Key result
Chia seed extract reduces myocardial muscle thickness by ~21 μm after overtraining in rats.
Why the study?
Overtraining can cause oxidative stress and myocardial damage, and the potential of antioxidant chia seed extract (Salvia Hispanica L.) to prevent histopathological myocardial muscle damage in an overtraining rat model needed to be determined.
Does chia seed extract (Salvia hispanica L.) at 4.5 mg/kg body weight reduce myocardial muscle thickening (hypertrophy) in male Wistar rats subjected to an overtraining swimming protocol?
RCT (n=15)
Single-blind (evaluator blinded during histopathology examination)
Simple randomization
No
Does chia seed extract (Salvia hispanica L.) at 4.5 mg/kg body weight reduce myocardial muscle thickening (hypertrophy) in male Wistar rats subjected to an overtraining swimming protocol?
In a preclinical rat model of exercise overtraining, administration of chia seed extract (4.5 mg/kgBW) significantly attenuated overtraining-induced myocardial wall thickening.
Should not inform clinical practice; leaves open whether chia seed extract prevents myocardial changes in humans.
Overtraining can cause oxidative stress and damage heart muscle cells. Chia seeds have potential as an antioxidant to overcome overtraining. The objectives of this study were to determine the potential of chia seed extract (Salvia Hispanica L.) to prevent myocardial muscle damage, as indicated by histopathological features in an overtraining rat model. This study used a true experimental design with a post-test only control group design. The sample consisted of 15 rats, randomly di-vided into three groups. The control group was fed standard feed, while group I was overtrained with swimming exercises. Group II was overtrained and given chia seed extract at a dose of 4.5 mg/kgBW. Analysis was performed on myocardial histopathology. Data processing used descriptive statistics and ANOVA with a significance level of 0.05. This study showed that chia seed extract could potentially interfere with myocardial muscle thickness in the control group (171.56±0.5), group II (209.53±1.4), and group III (188.86±0.8). ANOVA results obtained a P value of 0.000, and the results of the LSD post hoc test between groups obtained a P value of 0.000 (<0.05). Administration of chia seed extract significantly reduced myocardial muscle thickness.
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Trisnadi et al. (2026) conducted an RCT in Overtraining-induced myocardial hypertrophy (animal model) (n=15). Chia seed extract (Salvia hispanica L.) vs. Overtraining alone (swimming exercise without chia seed extract) and normal control (standard feed) was evaluated on Myocardial muscle thickness (μm) (p=0.000). Chia seed extract (4.5 mg/kgBW) significantly reduced mean myocardial muscle thickness compared to overtraining alone in Wistar rats (188.86±0.8 μm vs 209.53±1.4 μm; p=0.000).
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