Animal model studies involving macaúba oil demonstrate beneficial effects on fat, oxidative stress, and adipogenesis. This study aims to evaluate lipid oxidation and mental stress levels in trained individuals following macaúba oil supplementation combined with outdoor exercise (green exercise) performed in a fasted state. The study will be randomized, double-blind, and placebo-controlled. Participants will receive either 400 mg of macaúba oil or placebo pills over an 8-week period while engaging in 5 km running sessions four times a week. Assessments of anthropometric parameters, body composition (DEXA), biochemical parameters, and heart rate will be conducted before and after the intervention, alongside the administration of a questionnaire regarding emotional well-being and perceived stress. At the end of the intervention, results will be analyzed using Kubios HRV 2.0 and GraphPad Prism (version 5.0) software; the Kolmogorov-Smirnov and Shapiro-Wilk tests will be applied to verify data normality, the Student's t-test for parametric data, and the Kruskal-Wallis and Wilcoxon-Mann-Whitney tests for non-parametric data.
Preclinical studies evaluating the acute and subacute toxicity of macaúba oil showed no adverse effects at dosages of up to 1000 mg/kg. Therefore, the macaúba capsule dosage will be 400 mg/day, based on similar studies previously conducted with other oils where this dosage yielded positive health effects without adverse consequences. The training program will last a total of 8 weeks. Before each running session, analog scales will be used to subjectively assess perceived pain, alongside assessments of Heart Rate Variability (HRV) and alpha asymmetry. HRV will be monitored using the Polar H10 sensor and the Elite HRV app, both connected via Bluetooth. Blood samples will be collected for laboratory analysis using specific enzymatic kits (Wiener Lab.®, Argentina) to measure glucose, glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), LDL cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, VLDL cholesterol, non-HDL cholesterol, total cholesterol, triglycerides, MDA, erythrocyte glutathione peroxidase, erythrocyte glutathione reductase, glutamic-oxaloacetic transaminase, glutamic-pyruvic transaminase, and gamma-GT.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
PREVENTION
Masking
DOUBLE
Enrollment
60
Macauba oil will be encapsulated in the form of a food supplement.
Placebo capsules containing mineral oil.
Participants will perform supervised moderate-intensity exercise outdoors in a green environment during the daytime.
Participants will perform supervised moderate-intensity exercise outdoors in a green environment during the nighttime.
Institute of Agricultural Science - Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais
Montes Claros, Minas Gerais, Brazil
Federal University of Paraíba
João Pessoa, Paraíba, Brazil
Fasting plasma glucose concentration (mg/dL)
Plasma glucose concentration (mg/dL) will be measured using an enzymatic colorimetric assay.
Time frame: Baseline and Week 8
Percentage of glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) (%)
Glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) (%) will be measured in whole blood.
Time frame: Baseline and Week 8
Plasma concentrations of LDL cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, VLDL cholesterol, and total cholesterol (mg/dL)
Plasma low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, very-low-density lipoprotein (VLDL) cholesterol and total cholesterol concentration (mg/dL) will be measured using an enzymatic colorimetric assay.
Time frame: Baseline and Week 8
Plasma triglyceride concentration (mg/dL)
Plasma triglyceride concentration (mg/dL) will be measured using an enzymatic colorimetric assay.
Time frame: Baseline and Week 8
Plasma malondialdehyde (MDA) concentration (nmol/mL)
Plasma malondialdehyde (MDA) concentration (nmol/mL) will be measured as a biomarker of lipid peroxidation.
Time frame: Baseline and Week 8
Erythrocyte glutathione peroxidase activity (U/g Hb)
Erythrocyte glutathione peroxidase activity (U/g Hb) will be measured as a biomarker of antioxidant defense.
Time frame: Baseline and Week 8
Erythrocyte glutathione reductase activity (U/g Hb)
Erythrocyte glutathione reductase activity (U/g Hb) will be measured as a biomarker of antioxidant defense.
Time frame: Baseline and Week 8
Plasma aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), and gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT) activities (U/L)
Aspartate aminotransferase (AST), Alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and Gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT) (U/L) will be measured on plasma as an indicator of liver function.
Time frame: Baseline and Week 8
Body weight (Kg)
Body weight (kg) will be measured using a calibrated digital scale.
Time frame: Baseline and Week 8
Total body fat percentage (%)
Total body fat percentage (%) will be assessed by Dual-Energy X-ray Absorptiometry (DEXA).
Time frame: Baseline and Week 8
Total fat mass (Kg)
Total fat mass (kg) will be assessed by Dual-Energy X-ray Absorptiometry (DEXA).
Time frame: Baseline and Week 8
Lean body mass (kg)
Lean body mass (kg) will be assessed by Dual-Energy X-ray Absorptiometry (DEXA).
Time frame: Baseline and Week 8
Heart rate variability (HRV)
Heart rate variability parameters will be obtained using the Polar H10 heart rate sensor and analyzed with Kubios HRV software.
Time frame: Before each exercise session and Week 8
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