Four weeks of supplementation with 12 mg per day of AstaReal Astaxanthin during a standardized strength and conditioning program may blunt increases in inflammatory response to intense exercise.
Researchers from Texas A&M University also found that astaxanthin supplementation produced lower increases in levels of the stress hormone cortisol, uric acid and the pro-inflammatory marker interleukin-1beta, compared to placebo.
“These findings provide some evidence that astaxanthin supplementation may help mediate occupation-related inflammation and oxidative stress response to high-intensity, short-duration exercise in firefighters,” the researchers wrote in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition.
Astaxanthin
Astaxanthin is a reddish carotenoid with powerful antioxidant activity that is sourced from the microalga Haematococcus pluvialis. The ingredient can also be produced synthetically, much of which is used in aquaculture to give farmed salmon a richer pink color.
It has been studied for its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, eye health benefits, cardioprotective properties, immune system modulatory activity and neuroprotective activities, and demand for astaxanthin supplements has grown over the years as more science emerges to support its benefits.
The carotenoid’s potential benefits for athletic performance have been studied in various trials over the years, and astaxanthin has long had a dedicated following among the long-distance runner and triathlete communities.
The new study suggests that the ingredient also has potential for first responders like firefighters who operate in physically demanding and hazardous conditions that may lead to an increased risk of cardiovascular disease and premature mortality caused by inflammation and oxidative stress.
Study details
The Texas A&M researchers recruited 15 male career firefighters with an average age of 34.5 to participate in their randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled, crossover study. The firefighters followed a standardized strength and conditioning program throughout the whole study with a two-week washout period in the middle to separate the intervention periods. The men were randomly assigned to receive either the astaxanthin supplements (12 mg per day, AstaReal) or placebo for four weeks. After the washout, the men crossed over to the other study group. All participants underwent an exercise and fire suppression test at the end of each period.
The data showed that astaxanthin supplementation reduced the inflammatory response after the maximal exercise test and blunted increases in interleukin-1β, cortisol and uric acid after the fire suppression test.
The researchers also found that astaxanthin was associated with an increase in the ventilatory anaerobic threshold, suggesting its potential benefits for exercise efficiency.
However, the researchers stated: “Astaxanthin supplementation had no statistically or clinically-significant effects on cardiometabolic health markers and performance measures.
“… more research is needed to determine if long-term supplementation may have a greater impact in this population.”
‘Solid support’
Commenting on the new study, Mark Miller, PhD, president of Kaiviti Consulting LLC, said the study had an “interesting design with the cross-over aspect allowing for fewer entrants, but each person serves as their own control.”
Noting that it provide a powerful structure for insight, he said that he would have preferred to see more subjects in each arm “for further power and clarity.”
“The firefighter group is intriguing and remarkably strenuous in terms of high-capacity short-term exercise demands,” added Dr. Miller, who has collaborated with AstaReal in the past. “Astaxanthin provided benefits in terms of lowering inflammatory markers. Some readers may be confused over the cytokine analysis which was extensive as Th1 cytokines promote inflammation and Th2 tend suppress inflammation. These are built in moderating influences that seek balance.
“My interpretation is that while there is likely to be less tissue damage from inflammatory processes with astaxanthin, the Th2 responses may allude to a prevention of exercise-associated vulnerability to infections. While not tested here, it is a likely outcome that astaxanthin prevents the well-described susceptibility of athletes to infections.”
To conclude, Dr. Miller called the findings “solid support for benefits of astaxanthin in high-intensity short-term exercise, which expands on the sports-based research that has been done to date.”
Source: Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition
21(1):2427751. doi: 10.1080/15502783.2024.2427751
“Impact of astaxanthin supplementation on markers of cardiometabolic health and tactical performance among firefighters”
Authors: D.E. Gonzalez et al.
