Astaxanthin is a pink-orange carotenoid found in salmon and has been shown by some published studies to exert antioxidant effects. In that physical exertion of sports is linked to an overproduction of free radicals in muscles and plasma, Tatiana G. Polotow, from Cruzeiro do Sul University (Brazil), and colleagues studied the effects of long-term supplementation of astaxanthin on sports performance, in a lab animal model. Administering astaxanthin to lab rats for 45 days, the team observed significant induction of mitochondria antioxidant defenses, which they submit resulted in “cytosolic glutathione peroxidase antioxidant responses in soleus muscles that, in turn, increased [glutathione] content during exercise, limited oxidative stress, and delayed exhaustion.”
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