Biology of Sport

Abstract

2/2021 vol. 38
Original paper

Moderate walnut consumption improved lipid profile, steroid hormones and inflammation in trained elderly men: a pilot study with a randomized controlled trial

  1. High Institute of Sport and Physical Education, Ksar-Saïd, Manouba University, Tunis, Tunisia
  2. The Research Unit of the assessment of musculoskeletal disorders, Sfax University, Sfax, Tunisia
  3. Laboratoire de Recherche, Bases Moléculaires de la pathologie Humaine, LR19ES13, Faculté de Médecine de Sfax, Tunisie
  4. Laboratoire Interdisciplinaire en Neurosciences, Physiologie et Psychologie: Activité Physique, Santé et Apprentissages (LINP2), UFR STAPS, Université Paris Nanterre, Nanterre, France
  5. Laboratoire d’Electrochimie et Environnement, ENIS, Université de Sfax, Sfax, Tunisie
  6. Research Unit: Physical Activity, Sport, and Health, UR18JS01, National Observatory of Sport, Tunis, Tunisia
  7. ASPETAR, Qatar Orthopaedic and Sports Medicine Hospital, Doha, Qatar
  8. Research Laboratory ‘’Sports performance optimization’’ National Center of Medicine and Science in Sports (CNMSS), Tunis, Tunisia
Biol Sport. 2021;38(2):245–252
Online publish date: 2020/09/08
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The present study aimed to investigate the effect of walnut consumption on lipid profile, steroid hormones and inflammation in trained elderly men performing concurrent (resistance and endurance) training. Twenty healthy elderly males were divided into two matched groups, in a randomized controlled trial, that trained three sessions per week: concurrent training + dietary walnut consumption (15 g/day for six weeks, CTW: n = 10); concurrent training + control diet (CT: n = 10). Fasting blood samples were taken 48 hours before and after intervention for biochemical assessments. levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) increased only in CTW compared to baseline (19.8%, p < 0.01). Total cholesterol (TC), low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and triglyceride (TG) levels significantly decreased only for CTW (i.e., 13%, 18%, and 18.5% at p < 0.01 for all). Testosterone (T) increased after the training compared to pre-training for CTW and CT (10.3%, p < 0.01, 4.27% p < 0.05, respectively), but the increase was significantly higher in CTW (p < 0.05). Serum cortisol (C) was lower for CTW compared to CT (p < 0.01). C-reactive protein (CRP) decreased in CTW in comparison with CT. The present study revealed that 6-week moderate walnut supplementation (15 g/day) improved lipid profile, steroid hormones and systematic inflammation in aged men performing concurrent training. These findings could be attributable to the potential effect of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) contained in walnut (linoleic acid, n-6; linolenic acid, n-3).
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