The Effect of Rhodiola Rosea on the Nuclear Factor Kappa-B and Tumor Necrosis Factor Alpha Levels after High Intensity Training

Abstract

Objectives. This research aimed to analyze the effect of Rhodiola rosea on the Nuclear Factor Kappa B (NF-kB) and Tumor Necrosis Factor Alpha (TNF-α) levels after high-intensity training. Materials and methods. The research was conducted using an experiment method with a pre-test and post-test group design. It involved 20 healthy males as participants. They were 19 years old on mean and currently enrolled as university students. The participants were purposively selected and divided into two groups. One group was administered a placebo (Age = 19.60 ± 0.69), while the other was assigned to a medication group that received Rhodiola rosea with a 500 mg dosage (Age = 19.30 ± 0.82). The study began by collecting data from the research subjects on the first day. After that, the participants were asked to warm up before doing high-intensity physical training composed of exercises such as walking lunges, good-mornings (also known as weight training exercises), and leg extensions. The training was performed for 4 sets, with a recovery period of 1 minute between the sets. The training intensity was monitored using a Polar H9 Heart Rate Sensor. On the second day (24 hours after the training session), blood samples were collected from all subjects. The data were treated as pre-test data in order to calculate the NF-kB and TNF-α levels. Subsequently, the participants were given a placebo and Rhodiola rosea intervention based on the predetermined groups. On the third day (48 hours after the training session), the subjects’ blood samples were collected again. This time, blood collection was done following the training as post-test data. The next procedure included the blood sample analyzing in the laboratory using the ELISA method. Furthermore, SPSS software was used for the statistical analysis of this research. Results. The findings of the study showed that there was no significant difference in serum NF-kB levels in the placebo group and there was a notable reduction in serum NF-kB levels in the Rhodiola rosea group. Additionally, a substantial decrease in serum TNF-α levels was observed in both groups.  Conclusions. To sum it up, giving Rhodiola rosea a 500 mg/day dosage potentially decreases the NF-kB level. Meanwhile, for the TNF-a, both groups reported a decrease of the serum level. Consequently, further research is recommended to investigate the effect of Rhodiola rosea on other inflammatory markers, including Interleukin-10 (IL-10) and Interleukin-1β (IL-1β), as well as muscle damage biomarkers, such as creatine kinase.v