church DD, Tinsley GM, Eskandari M, Moghadam BH, et al. The effects of concurrent training order on body composition and serum concentrations of follistatin, myostatin and GDF11 in sarcopenic elderly men. Experimental gerontology. 2020;133:110869. doi: 10.1016/j.exger.2020.110869. Epub 2020 Feb 5.
  45. 45. Alves AR, Marta CC, Neiva HP, Izquierdo M, Marques MC. Effects of order and sequence of resistance and endurance training on body fat in elementary school-aged girls. Biology of Sport. 2017;34(4):379-84. doi: 10.5114/biolsport.2017.69826. Epub 2017 Sep 20.

  • Receive Date 07 October 2024
  • Revise Date 11 January 2025
  • Accept Date 30 January 2025
  • First Publish Date 31 January 2025
  • Publish Date 22 June 2025