Study suggests astaxanthin may blunt inflammation among firefighters

A study found astaxanthin may help blunt some markers of inflammation among firefighters. But the results were not statistically significant.

Hank Schultz, Senior Editor

November 26, 2024

3 Min Read
Astaxanthin showed a mild benefit for firefighters, who have high stress jobs that come with high levels of inflammation.

At a Glance

  • Astaxanthin has been shown to quell oxidative stress.
  • Study tested whether it could help firefighters, who have high stress jobs.
  • Results were equivocal, pointing to a persistent problem in sports nutrition research.

A study looking the negative long-term effects of being a firefighter suggests some benefits associated with astaxanthin supplementation. But the study also pointed to some of the difficulties of translating benchtop measurements into real world results.

The new study was published in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition. It was the work of a team of researchers from Texas A&M University. The team was led by noted sports nutrition researcher Richard Kreider, Ph.D.

Two of the researchers, Kreider and Drew Gonzalez, are unpaid members of the AstaReal Sports Nutrition Network, which is a group of scientists who share information on research into the carotenoid. The company, which produces astaxanthin from algae at a plant based in Washington state, did not provide funding for the research.

Health implications of being a firefighter

The authors noted that being a firefighter brings with it some negative health consequences. Firefighters have high stress jobs, both mentally and physically. They can suffer from being exposed to the products of incomplete combustion as well as suffering direct smoke inhalation.  In addition, their disrupted sleep cycles also take a toll.

The net result is that firefighters generally have high levels of inflammation and are at higher risk for cardiometabolic disorders.

Related:Study correlates higher folate intake with less knee pain and stiffness

The researchers noted that past studies into astaxanthin have shown significant antioxidant activity as well as the potential for improving cardiometabolic health measurements.

Study finds equivocal results

To test whether astaxanthin could improve the health profiles of firefighters, the authors recruited 20 full-time, professional firefighters, 15 of whom completed the double-blinded, crossover study. The subjects ingested 12 mg of astaxanthin or a placebo daily for 12 weeks.

Blood was drawn to test for measures of inflammation, and the subjects’ performance on a multistep standard firefighting training exercise was recorded. They also completed a treadmill test.

The authors concluded that the astaxanthin intervention “appeared to blunt the clinically significant increase in some markers of inflammatory and oxidative stress during training.”

However, they went on to state that “astaxanthin supplementation had no statistically or clinically significant effects on cardiometabolic health markers and performance measures.”

Active nutrition webinar

The equivocal result found in this latest astaxanthin trial points to one of the difficulties that plague sports and active nutrition research in general, that being how to translate potentially promising findings from tests run on cycling ergometers and treadmills or done with weightlifting regimens in labs into measurable performance differences in real world settings.

Related:Ashwagandha extract cut stress in study

One of the studies cited by the authors to support astaxanthin’s sports nutrition benefits found about a 1.2% improvement in a 40 km cycling time trial performance among recreationally trained athletes. While that might not sound like much, that would mean more than 30 seconds shaved off the time needed to ride 40 kilometers at the speeds elite cyclists can maintain. That would be a clear winning edge in major cycling competitions.

The issue in sports nutrition research over the years has been that the differences between groups seen in untrained or recreationally trained subjects tend to be greatly reduced when all the subjects are elite-class athletes. That’s why institutions like the University of California Davis can still make statements like, “There’s no scientific evidence to support products that claim they'll increase muscle size, strength, energy or athletic performance.”

The issues surrounding sports nutrition research were covered in depth in a recent SupplySide Education Series webinar featuring an expert panel of three researchers and an influential contract manufacturer. To watch this webinar on demand, click here.

Related:Webinar to focus on what really works in sports nutrition

About the Author

Hank Schultz

Senior Editor, Informa

Hank Schultz has been the senior editor of SupplySide Supplement Journal (formerly Natural Products Insider) since early 2023. He can be reached at [email protected]

Prior to joining the Informa team, he was an editor at NutraIngredients-USA, a William Reed Business Media publication.

His approach to industry journalism was formed via a long career in the daily newspaper field. After graduating from the University of Wisconsin with degrees in journalism and German, Hank was an editor at the Tempe Daily News in Arizona. He followed that with a long stint working at the Rocky Mountain News, a now defunct daily newspaper in Denver, where he rose to be one of the city editors. The newspaper won two Pulitzer Prizes during his time there.

The changing landscape of the newspaper industry led him to explore other career paths. He began his career in the natural products industry more than a decade ago at New Hope Natural Media, which was then part of Penton and now is an Informa brand. Hank formed friendships and partnerships within the industry that still inform his work to this day, which helps him to bring an insider’s perspective, tempered with an objective journalist’s sensibility, to his in-depth reporting.

Harkening back to his newspaper days, Hank considers the readers to be the primary stakeholders whose needs must be met. Report the news quickly, comprehensively and above all, fairly, and readership and sponsorships will follow.

In 2015, Hank was recognized by the American Herbal Products Association with a Special Award for Journalistic Excellence.

When he’s not reporting on the supplement industry, Hank enjoys many outside pursuits. Those include long distance bicycle touring, mountain climbing, sailing, kayaking and fishing. Less strenuous pastimes include travel, reading (novels and nonfiction), studying German, noodling on a harmonica, sketching and a daily dose of word puzzles in The New York Times.

Last but far from least, Hank is a lifelong fan and part owner of the Green Bay Packers.

Subscribe for the latest consumer trends, trade news, nutrition science and regulatory updates in the supplement industry!
Join 37,000+ members. Yes, it's completely free.

You May Also Like