Abdosaleh Zar

Introduction High-intensity exercises are associated with muscle injuries and(DOMS) in some athletes. This study aimed to determine the effect of taking 8 weeks of ginger supplementations on serum creatine kinase (CK) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) levels in response to exhaustive exercise in female taekwondo athletes. Methods In this semi-experimental study,24 female taekwondo athletes (mean age 19.75±2.03 years, height 160±6 cm, weight 53.99±7.49 kg) were selected voluntarily. Subjects were randomly assigned to the ginger supplement + exhaustive (GE+EE) and exhaustive exercise (EE) groups. 24 doses of 2000 mg of ginger supplement (3 days/week for 8 weeks) were taken in the morning and evening (4 capsules of 500 mg: 2 in the morning and 2 in the evening). Then Bruce's test was performed as an exhaustive exercise. Blood samples were collected in two stages before and after the intervention, and serum levels of CK and LDH were measured using the ELISA method. The t-test and repeated-measures ANOVA were used to analyze intra-group changes and compare between groups from pre-test to post-test using SPSSS software. Results The results showed a significant increase in the level of serum CK (P=0.003) and LDH (P=0.001) in the EE group. While there was a significant decrease in the level of serum CK (P = 0.05) and LDH (P<0.001) in the group of GE+EE. In addition, there was a significant difference between the group of GE+EE and the EE. (P<0.001). Conclusion Taking 8 weeks of ginger supplementation compared to not taking ginger supplementation can effectively reduce muscle injury following exhaustive exercise in female taekwondo athletes.