Effects of Astaxanthin on Chronic Exercise Fatigue

Astaxanthin is a natural, small-molecule compound with anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties that has broad potential for use in alleviating exercise fatigue. This study investigated whether astaxanthin can attenuate the onset of fatigue, prolong the time to exhaustion, and enhance post-exercise recovery using a rat model of chronic exercise fatigue. Twenty male rats were trained for 8 weeks to establish the chronic exercise fatigue model. During training, 10 rats were randomly assigned to receive astaxanthin intragastrically and 10 rats received soybean oil alone. After the intervention, 5 rats from each group were divided into astaxanthin (AX) and control groups. The remaining rats were divided into astaxanthin-exercise (AXE) and exercise control groups, respectively, and underwent exhaustive exercise. Astaxanthin alleviated chronic exercise fatigue by improving antioxidant capacity (^CAT, GSH-Px, GSH/GSSG; p<0.05-0.01) and mitochondrial function (^MMP, ST3/ST4; p<0.01-0.001). It prolonged exercise endurance (^time to exhaustion; p<0.001), reduced muscle damage (ˇBUN, CK; p<0.01) and accelerated recovery (^Liver glycogen, NEFA; p<0.001). Astaxanthin appears to improve skeletal muscle antioxidant capacity and mitochondrial function in chronic exercise fatigue in rats, providing a theoretical basis for fatigue management in exercise training.