THE PROTECTIVE EFFECTS OF PISTACHIO NUT (PISTACIA VERA L.) ON THIOL/DISULFIDE HOME- OSTASIS IN YOUNG SOCCER PLAYERS UNDERGOING A STRENUOUS EXERCISE TRAINING PRO- GRAM

Hakim Celik1, Mehmet Kucuk1, Yakup Aktas2, Mustafa Zerin1, Ozcan Erel3, Salim Neselioglu3, Davut Sinan

Kaplan4

1Harran University, Medical Faculty, Department of Physiology, Sanliurfa, Turkey - 2Harran University, School of Physical Education and Sports, Sanliurfa, Turkey - 3Yildirim Beyazit University, Medical Faculty, Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Ankara, Turkey - 4Gaziantep University, Medical Faculty, Department of Physiology, Gaziantep, Turkey

 Introduction: The exercised skeletal muscle may induce oxidative stress (OS) leading to contractile dysfunction, fatigue and weakness during a strenuous exercise training. Pistachio nut, a rich source of potent antioxidants, can prevent OS by reducing reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and by strengthening the antioxidant defense system. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the thiol/ disulfide homeostasis (TDH) parameters, a potent indicator of OS, to evaluate both the harmful effects of the strenuous soccer training program (STP) and the protective effects of pistachio nut against OS caused by a strenuous STP.

Materials and methods: Forty male soccer players from two professional soccer teams and twenty-one healthy control male sub- jects of a similar age and body mass index who were not interested in any sports were enrolled in this study. Immediately after a three month resting period, the forty soccer players were randomly divided into a soccer player group (SPG) and an experimental group (EG). The players in the SPG underwent a twenty-one day strenuous STP only, and those in the EG underwent the same twenty-one day STP and received raw pistachio nut kernels (25 g/day) as a dietary supplement. A baseline venous blood sample was obtained from all participants, and a subsequent venous blood sample was obtained after the STP in only the STG and EG. Serum TDH parameters were measured using an automated technique.

Results: No significant difference was observed in TDH parameters among SPG, EG, and control group before STP. Although TDH impaired significantly over time in the SPG (at baseline and after the twenty-one day STP), no significant alterations in the TDH parameters were observed over time in the EG.

Conclusions: The results indicate that a strenuous STP may induce OS and that dietary supplementation with pistachio nuts may prevent this OS-associated damage in young soccer players.