Studying the Effect of 12 Weeks of Combined Exercise and Ginkgo Biloba Supplementation on Brain Wave Patterns of Middle-Aged Individuals

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Department of Exercise Physiology, Faculty of Education and Psychology, University of Sistan and Baluchestan, Zahedan, Iran

2 Department of Exercise Physiology, Sport Sciences Research Institute, , Tehran, Iran

10.22038/jpsr.2025.84288.2670

Abstract

Purpose:
Exercise and low-risk herbal supplements are essential in middle age to prevent the damage of this period. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of 12 weeks of combined exercise and Ginkgo biloba supplementation on the brain wave patterns of middle-aged individuals.
Methods:
The present study is semi-experimental. The statistical population was middle-aged men in Zabol city; 20 people with the age range of 55-64 years were selected as a convenience sample and randomly assigned into 2 groups (n=10): 1. Combined exercise and 2. Ginkgo biloba supplement. The exercise group performed aerobic exercises with an intensity of 55 to 75% of maximum heart rate and progressive resistance training with 50 to 60% of one repetition maximum (1RM) for 12 weeks, 2 sessions per week, 60 minutes each session, in a circuit at 11 stations on the large muscles of the body in four sets of 12 repetitions and 60 seconds of rest between sets. The supplement group used 2 capsules of dry Ginkgo biloba extract containing 1.6 mg of total flavonoids daily for three months. Before and after the intervention (exercise and Ginkgo biloba supplementation), brain function was assessed using an electroencephalography (EEG) device. Paired t-test was used to compare pre- and post-test results and independent t-test was used to compare the results of the two groups, using SPSS-25 software at a significance level of less than 0.05 (P≤0.05).
Results:
The results showed that in exercise group, the brain wave patterns of alpha (from 0.9 to 10.4 Hz) (p=0.001), beta (from 18.9 to 21.6 Hz) (p=0.001), cognitive status (from 22.8 to 25.3) (p=0.001), and quality of life (from 71.95 to 79.114) (p=0.001) significantly increased, and the theta (from 5.5 to 4.6 Hz) (p=0.001) and delta (from 2.2 to 1.6 Hz) (p=0.005) significantly decreased. In the Ginkgo biloba supplement group, the alpha wave pattern (from 9.1 to 10.9 Hz) (p=0.001), beta (from 19.2 to 22.7 Hz) (p=0.001), theta (from 4.8 to 5.8 Hz) (p=0.001), cognitive status (from 21.7 to 0.26) (p=0.001), and quality of life (from 2.98 to 1.114) (p=0.001) showed a significant increase, and the delta wave (from 2.5 to 1.7 Hz) (p=0.005) showed a significant decrease. When comparing the two groups, a significant difference was observed only in the theta wave (p=0.002).
Conclusion:
The results indicate that combined exercise and Ginkgo biloba supplementation, each independently, produce positive and beneficial effects on brain wave patterns and information processing processes, ultimately improving cognitive status and quality of life in middle-aged individuals.

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