Effects of eight-weeks of circuit resistance training with Thyme supplementation on serum FGF-21 in overweight menopausal women

Although menopause is effective in weight gain, however, exercise training and herbal supplementation minimizes the damage caused by excessive weight. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of circuit resistance training with Thyme supplementation on serum levels of FGF-21 in postmenopausal overweight women. 48 subjects, age: 45-55 years, were randomly divided into four groups (n=12 in each group) including on control, thyme supplementation, resistance training+ placebo and resistance training + thyme supplementation groups. The resistance training protocol was performed for 8 weeks, three days / week at 35% of 1RM. Blood samples were taken from the venous vein 48 hours before the exercise protocol and after the last training session. FGF-21 was measured using ELISA method. Data were analyzed using t-test and ANOVA (p≤0.05). Only resistance training increased FGF-21 serum levels in resistance training and resistance training + thyme groups (p = 0.003). It seems that thyme supplementation, along with resistance training, can increase serum FGF-21 levels, which is an effective way to decrease obesity and prevent its related complications in overweight menopausal women.