Research in Sports Medicine and Technology

Impact of Short-term Curcumin Supplementation on Level of Serum CRP, MDA and TAC in Response to FIFA Interval Physical Fitness Test in Male Football Assistant Referees

Authors

sara zare karizak
zaynab teimouri
Abdosaleh Zar

Persian Gulf University

Abstract
Introduction



High-Intensity exercise is accompanied by inflammation and oxidative stress. This study aimed to investigate the effect of the FIFA test with curcumin supplementation on serum MDA, TAC, and CRP in male football assistant referees.

Method

In this semi-experimental study, 20 football assistant referees (mean age 28.56±3.75 years, height 179±4.21 cm, weight 72.78±7.08 kg) were selected voluntarily then were randomly assigned to the curcumin + FIFA test and the FIFA test groups. The test + supplement group, in addition to FIFA tests, received 5 grams of curcumin daily (2.5gram at morning and 2.5 gram at evening) for five days. Blood sampling was performed in three stages (before supplementation, two and a half day before, immediately after, and 48 hours after the FIFA Interval Physical Fitness Test) and serum levels of variables were measured using the spectrophotometric method. Repeated-measures ANOVA and Bonferoni post hoc tests were performed in SPSS26.



Results

There was significant increase in serum CRP, MDA, and TCA in both groups in the first post-test (P=0.000, P=0.041, P=0.008, P=0.009, P= 0.048, P=0.014). Also, in the second post-test of the test group, the increase in CRP and MDA levels remained significant (P = 0.000, P = 0.022). However, TAC became a non-significant increase (P=0.160), while its increase in the test + supplement group was still significant (P=0.013), and in the test + supplement group, MDA became a non-significant increase compared to the pre-test (P=0.186), while in the test group it still had a significant increase (P=0.022). In addition, there was a significant difference between the groups in CRP and TAC values ​​(P=0.024, P=0.05) and a non-significant difference in MDA levels (P=0.129).



Conclusion

Curcumin modulates some of the inflammatory and oxidative stress indices induced by endurance exercise (the FIFA test).

Keywords

Male Football Assistant Referees
FIFA interval physical fitness test
Curcumin
Malondialdehyde (MDA)
C-reactive protein (CRP)
Total Antioxidant Capacity (TAC)
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Research in Sports Medicine and Technology
Volume 0, Issue 0
November 2019

  • Receive Date 26 July 2026
  • First Publish Date 26 July 2026
  • Publish Date 26 July 2026