A recent randomized clinical study in healthy, physically active young men demonstrated that just 4 days of high-dose Astaxanthin supplementation (28 mg/day) led to a statistically significant 18% improvement in endurance performance, with participants cycling longer to exhaustion (85.4 min vs. 72.1 min; P < 0.001, η²p = 0.71). The supplementation also resulted in a notable reduction in exercise-induced muscle damage (↓ creatine kinase and LDH) and oxidative stress (↓ malondialdehyde), supporting its antioxidant and tissue-protective roles. While it did not alter inflammatory markers (TNF-α, CRP) or substrate utilization, importantly, there were no adverse effects on mood or safety profile. These findings position Astaxanthin as a science-backed, fast-acting ergogenic ingredient with commercial potential for formulations targeting endurance, performance recovery, and muscle protection.
Source: https://bmcsportsscimedrehabil.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13102-025-01221-3
