ArticleFrontiers in nutrition2022
Algae Supplementation for Exercise Performance: Current Perspectives and Future Directions for Spirulina and Chlorella.
Article in Frontiers in nutrition, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 14 papers, 4 of them syntheses that pooled it.
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The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
14 citing papers in PubMed, 4 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Beneficial effects of Chlorella species supplementation in the general population: a GRADE-assessed systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis.Nutrition & diabetes · 2026Pooled it
- The Effects of Seaweed and Microalgae Supplementation on Exercise Performance and Recovery: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.Nutrients · 2026Pooled it
- Effects of spirulina supplementation alone or with exercise on cardiometabolic health in overweight and obese adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Frontiers in nutrition · 2025Pooled it
- Antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory effects of spirulina in exercise and sport: A systematic review.Frontiers in nutrition · 2022Pooled it
- Physiological effects of spirulina supplementation during lactate threshold exercise at simulated altitude (2,500 m): a randomized controlled trial.Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition · 2025Trial
- Effect ofNutrients · 2024Trial
- International Society of Sports Nutrition position stand: effects of dietary antioxidants on exercise and sports performance.Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition · 2026Review
- Future Protein Sources in Sports Nutrition: Sustainable Solutions.Current nutrition reports · 2026Review
- Spirulina as a natural shield: a comprehensive review of its protective effects against lead toxicity.Archives of toxicology · 2025Review
- Microalgae and exercise: from molecular mechanisms and brain health to clinical perspectives in the context of 3P medicine.The EPMA journal · 2025Review
- Enhancing cardiometabolic health: unveiling the synergistic effects of high-intensity interval training with spirulina supplementation on selected adipokines, insulin resistance, and anthropometric indices in obese males.Nutrition & metabolism · 2024Article
- Spirulina Supplementation with High-Intensity Interval Training Decreases Adipokines Levels and Cardiovascular Risk Factors in Men with Obesity.Nutrients · 2023Article
- Bioactivity of Macronutrients fromNutrients · 2023Review
- Recent developments in the production and utilization of photosynthetic microorganisms for food applications.Heliyon · 2023Review
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
2 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Nutritional clinical trials have reported algae such as spirulina and chlorella to have the capability to improve cardiovascular risk factors, anemia, immune function, and arterial stiffness. With positive results being reported in clinical trials, researchers are investigating the potential for algae as an ergogenic aid for athletes. Initial studies found spirulina and chlorella supplementation to increase peak oxygen uptake and time to exhaustion, with the mechanistic focus on the antioxidant capabilities of both algae. However, a number of oxidative stress biomarkers reported in these studies are now considered to lack robustness and have consequently provided equivocal results. Considering the nutrient complexity and density of these commonly found edible algae, there is a need for research to widen the scope of investigation. Most recently algae supplementation has demonstrated ergogenic potential during submaximal and repeated sprint cycling, yet a confirmed primary mechanism behind these improvements is still unclear. In this paper we discuss current algae supplementation studies and purported effects on performance, critically examine the antioxidant and ergogenic differing perspectives, and outline future directions.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.