The potential of kawa leaf coffee in reducing oxidative stress after physical exercise

The aim of this study was to analyze the effect of kawa leaf coffee drinks in reducing oxidative stress after physical exercise. This research is a pre-experiment with a one group pretest-post-test design. A total of 10 pentanque athletes aged between 18-22 years (male; n1=6 and female; n2=4) participated voluntarily. The research procedure includes taking blood samples as pretest and post-test data to analyze levels of Hemoglobin (Hb), Leukocytes, Malondialdehyde (MDA) and Interleukin-6 (IL-6). Participants run 400 m and rested for 10-15 minutes, then were given kawa leaf coffee which had been soaked in boiling hot water for five minutes. The results of the study showed that analysis of the antioxidant activity of kawa leaf coffee drinks that were soaked in boiling water for 5 minutes had the best oxidant activity (6936.58 ppm with 6.93%). This drink has an effective influence on oxidative stress levels, and there is no significant potential as a balancer for Hb, Leukocytes, MDA, and IL-6 (p>0.05). In conclusion, kawa leaf coffee can be used as an alternative drink for athletes and non-athletes to minimize spikes in MDA as a marker of oxidative stress after physical exercise. Keywords: physical exercise, oxidative stress, kawa leaf coffee