Hamid Reza Sadeghipour

Background: A sedentary lifestyle and poor diet are a global problem in the incidence of cardiovascular diseases and metabolic disorders. Therefore, this study investigated changes in lipid profile levels, including high-density lipoprotein (HDL) and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and changes in C-reactive protein (CRP) levels, after four weeks of balanced aerobic exercise and ginger supplementation in inactive girls. Methodology:In this quasi-experimental study with a pre-test and post-test design, 30 inactive female students living in a dormitory with a mean age of 25.97±3.70 years (height: 162.71±6.57 cm, weight: 68.70±9.91 kg) were divided into two groups of 15: balanced aerobic exercise and balanced aerobic exercise/ginger supplementation. The groups performed three non-consecutive sessions per week for four weeks, and the aerobic exercise/ginger supplement group consumed 250 mg of ginger capsules daily for 4 weeks. Plasma levels of HDL, LDL, and CRP were measured before and after the 4-week intervention. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 24 at a significance level (P = 0.05). The findings showed that 4 weeks of aerobic exercise alone resulted in a decrease in CRP (P < 0.05), while no significant change was observed in HDL levels (P < 0.05) and LDL values (P < 0.05). In addition, the aerobic exercise and ginger supplement group resulted in a decrease in LDL (P < 0.05) and CRP (P < 0.05), while no significant change was observed in HDL levels (P < 0.05). Conclusion: Four weeks of aerobic exercise combined with ginger supplementation can improve lipid profiles and C-reactive protein levels.