Effect of Different Recovery Methods on Oxidative Stress and Hematological Indicators in Female Runners

Abstract

Background and Objectives Exercise can increase oxidative and metabolic stress. The aim of this research was to investigate the effect of different recovery methods after an acute training session on aspartate aminotransferase activity, oxidative stress, and some hematological indices of female runners. Subjects and Methods In the present quasi-experimental study, 30 semi-professional female runners were selected as the research sample and randomly divided into three groups (n=10): active running recovery, passive recovery, and sports massage. After two weeks, the same training protocol was performed for athletes and also after a week of rest, fasting blood sampling was performed. Blood sampling was performed in three stages: 1- fasting, 2- after 1500 meters competition, and 3- immediately after different stages of recovery. The one-way analysis of variance was used for statistical analysis. Results The results showed that in the massage group, the change in hematocrit, white blood cells, and hemoglobin was more than in the active and inactive recovery group (P<0.05), while in the active recovery group, the level of malondialdehyde decreased more than the massage and inactive recovery groups (P<0.05). There was no significant difference between the three recovery methods on changes in iron, red blood cells, aspartate aminotransferase, and total antioxidant capacity (P<0.05). Conclusion According to the results, it can be said that active recovery can prevent damage caused by oxidative stress by increasing blood flow.