The effect of Zingiber officinale (ginger) on lactate dehydrogenase and fatigue index in obese women following eccentric and concentric exercise

This study investigated the effects of 4-week Zingiber officinale (ginger) supplementation (1 g/day) on serum lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) dynamics and fatigue perception in obese women (BMI >30 kg/m²; n=50) following acute eccentric and concentric exercise. Participants were stratified by VO₂max and allocated to: ginger+eccentric (G+E), ginger+concentric (G+C), placebo+eccentric (P+E), placebo+concentric (P+C), or control (no intervention). Following supplementation, participants completed treadmill-based eccentric (-10% to -15% incline) or concentric (+10% to +15% incline) protocols to volitional exhaustion. Fasted venous blood samples quantified serum LDH; fatigue was assessed via Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS). ANCOVA with baseline adjustment revealed: Significant LDH elevation post-exercise (η²=0.62, P<0.001), with eccentric > concentric (Δ28.3±6.2 vs. Δ18.5±5.9 U/L; P=0.008). Ginger attenuated LDH vs. placebo (mean reduction: -21.8 U/L, 95% CI: -30.1 to -13.5; P<0.001, η²=0.42), particularly after eccentric exercise (G+E vs. P+E: -24.7 U/L, P=0.002). Non-significant FSS increase overall (η²=0.09, P=0.12), though ginger reduced FSS elevation by 41% vs. placebo (Δ8.7±3.9 vs. Δ14.8±5.2; P=0.07), with strongest attenuation in G+E (-9.3 units; P=0.052). Four-week ginger supplementation significantly mitigates exercise-induced LDH release in obese women, indicating cytoprotective effects against muscular stress. While fatigue modulation was statistically non-significant, clinically relevant attenuation trends suggest potential ergogenic benefits requiring further investigation.