Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42426781›Full record

Trial reportNutrition journal2026

Effects of 28-day astaxanthin supplementation on psychological fatigue and biochemical markers in taekwondo athletes: a randomized controlled trial.

Meng-Yuan Shu, Long-Ying Pei, Jing Luo, Xiao-Yan Zhang, Hai-Xia Li, Li Shao, Yong Yang, Xiao-Yu Wang, Fang-Lin Jiang, Li Zuo and 3 more

Abstract readRandomized Controlled Trial
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Trial report in Nutrition journal, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

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.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

13 authors.

Meng-Yuan Shu *School of Physical Education, Kashi University, Kashi, China.
Long-Ying Pei *Experimental Teaching Demonstration Center of Food Safety and Nutrition, Xinjiang Institute of Technology, Aksu, China.
Jing LuoDepartment of Physical Education, Yiyang Vocational and Technical College, Yiyang, China.
Xiao-Yan ZhangExperimental Teaching Demonstration Center of Food Safety and Nutrition, Xinjiang Institute of Technology, Aksu, China.
Hai-Xia LiExperimental Teaching Demonstration Center of Food Safety and Nutrition, Xinjiang Institute of Technology, Aksu, China.
Li ShaoExperimental Teaching Demonstration Center of Food Safety and Nutrition, Xinjiang Institute of Technology, Aksu, China.
Yong YangExperimental Teaching Demonstration Center of Food Safety and Nutrition, Xinjiang Institute of Technology, Aksu, China.
Xiao-Yu WangExperimental Teaching Demonstration Center of Food Safety and Nutrition, Xinjiang Institute of Technology, Aksu, China.
Fang-Lin JiangSchool of Physical Education, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, China.
Li ZuoDepartment of Sports Science, Hengyang Normal University, Hengyang, China.
Yang-Qin TanDepartment of Biological and Pharmaceutical Engineering, Hengyang Normal University, Hengyang, China.
Xiu-Chang ZhangDepartment of Sports Science, Hengyang Normal University, Hengyang, China. zhangxiuchang@126.com.
Jian LiangExperimental Teaching Demonstration Center of Food Safety and Nutrition, Xinjiang Institute of Technology, Aksu, China. 20217196@sch.ac.kr.

Funding

Xinjiang Institute of Technology High-Level Talent Research Start-up Fund (No. XJLG2025G20)
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundAstaxanthin is a natural antioxidant with strong free-radical scavenging and anti-inflammatory properties and has been widely used in endurance sports; however, studies specifically targeting taekwondo athletes remain scarce.

methodsIn this study, we conducted a 28-day randomized, double-masked, placebo-controlled trial in which young male taekwondo athletes consumed 12 mg of astaxanthin daily to evaluate its effects on oxidative stress, muscle damage, and psychological status.

resultsA mixed-design ANOVA showed a significant group × time interaction for creatine kinase (CK), suggesting differential changes in exercise-induced muscle damage over the intervention period. Superoxide dismutase (SOD) showed significant group and time main effects, whereas malondialdehyde (MDA) did not show a significant group × time interaction. Exploratory between-group comparisons suggested higher SOD activity at Weeks 2 and 4 and lower MDA concentrations at Week 4 in the astaxanthin group than in the placebo group. For Athlete Burnout Questionnaire outcomes, only the emotional and physical exhaustion subscale (ABQa) differed between groups at Week 4 in exploratory analysis, while no significant group × time interaction was observed for any burnout subscale.

conclusionThese findings suggest that daily supplementation with 12 mg of astaxanthin for 28 days may beneficially modulate oxidative stress, muscle damage, and emotional exhaustion in young male taekwondo athletes, whereas its effects on other dimensions of psychological burnout appear to be limited.

Indexed as

AthletesDietary SupplementsFatigueMartial ArtsAntioxidantsBiomarkersCreatine KinaseDouble-Blind MethodHumansMaleMalondialdehydeMuscle, SkeletalOxidative StressSuperoxide DismutaseXanthophyllsYoung AdultAntioxidantsastaxanthineBiomarkersCreatine KinaseMalondialdehydeSuperoxide DismutaseXanthophyllsAstaxanthinAthlete Burnout QuestionnaireCreatine kinaseSuperoxide dismutaseTaekwondo Athletes

Identifiers

PMID42426781
PMCPMC13632218

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
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Registered trials

None linked

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.