Antioxidant and G-6-PD level: A differential means of stress management in professional female load bearers in Bengal suburbs

Abstract

Load bearing often produces oxidative stress, increasing post exercise “Malon-Di- Aldehyde” (MDA) levels. An attempt has been made to correlate the antioxidant vitamin mixture supplementation, endurance capacity, allied physiological parameters and blood glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G-6-PD) level as a crucial marker of performance related oxidative stress management in professional female load bearers. Three experimental groups A, B and placebo, each consisting of ten female workers (18-21 years), were chosen. Group A was given 400 mg of vitamin E supplementation daily, while Group B was given a clinical mixture of vitamin E, vitamin C and b- carotene daily in capsular form for a period of 28 days. The exercise- induced hike in the status of serum MDA, was found to rise less significantly with vitamin supplementation. Further study showed that the supplementation was instrumental in reducing the basal MDA level. Endurance capacity, determined by bicycle ergometric method, was increased more significantly (p<.001) in group B than group A (p<.01), and first minute recovery heart rate decreased significantly (p<.05) in both groups. G-6- PD level was shown to increase more significantly (p<.01) with antioxidant vitamin mixture supplementation than with vitamin E supplementation singly (p<.05) in professional female load bearers.

Keywords: Antioxidant, G-6-PD, stress, female load-bearers.