Evaluation of Astaxanthin Properties on Anti-fatigue

Short-term Astaxanthin Supplementation Enhances Cycling Performance and Attenuates Exhaustive Exercise-induced Muscle Damage and Oxidative Stress in Young Healthy Adults: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Ten young, healthy, physically active male college students were crossed over for AST or placebo supplements randomized into placebo or AST trials and orally consumed placebo or AST (28 mg/d) supplements for four days. Short-term AST supplementation enhanced endurance performance and effectively reversed cycling challenge-induced muscle damage and lipid peroxidation.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Healthy Volunteer
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: Placebo (Placebo trial); Other: Astaxanthin (AST trial)

Detailed Description

AST is composed of two β-ionone ring systems that are linked by a polyene chain and contain oxygenated keto and hydroxyl moieties, which are responsible for its powerful antioxidant activity. AST has been shown to have numerous health benefits in humans, including improved antioxidant and inflammatory status under different stress conditions. Therefore, this study will explore AST supplement to improve exercise-induced muscle damage and/or physiological anomalies in adults. Ten physically active male adults were randomized into placebo or AST trials and consumed placebo or AST (28 mg/d) supplements orally for 4 days. On day-4, participants performed an exhaustive cycling challenge at 75% V̇O2max, and the time to exhaustion (TTE) was recorded. Blood and gaseous samples were collected before, during, and immediately after cycling to determine changes in muscle damage, inflammation, oxidative stress, and substrate utilization.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 10
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Taiwan
  • Taichung, Taiwan, 404332
    • China Medical University

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Recruit people who are healthy are 20-40 years male and have exercise habits in college students

Exclusion Criteria:

• Have smoking and drinking habits.
• Those who have implanted artificial joints in the past six months and have had recent surgery.
• People who feel unwell due to other reasons during the experiment.
• Take any drugs or Nutrition supplements in the past 3 months.

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Other
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Crossover Assignment
• Masking: Quadruple

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Placebo Comparator: Placebo; containing edible yellow No. 4, edible yellow No. 5, sucrose, silica, talc, oxidized starch, gelatin, magnesium stearate, and palm wax.	Other: Placebo (Placebo trial); The Placebo capsule supplement was taken for 4 days (7 capsules per day); Other: Astaxanthin (AST trial); The AST capsule supplement was taken for 4 days, with a daily dosage of 28 mg of AST (equivalent to 7 capsules per day, each containing 4 mg of AST).
Experimental: Astaxanthin (AST); Each capsule containing 4 mg of AST	Other: Placebo (Placebo trial); The Placebo capsule supplement was taken for 4 days (7 capsules per day); Other: Astaxanthin (AST trial); The AST capsule supplement was taken for 4 days, with a daily dosage of 28 mg of AST (equivalent to 7 capsules per day, each containing 4 mg of AST).

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Time to Exhaustion Exercise	Investigators conducted a double-blind test, where volunteers' basal maximal oxygen consumption (VO2max) was measured both before the intervention. The pretest VO2max is a reference to adjust the exercise intensity for each individual. To assess exhaustive endurance, participants exercised at 75% of their VO2max, and the cycling time from the start to the point of exhaustion was recorded.	21 days
Clinical Biochemistry of muscle damage biomarkers and blood glucose	Blood samples were collected at five different time points (one hour before (B), at the beginning (0 min), during (20 min, 40 min), and immediately (E) after the exhaustive cycling exercise challenge. Changes in blood glucose levels were estimated using blood from the fingertips via an Accu-Chek® Guide blood glucose glucometer (Roche, Mannheim, Germany). Muscle damage biomarkers, including creatine kinase (CK), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), and uric acid (UA), were measured in the serum. The CK (EC2.7.3.2), LDH (EC 1.1.1.27), and UA (C97792) concentrations were estimated using commercial analytical reagents (Beckman Coulter). An automated clinical chemistry analyzer was used to measure CK and LDH levels on a Beckman Coulter AU5800 (Beckman Coulter Inc., CA, USA).	21 days
Clinical Biochemistry of total antioxidant capacity and lipid peroxidation	Blood samples were collected at five different time points (one hour before (B), at the beginning (0 min), during (20 min, 40 min), and immediately (E) after the exhaustive cycling exercise challenge. The scavenging ability of antioxidants (6-hydroxy-2,5,7,8-tetramethylchroman-2-carboxylic acid, Trolox) was determined using a curve, and the amount of Trolox equivalent to the test serum's inhibition rate was calculated. Next, the level of malondialdehyde (MDA), a standard biomarker of lipid peroxidation, was determined by an ELISA kit provided by the Caman Company (Cayman Chemical Company, Michigan, USA). As described in the protocol, the reaction mixture was boiled at 90-100°C for 60 min, and the absorbance at 550 nm was measured using an ELISA plate reader (Tecan GENios, A-5082, Austria). The values are expressed as micromoles of MDA per liter.	21 days
Clinical Biochemistry of the inflammatory response	Blood samples were collected at five different time points (one hour before (B), at the beginning (0 min), during (20 min, 40 min), and immediately (E) after the exhaustive cycling exercise challenge. According to the manufacturer's instructions, the pro-inflammatory cytokine TNF-α was analyzed with a commercial ELISA kit (BioLegend, San Diego, CA). An enzyme immunoassay read The absorbance at 450 nm within 15 minutes (Tecan GENios, A-5082, Austria). Concentrations of C-reactive protein (CRP) were measured using a human ELISA kit (E-80CRP, Immunology Consultants Laboratory, Inc., Newberg, OR, USA). The sample absorbance was read at 450 nm within 30 min.	21 days
Assessment of the profile of mood state (POMS)	POMS brief was chosen for this study to evaluate the mood of individuals. After the TTE, participants completed the form, and their responses were analyzed using simple statistics. The results were shown in six dimensions, one positive: (1) vigor; and five negatives: (2) tension, (3) depression, (4) anger, (5) fatigue and (6) confusion.	21 days
Assessment of the RER, fat oxidation rate and carbohydrate oxidation rate	Ggaseous samples were collected at five different time points (one hour before (B), at the beginning (0 min), during (20 min, 40 min), and immediately (E) after the exhaustive cycling exercise challenge.The pulmonary oxygen consumption (VO2) and carbon dioxide production (VCO2) during exercise were used to determine metabolic substrate utilization. The gaseous exchange ratio during exercise reflects the relative contributions of carbohydrates and fat to energy metabolism. The RER was calculated by dividing the VCO2 value by the VO2 value (RER =(VCO2)⁄(VO2 )). The fat oxidation rate was calculated using the following equation: Fat oxidation rate=1.695×VO2-1.701×VCO2 ). Similarly, the carbohydrate oxidation rate was calculated using the following equation: Carbohydrate oxidation rate=4.585×VCO2-3.226×VO2	21 days

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: China Medical University Hospital
• Collaborators: China Medical University, China; National Science and Technology Council
• Investigators: Study Chair: Jung-Piao Tsao, China Medical University, China

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): June 25, 2022
• Primary Completion (Actual): July 17, 2022
• Study Completion (Actual): September 20, 2022

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: September 5, 2024
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: September 10, 2024
• First Posted (Estimated): September 12, 2024

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Estimated): September 19, 2024
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: September 15, 2024
• Last Verified: September 1, 2024

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: fatigue; ergogenic aids; lipid peroxidation; Cycling performance
• Other Study ID Numbers: CMUH111-REC3-081

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No