Background and Aim: Physical activity causes the production of free radicals. In inflammation, mediators are secreted by immune system cells, such as tumor necrosis factor alpha. The aim of the study was to investigate the effect of eight weeks of curcumin extract consumption and aerobic + resistance training on TNF-α and body mass index in inactive obese women

Methods: In this semi-experimental study, 48 obese inactive obese women aged 25-30 years were selected purposively and randomly divided into 4 groups: control, curcumin, Exercise + Placebo, and exercise + curcumin. They performed aerobic exercise with an intensity of 60 to 80% of maximum heart rate and resistance exercise with an intensity of 55 to 75% of one repetition maximum and consumed curcumin for eight weeks (three sessions per week). Blood sampling was performed 24 hours before the first session and 48 hours after the last training session, and serum TNF-α levels were measured by ELISA. Data were analyzed by paired t-test and one-way analysis of variance with a significance level of less than 0.05 in SPSS-25 (p < 0.05).

Results: Based on the test, a significant difference was observed in the levels of TNF-α and body mass index in the exercise and exercise + curcumin groups compared to the pre-test (p = 0.00). The differences between the groups on the serum levels of TNF-α and body mass index were significant among the research groups (p = 0.00).

Conclusion: Eight weeks of curcumin consumption and aerobic + resistance training reduced TNF-α and also reduced body mass index by affecting women's weight. It seems that the combined consumption of curcumin and exercise can have better results on the serum levels of inflammatory factors in obese women.