The effect of eight weeks of aerobic training with curcumin consumption on oxidant-antioxidant markers in rats exposed to cadmium

Keshavarz, Mojtaba; Arabmomeni, Allahyar; Hossein, Seyed Ali; Eftekhari, Elham

Volume 14, Issue 2 (6-2026) jmsthums 2026, 14(2): 48-61 | Back to browse issues page

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Keshavarz M, Arabmomeni A, Hossein S A, Eftekhari E. The effect of eight weeks of aerobic training with curcumin consumption on oxidant-antioxidant markers in rats exposed to cadmium. jmsthums 2026; 14 (2) :48-61
URL: http://jms.thums.ac.ir/article-1-1482-en.html

The effect of eight weeks of aerobic training with curcumin consumption on oxidant-antioxidant markers in rats exposed to cadmium

Mojtaba Keshavarz¹

, Allahyar Arabmomeni ^*²

, Seyed Ali Hossein³

, Elham Eftekhari¹

1- Department of Physical Education, Na. C., Islamic Azad University, Najafabad, Iran
2- Department of Sport Sciences, Kho. C., Islamic Azad University, Khomeinishahr, Iran
3- Department of Sport Physiology, Marv. C., Islamic Azad University, Marvdasht, Iran

Abstract: (27 Views)

Background & Aim: Cadmium (Cd) exposure induces oxidative stress, which can lead to irreversible cellular and tissue damage. However, the combined effects of exercise and antioxidant supplementation on the oxidant–antioxidant system under Cd exposure remain incompletely understood. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the effects of eight weeks of aerobic training (AT) combined with curcumin (Cur) supplementation on oxidant–antioxidant biomarkers in Cd-exposed rats.
Methods: Forty-two Wistar rats were randomly assigned to six groups (n = 7 per group): healthy control (HC), sham, cadmium (Cd), Cd + curcumin (Cd + Cur), Cd + aerobic training (Cd + AT), and Cd + curcumin + aerobic training (Cd + Cur + AT). The Cd-treated groups received cadmium at a dose of 5 mg/kg/day dissolved in drinking water. The supplementation groups received oral curcumin at a dose of 30 mg/kg/day. The aerobic training groups performed treadmill exercise for eight weeks, five sessions per week, with each session lasting 30–60 min at a speed of 15 m/min on a 15° incline.
Results: Significant differences were observed in the levels of SOD, GPx, and MDA among the study groups (P < 0.05). Following the intervention, GPx and MDA levels were significantly higher in the AT, Cur, and AT+Cur groups compared with the Cd group (P = 0.001). Furthermore, SOD levels were significantly higher in the combined AT+Cur group compared with the Cd group (P = 0.001) and the Cur group (P = 0.02). In addition, GPx and MDA levels in the combined AT+Cur group were significantly higher than those in the Cur and AT groups (P = 0.001).
Conclusion: Although aerobic training and curcumin supplementation alone improved selected antioxidant markers and reduced MDA levels, their combination produced greater effects, resulting in higher SOD and GPx levels and lower MDA levels than either intervention alone.

Keywords: Aerobic Training, Curcumin, Oxidant-Antioxidant System, Cadmium

Full-Text [PDF 409 kb] (39 Downloads)

Type of Study: Research | Subject: Special
Received: 2026/02/11 | Accepted: 2026/05/17 | Published: 2026/10/19

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