Background: This study aimed to investigate the effects of 8-week aerobic training (AT) and saffron supplementation on inflammation and metabolism in middle-aged obese women with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Methods: Thirty-two obese women with T2DM were randomly divided into four groups (n = 8 in all groups): saffron + training (ST), placebo + training (PT), saffron supplementation (SS), and placebo (P). The ST and PT groups performed eight weeks of aerobic training (AT) (three sessions/week at 60–75% HRmax). A daily dose of 400 mg saffron powder was consumed by the ST and SS groups for 8 weeks. Blood samples were taken after 12 h of fasting, 48 h before the first AT session, 48 h and two weeks after the last AT session. Results: AT, saffron supplementation, and their combination affected body mass index (BMI), homeostatic model assessment for insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), and serum levels of insulin, adiponectin, interleukin-6 (IL-6), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), cholesterol, and triglyceride (TG) (p < 0.05). However, body weight, body fat percentage, and serum levels of glucose, resistin, tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), irisin, and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) showed significant changes in the ST group only (p < 0.05). In addition, a significant difference was seen between all factors in post-training and follow-up in the ST group (p < 0.05). Conclusions: Saffron supplementation at a dose of 400 mg/day, when combined with AT, could improve inflammation, metabolism, glycemic status, and lipid profile in T2DM patients, and these changes are sustainable at up to 2 weeks of detraining.

BackgroundEnergy production is a necessary process to continue physical activities, and exercise is associated with more oxygen consumption and increase of oxidative stress. what seems important is the numerical relationship between antioxidant and free radicals. Although the activity of some enzymes increases with physical activities, but it is possible that gene expression of this enzyme is not changed during exercise.ObjectivesThe aim of the present study is to investigate the antioxidant enzymes gene expression and changes in malondialdehyde (MDA) and total antioxidant capacity (TAC) levels in men and women affected by a session of incremental exercise and to carefully and numerically assess the relationship between MDA changes and gene expression and activity of antioxidant enzymes.Materials and Methods12 active men and 12 active women (21 - 24 years old) participated voluntarily in this study. Peripheral blood samples were taken from the subjects in three phases, before and after graduated exercise test (GXT) and 3 hours later (recovery).ResultsThe gene expression of manganese superoxide dismutase (MnSOD) enzyme increased significantly in women in the recovery phase (P < 0.05). Catalase gene expression significantly increased in men in both phases (immediately & recovery) (P < 0.05). But the changes in active women were only significant immediately after the exercise. TAC levels increased significantly in men in the recovery phase and in active women immediately after the exercise (P < 0.05). MDA activity also increased significantly in men in both phases (P < 0.05). However, in women the increase was significant only in the recovery phase (P < 0.05). There was a reverse relationship between changes in MnSOD and copper- and zinc-containing superoxide dismutase (Cu/ZnSOD) levels and MDA in men (P < 0.05). In active women there was also a significant relationship between changes in MDA and gene expression of Cu/ZnSOD and TAC (P < 0.05).ConclusionsThe increase in free radicals during incremental exercises challenges gene expression and activity of antioxidant enzymes. However, despite the negative effects of free radicals, in women, activity and gene expression of antioxidant enzymes respond appropriately to free radicals.

Background: Increasing inflammatory markers of CRP, TNF-α and IL-6 leads to increasing cardiovascular disease. Change in lifestyle represents a successful strategy to prevent cardiovascular disease. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of 12 weeks Pilates training on serum levels of IL-6, CRP and TNF-α in inactive overweight women.Methods: In this quasi-experimental study 28 volunteer overweight women (with average BMI of 27.2, 1.1 ± kg/m 2 ) participated. They were randomly divided into training group (n=14) and control group (n=14). Pilates exercise training was performed during 12 weeks (3 sessions per week, 60 min per session). Blood samples were collected in two stages, 48 hours before and 48 hours after the last exercise after 12-14 hours fasting status. During the 12 weeks, the control group had no exercise training.Results: In within group comparsion, only serum levels of CRP in the training group was significantly decreased (P=0.048) and in between group comparsion there were no significant difference in serum levels of CRP, TNF-α and IL-6 in training group compare to control group (P>0.05).Conclusion: However, from statistical point of view there was no significant difference between the two groups. It can be said that the implementation of Pilates training can have beneficial effects on serum levels of some inflammatory markers in this way reduced CRP in inactive women with overweight. Lowering serum CRP levels is with reducing body fat and improving body composition. So physical activity can be considered as an essential part of the lifestyle of adults.

Exercise can ameliorate cardiovascular dysfunctions in the diabetes condition, but its precise molecular mechanisms have not been entirely understood. The aim of the present study was to determine the impact of endurance training on expression of angiogenesis-related genes in cardiac tissue of diabetic rats. Thirty adults male Wistar rats were randomly divided into three groups (N = 10) including diabetic training (DT), sedentary diabetes (SD), and sedentary healthy (SH), in which diabetes was induced by a single dose of streptozotocin (50 mg/kg). Endurance training (ET) with moderate-intensity was performed on a motorized treadmill for six weeks. Training duration and treadmill speed were increased during five weeks, but they were kept constant at the final week, and slope was zero at all stages. Real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) analysis was used to measure the expression of myocyte enhancer factor-2C (MEF2C), histone deacetylase-4 (HDAC4) and Calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII) in cardiac tissues of the rats. Our results demonstrated that six weeks of ET increased gene expression of MEF2C significantly (p < 0.05), and caused a significant reduction in HDAC4 and CaMKII gene expression in the DT rats compared to the SD rats (p < 0.05). We concluded that moderate-intensity ET could play a critical role in ameliorating cardiovascular dysfunction in a diabetes condition by regulating the expression of some angiogenesis-related genes in cardiac tissues.

Introduction: Experimental evidence suggests positive effects of physical activity on skeletal mass. Biochemical markers determine the response rate of bone metabolism to physical activity. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the effect of Pilates exercise training on serum osteocalcin and parathormone levels in inactive and overweight women. Methods: 28 healthy overweight women participated in this quasi-experimental study. They were randomly divided into two groups: exercise group (n=14) and control group (n=14). Pilates exercise training was performed during 12 weeks (3 sessions per week, 60 min per session). Blood samples of osteocalcin and parathormone were collected in two stages of fasting, 48 hours before and after exercise. The serum levels of osteocalcin and patathormone was measured by the ELISA method. For analyzing within-group data and between-group data paired t-test and ANCOVA test were performed, respectively. Results: Post-test data showed a significant increase in osteocalcin (P=0.017) and parathormone levels (P=0.015) compared to pre-test data. But in between group comparison, only a significant increase in the amount of osteocalcin in exercise training compare to control group was observed (P=0.03). Conclusion: Based on the results, three months of Pilates exercise training program can change some biochemical markers levels of bone metabolism in inactive and overweight women. In this regard, Pilates exercise may reflect some mechanisms involved in the positive effect of physical activity on bone mass.