Astaxanthin Limits Exercise-Induced Skeletal and Cardiac Muscle Damage in Mice

Abstract

Dietary antioxidants may attenuate oxidative damage from strenuous exercise in various tissues. Beneficial effects of the antioxidant astaxanthin have been demonstrated in vitro, but not yet in vivo. We investigated the effect of dietary supplementation with astaxanthin on oxidative damage induced by strenuous exercise in mouse gastrocnemius and heart. C57BL/6 mice (7 weeks old) were divided into groups: rested control, intense exercise, and exercise with astaxanthin supplementation. After 3 weeks of exercise acclimation, both exercise groups ran on a treadmill at 28 m/min until exhaustion. Exercise-increased 4-hydroxy-2-nonenal-modified protein and 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine in gastrocnemius and heart were blunted in the astaxanthin group. Increases in plasma creatine kinase activity, and in myeloperoxidase activity in gastrocnemius and heart, also were lessened by astaxanthin. Astaxanthin showed accumulation in gastrocnemius and heart from the 3 week supplementation. Astaxanthin can attenuate exercise-induced damage in mouse skeletal muscle and heart, including an associated neutrophil infiltration that induces further damage.

Potential health‐promoting effects of astaxanthin: A high‐value carotenoid mostly from microalgae

“…Aoi et al [122] found that astaxanthin could attenuate exercise-induced damage in mouse skeletal muscle and heart, including an associated neutrophil infiltration that induced further damage. In the succedent experiments, Aoi et al [123] showed that astaxanthin promoted lipid metabolism rather than glucose utilization during exercise via carnitine palmitoyltransferase I activation, which led to the improvement of endurance and efficient reduction of adipose tissue with training.…”

Effects of Supplementation with Neptune Krill Oil (Euphasia Superba) on Selected Redox Parameters and Pro-Inflammatory Markers in Athletes during Exhaustive Exercise

“…Astaxanthin inhibits lipid peroxidation at a cellular level, protecting cell membranes and mitochondrial membranes against oxidation (Goto et al 2001;Liang et al 2009). Aoi et al (2003) tested the effects of 3-week astaxanthin supplementation in rats who were subjected to intense exercise. Supplementation resulted in the decrease in 4-hydroxy-2-nonenal-modified protein and 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine concentrations in the gastrocnemius and heart of rats subjected to exercise.…”

Astaxanthin effectiveness in preventing multiple sclerosis in animal model

“…In return, astaxanthin inhibits ROS-induced production of these transcription factors, which leads to reduced infl ammation (39). Astaxanthin suppressed ROS-induced nuclear expression of NF-κB and alleviated the downstream production of pro-infl ammatory cytokines (40).…”