Improved sleep and heart rate stability with low-dose melatonin in young male athletes following exhaustive exercise

< 0.05). However, melatonin did not produce statistically significant effects on muscle damage biomarkers (CK, LDH, MYO, AST, IL-6, TNF-α). These findings indicate that melatonin primarily enhances sleep and may aid cardiovascular recovery, with limited direct influence on biochemical markers of muscle damage after acute eccentric overload exercise. Low-dose melatonin supplementation may serve as a supportive, non-pharmacological strategy to improve sleep quality in athletes. While it did not significantly reduce biochemical indicators of muscle damage and cardiovascular recovery, the improved sleep-related recovery suggests potential indirect benefits for overall post-exercise adaptation.