Tomato powder is more effective than lycopene to alleviate exercise-induced lipid peroxidation in well-trained male athletes: randomized, double-blinded cross-over study

Abstract

Background

Consumption of nutritional supplements to optimize recovery is gaining popularity among athletes. Tomatoes contain micronutrients and various bioactive components with antioxidant properties. Many of the health benefits of tomatoes have been attributed to lycopene encouraging athletes to consume pure lycopene supplements. The aim of this study was to compare the effect of tomato powder and lycopene supplement on lipid peroxidation induced by exhaustive exercise in well-trained male athletes.

Methods

Eleven well-trained male athletes participated in a randomized, double-blinded, crossover study. Each subject underwent three exhaustive exercise tests after 1-week supplementation of tomato powder (each serving contained 30 mg lycopene, 5.38 mg beta-carotene, 22.32 mg phytoene, 9.84 mg phytofluene), manufactured lycopene supplement (30 mg lycopene), or placebo. Three blood samples (baseline, post-ingestion and post-exercise) were collected to assess total anti-oxidant capacity (TAC) and variables of lipid peroxidation including malondialdehyde (MDA) and 8-isoprostane. Data were analyzed using repeated-measures of ANOVA at P < 0.05.

Results

Tomato powder enhanced total antioxidant capacity (12% increase, P = 0.04). Exhaustive exercise, regardless of supplement/ placebo, elevated MDA and 8-isoprostane levels (P < 0.001). The elevation of 8–isoprostane following exhaustive exercise was lower in the tomato powder treatment compared to the placebo (9% versus 24%, p = 0.01). Furthermore, following exhaustive exercise MDA elevated to a lower extent in tomatoe powder treatment compared to the placebo (20% versus 51%, p = 0.009). However, such differences were not indicated between lycopene and placebo treatments (p > 0.05).

Conclusion

Beneficial effects of tomato powder on antioxidant capacity and exercise-induced lipid peroxidation may be brought about by a synergistic interaction of lycopene with other bioactive nutrients rather than single lycopene.

Keywords:

• Tomatoes
• Lipid peroxidation
• Antioxidants
• Malondialdehyde
• Isoprostanes
• Oxidative stress

Acknowledgments

We would like to thank all the participants who participated in the present study. The authors are also grateful to Dr. Riyazi, Ph.D. of the analytical chemistry and the supervisor of the sample analysis laboratory of Shahrood Azad University of Medical Sciences.

Authors’ contributions

The study was conceptualized and designed by FG and KHCH; data were collected by KHCH, FA and LR; data were interpreted by FG, KHCH, FA and LR, and manuscript preparation was undertaken by FG, JA, and CE. The final version of the manuscript was approved by all authors.

Funding

The study was funded by Research Department of Shahrood University of Technology.

Availability of data and materials

The datasets used and/or analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

Ethics approval and consent to participate

The study was conducted according to the principles of the Declaration of Helsinki. The study procedure described herein was approved by the Human research ethics Committee of The Sport Sciences Research Institute of Iran.

Consent for publication

Not applicable.

Competing interests

The authors have no conflict of interest to declare.

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Notes

1 Reactive oxygen species

2 Malondialdehyde

3 Low-density lipoprotein