The Effects of Thyme Tea Supplement on Free Radicals Formation and Antioxidant System of Elite Wrestlers

The intensive acute exercises results in too much oxygen consumption and hence produce excessive free radicals and damage of tissues. This study was conducted to investigate the effects of thyme tea on free radical formation and antioxidant system. Eighteen elite volunteer wrestlers joined the study. The wrestlers were randomly divided into two groups to from experiment and control groups. The subjects wrested five times during the study period according to F.I.L.A rules. The measurement are performed before and after the thyme tea loading. Study groups drunk thyme tea three times a day in 35 day period before loading after first measurement. The subjects participated in the study pre-contest (Comp. Before), immediately after the competition (Comp. After), 24 hours after the competition (Comp. after 24 h), 48 hours after the competition (Comp. After 48 h), blood samples were collected from forearm vein by 5cc total of 2 tubes. Tubes, centrifuge immediately after serums and transferred to tubes Eppendorf Total of Antioxidant Capacity (TAC), Malondialdehyde (MDA) and total sulfhydryl group (RSH) stored at the 75 C until o determination of analysis. The results showed that no difference was noted between the values of the groups before the thyme loading process, a meaningful increase (p<0.05) was determined in the level of TAC, after thyme loading, for the experimental group when it was compared to the pre-loading levels. Therefore, the decrease observed in the level of MDA after thyme loading process was meaningful statistically (p<0.01). The numerical decrease observed in the experimental group, meanwhile, in the levels of RSH wasn’t meaningful (p>0.05). Whereas significant differences were found in the levels of MDA and TAC, after thyme loading, for the experimental group when compared to the control group (p<0.05), no meaningful difference was observed for the level of RSH. it is determined in the study that wrestling competition causes significant oxidant stress in wrestlers and increase total antioxidant capacity. However, it is detected that it makes nonenzymatic antioxidant capacity fall.