Journal of Exercise & Organ Cross Talk

Abstract The present study aimed to compare the effects of three weeks black seed oil massage on serum concentrations of IL-6, IL-10, CRP, and CPK in elite male taekwondo athletes. Fifteen elite male taekwondo athletes participated in this quasi experimental study. Three intervention groups were included: massage, black seed oil, and massage combined with black seed oil. No true control group (receiving neither intervention) was included, which represents a major limitation of the study design. All interventions were administered once weekly for three consecutive weeks. Participants in the massage group received a 30 45 min Swedish massage; the black seed oil group underwent topical application of 5 10 mL of black seed oil; and in the combined intervention group, Swedish massage was performed using black seed oil as the massage medium. Statistical analysis demonstrated a significant main effect of time for both IL-6 and IL-10(p≤0.001). A significant group×time interaction was observed for these two inflammatory markers(p≤0.007), although the overall between-group main effect was not statistically significant. Bonferroni revealed that at the first week post-test, serum IL-6 and IL-10 levels were significantly higher in the black seed oil group than in the massage plus black seed oil group (p≤0.05). Furthermore, within-group analyses showed that IL-6 and IL-10 levels significantly increased from baseline to all subsequent post-intervention measurements in all three groups (p≤0.05). The lower IL 6 and IL 10 response observed in the combined massage and black seed oil group during the first week is an isolated exploratory finding that may reflect Type I error or chance variation; it should not be interpreted as evidence of clinically relevant modulation. Given the absence of a true control group and the severely underpowered sample (N=12, 4 per group), these results should be considered preliminary and hypothesis generating.