Comparing the Effects of Curcumin Supplementation and that of L-Carnitine Supplementation on Superoxide Dismutase, Glutathione Peroxidase, Catalase and Glutathione Reductase after Acute Exercise

Antioxidant enzymes protect cells against reactive oxygen species. This study investigated the effects of Curcumin and L-Carnitine supplementation on antioxidant enzymes in the body of basketball players after an acute bout of exercise. 30 female basketball players participated in this quasi-experimental study. After obtaining written consents, the participants were randomly assigned to two supplementation groups. Curcumin and L-Carnitine were orally administered as 3 single doses. After 14 days of supplementation, both groups participated in one acute basketball training session. The blood samples were collected in the basal state, after supplementation and after training exercise. The differences between the two groups were investigated through repeated measures analysis of variance and Bonferroni post-hoc test. Antioxidant enzymes increased in the two groups: L-Carnitine (LC) group: mean glutathione peroxidase: 43.89±1.13 U/gr Hb, superoxide dismutase: 1189.76±249.18 U/gr Hb, catalase: 287.78±56 k/gr Hb, glutathione reductase: 18.59±2.34 U/gr Hb; and Curcumin (C) group: mean glutathione peroxidase: 39.34±1.24 U/gr Hb, superoxide dismutase: 1199.45±421.12 U/gr Hb, catalase: 287.67±65 k/gr Hb, glutathione reductase: 15.81±2.25 U/gr Hb. The changes in glutathione peroxidase (LC: P=0.001; C: P=0.007), superoxide dismutase (LC: P=0.003; C: P=0.005) and catalase (LC: P=0.05; C: P=0.07) were significant. However, Bonferroni test did not confirm this result about catalase. Glutathione reductase did not change significantly. Both L-Carnitine and Curcumin supplementation may increase the activity of antioxidant enzymes and decrease undesirable exercise-induced oxidative damage.