The Effects of Red Ginger (Zingiber officinale var. rubrum) Essential Oil-Based Massage and Aromatherapy on Oxidative Stress and Inflammatory Biomarkers Related to Athlete Recovery

Background: Recovery techniques are essential in sports science for mitigating oxidative damage and inflammation resulting from exercise. To effectively mitigate oxidative stress and inflammation, it is crucial for the body to acquire vital elements that augment the benefits of massage therapy, such as red ginger essential oil. Objective: To assess and analyze the impact of massage treatments and aromatherapy with red ginger essential oil (Zingiber officinale var. rubrum) on antioxidants and inflammatory biomarkers in athletes. Methods: Twenty male cricketers aged 20-22 were allocated into two groups for the study; group 1 athletes received massage and aromatherapy with a massage oil after training, while group 2 athletes received massage and aromatherapy with red ginger essential oil. Blood tests for catalase and interleukin-8 provided data. Results: The research results reveal a notable disparity in catalase levels across groups 1 and 2, with group 2 having an average higher level (12.59±0.22 vs. 11.31±0.94 U/ml; p<0.0001). Group 2 had a significantly lower average level of interleukin-8 (6.19±2.49 vs. 16.38±6.05 pg/ml; p=0.035), indicating a significant difference in levels between groups 1 and 2. Conclusions: The application of red ginger essential oil to augment the efficacy of massage therapy and aromatherapy aims to eradicate free radicals and inflammation in athletes, evidenced by heightened catalase antioxidant activity and diminished interleukin-8 inflammatory activity.