Effects of 4-Week Tangeretin Supplementation on Cortisol Stress Response Induced by High-Intensity Resistance Exercise: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Meng Liu; Zheng Zhang; Chunli Qin; Bingqiang Lv; Shiwei Mo; Tao Lan; Binghong Gao

doi:10.3389/fphys.2022.886254

Effects of 4-Week Tangeretin Supplementation on Cortisol Stress Response Induced by High-Intensity Resistance Exercise: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Front Physiol. 2022 May 19:13:886254. doi: 10.3389/fphys.2022.886254. eCollection 2022.

Authors

Meng Liu^{1

2}, Zheng Zhang³, Chunli Qin², Bingqiang Lv², Shiwei Mo⁴, Tao Lan⁵, Binghong Gao¹

Affiliations

¹ College of Physical Education and Training, Shanghai University of Sport, Shanghai, China.
² Chongqing Institute of Sport Science, Chongqing, China.
³ School of Kinesiology, Shanghai University of Sport, Shanghai, China.
⁴ School of Physical Education, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China.
⁵ Sports and Art Department, Hebei Sport University, Shijiazhuang, China.

Abstract

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the effects of 4-week tangeretin supplementation on the cortisol stress response induced by high-intensity resistance exercise. Methods: A randomized controlled trial of twenty-four soccer players was conducted during the winter training season. The experimental group (EG) took the oral supplement with tangeretin (200 mg/day) and the control group (CG) took placebo for 4 weeks. Before and after the 4-week intervention, all players performed a high intensity bout of resistance exercise to stimulate their cortisol stress responses. Serum cortisol, adreno-corticotropic hormone (ACTH) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) were obtained by collecting blood samples before (PRE), immediately after (P0), and 10 (P10), 20 (P20) and 30 minutes (P30) after the exercise. Results: The serum cortisol level (PRE, p = 0.017; P10, p = 0.010; P20, p = 0.014; P30, p = 0.007) and ACTH (P10, p = 0.037; P30, p = 0.049) of experimental group significantly decreased after the 4-week intervention. Compared with control group, EG displayed a significantly lower level of the serum cortisol (PRE, p = 0.036; P10, p = 0.031) and ACTH (P30, p = 0.044). Additionally, EG presented significantly higher superoxide dismutase activity level compared with CG at P30 (p = 0.044). The white blood cell of EG decreased significantly (PRE, p = 0.037; P30, p = 0.046) and was significantly lower than CG at P20 (p = 0.01) and P30 (p = 0.003). Conclusion: Four-week tangeretin supplementation can reduce serum cortisol and ACTH, which may ameliorate the cortisol stress response in soccer players during high-intensity resistance exercise training. It can also enhance antioxidant capacity, accelerate the elimination of inflammation throughout the body, and shorten recovery time after high-intensity exercise.

Keywords: antioxidant capacity; cortisol stress responses; exercise test; resistance exercise; serum cortisol; tangeretin.