Investigating variations of β-endorphin serum levels and pain caused by primary dysmenorrhea following a course of aerobic training with and without consumption of cumin supplement

Abstract

Background and Aim:  Dysmenorrheaorpainful menstruation of the most common complaints of the women's. Considering the effect of β-endorphin on reducing the pain of menstruation, the purpose of this study was to investigate changes in β-endorphin and severity of primary dysmenorrhea pain following aerobic exercise with and without consumption of cumin in non-athlete girls Materials and Methods: In this Clinical randomized controlled trials, 26 girls with moderate to severe dysmenorrhea were divided into two groups, A and B. Group A received cumin capsules in the first 3 days of menstruation, while group B received placebocapsules. From the fourth day, both groups participated in 4 weeks of aerobic training and with the onset of the next period, exercises were stopped and the capsules were transferred between the two groups. Measurement of β-endorphin was performed on the day 3 of the first and next menstrual and measurement of pain intensity was performed before and after each intervention. For statistical analysis, Dependent and independent two-sample t-test and Pearson correlation test were used. Results: Aerobic exercises alone and in combination with cumin significantly increased β-endorphin (P = 0.003, P = 0.009) and significantly decreased pain severity (P = 0.009, P = 0.04), However, there was no significant change in these two variables after consumption of cumin (P=0.9, P=0.6). Conclusion:  Aerobic exercise results in the secretion of β-endorphin and may also be effective in reducing the pain severity of menstrual. However, cumin did not have a significant effect on β-endorphin and painseverity and it is likely to reduce the pain of menstruation through a mechanism independent of β -endorphin secretion