Saffron supplementation ameliorates oxidative damage to sperm DNA following a 16-week low-to-intensive cycling training in male road cyclists

• The effects of exercise training and saffron on male reproduction were investigated.
• Chronic cycling training induced DNA breakage in sperm cells.
• Changes in oxidants and antioxidants were correlated with sperm DNA fragmentation.
• Saffron attenuates exercise-induced sperm DNA damage.

The effects of the natural food saffron (90 mg/d) on exercise induced sperm DNA damage, antioxidative and peroxidative biomarkers and seminological profile in male road cyclists were evaluated. Twenty-four healthy nonprofessional cyclists (aged 17–26 years) were randomly assigned to exercise + Saffron (EX + SAF, n = 12) and exercise (EX, n = 12) groups for an experimental period of 16 weeks. After the intervention, the number of terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated fluorescein-dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL)-positive sperm cells and peroxidative biomarkers increased, while antioxidative biomarkers and seminological profile decreased in the EX group. These changes were significantly attenuated in the EX + SAF group. Moreover, for both groups the observed changes in peroxidative and antioxidative biomarkers could be correlated positively and negatively, respectively, with sperm DNA fragmentation. Saffron, rich in carotenoids, flavonoids and vitamins, is therefore a potentially potent functional food for preventing exercise-induced sperm DNA damage, at least in part, through optimizing oxidant/antioxidant equilibrium and attenuation of oxidative stress.