Background and Objectives Royal jelly is a highly nutritious natural product with high potential as a health-promoting food. The aim of the present study was to determine the effect of oral royal jelly consumption and exercise training for six weeks on total antioxidant capacity (TAC) and serum malondialdehyde (MDA) levels in healthy, active girls.
Subjects and Methods This single-blind, quasi-experimental study randomly assigned 40 active women aged 20-25 years with a body mass index of 18-25 kg/m² to four equal groups (n=10 each): 1) supplement, 2) training + placebo, 3) training + supplement, and 4) placebo. The six-week intervention involved concurrent training (high-intensity interval training and resistance training) three times per week. The supplement group received 1000 mg royal jelly capsules three times daily. Fasting blood samples were collected 24 hours before and 72 hours after the intervention period.
Results Compared to the placebo group, the supplement and training+supplement groups experienced a significant increase in TAC and a significant decrease in MDA (P < 0.01). A significant increase in TAC was found in the supplement group relative to the training + placebo group (P < 0.05). In contrast, MDA levels did not differ significantly across the intervention groups (P > 0.05).
Conclusion Based on the results of the present study, concurrent training and royal jelly have enhancing effects on antioxidant defense and reducing lipid peroxidation in active girls.