A 4-day cycle with the carotenoid astaxanthin increases endurance by 18 percent. However, the dose of astaxanthin required for this is on the high side. In the human study we discuss in this post, the subjects received 28 milligrams of astaxanthin per day.

Study
Researchers at China Medical University in Taiwan gave 10 healthy young men with an active lifestyle a supplement containing 28 milligrams of astaxanthin every day for 4 days. On the last day of the supplementation period, the researchers had the men cycle at an intensity of 75 percent of their maximum oxygen uptake until they literally could no longer continue.

On another occasion, the researchers repeated the procedure. This time, they gave the men a placebo for 4 days.

The researchers used a product from the Japanese company Fuji Chemical Industries, but Fuji did not sponsor the study. The university and the Taiwanese government funded the study.

Results
Supplementation with astaxanthin extended the time the men could cycle by a good 13 minutes. That amounts to an increase of 18 percent.

Despite the longer duration of exertion due to supplementation, the subjects who had used astaxanthin had lower levels of creatine kinase [CK] or lactic acid dehydrogenase [LDH] in their blood after exercise. This indicates less muscle damage.

The researchers found a similar pattern when they looked at the concentration of malondialdehyde [MDA]. Malondialdehyde is formed when aggressive substances, which the body produces during intense exercise among other things, damage cell membranes.

Mechanism
Apparently, astaxanthin improves endurance sports performance because the substance protects muscle cells against degradation processes that occur during exertion.

Conclusion
"These findings suggest that short-term astaxanthin supplementation can be considered a nutraceutical ergogenic aid to boost endurance performance", the researchers write.