Lipid-Lowering Effects of Concurrent Training and Green Tea Consumption in Overweight Women

BACKGROUND: Exercise conducted simultaneously with the consumption of herbal supplements is one of the suggested methods for controlling obesity and its complications. The present study sought to investigate the lipid-lowering effects of concurrent training and green tea (GT) consumption in overweight women. METHODS: In this quasi-experimental study, 40 overweight women were selected and stratified into four groups: control (C), GT, concurrent training+placebo (TP), and concurrent training+GT (three tablets containing 500 mg of GT per week; T+GT) groups. Both the TP and T+GT groups performed exercise three sessions per week for 8 weeks. Fasting blood samples were collected before and 48 hours after the last training session. RESULTS: Low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels in the T+GT (P=0.03) and TP (P=0.001) groups were significantly decreased relative to in the GT group and were significantly decreased in the T+GT group relative to in the TP group (P=0.001). Meanwhile, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels in the T+GT group were significantly increased as compared with in the GT (P=0.01), TP (P=0.03), and C (P=0.04) groups. Finally, total cholesterol levels in the T+GT group were decreased significantly as compared with in the TP, GT, and C groups (P=0.001) and triglyceride levels in the T+GT, TP, and GT groups were significantly increased as compared with in the C group (P=0.001). CONCLUSION: Exercise performed simultaneously with GT consumption in comparison with either alone has a greater effect on improving the lipid profile in overweight women.