Astaxanthin is a dark red carotenoid pigment found in salmon, shrimp and certain algae, and it is sold as an antioxidant supplement commonly made from the microalga Haematococcus pluvialis. It is marketed for exercise recovery, endurance, skin aging and heart health.
The short version of the evidence: astaxanthin is absorbed poorly unless taken with fat, and human trials at 4–20 mg/day show modest or inconsistent effects. A 2026 meta-analysis of 24 trials found lower creatine kinase (a muscle-damage marker) after exercise but no improvement in VO₂max, time-trial performance or power. Effects on blood lipids are small and disagree between meta-analyses. In the EU, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has judged up to 8 mg/day from supplements safe for adults; in the US, astaxanthin ingredients are sold as dietary supplements and have been notified to FDA as GRAS (generally recognized as safe) for some food uses.
This page summarizes what clinical trials, meta-analyses and regulators report. It is for education only and is not medical advice.
| Property | Detail |
|---|---|
| Class | Xanthophyll carotenoid (keto-carotenoid); antioxidant |
| Chemical name | 3,3′-dihydroxy-β,β-carotene-4,4′-dione; C₄₀H₅₂O₄, 596.8 g/mol |
| Sources | Haematococcus pluvialis algae (up to 3.8% of dry weight), the yeast Phaffia rhodozyma, other microalgae, seafood; also made synthetically |
| Route | Oral (softgels, capsules, often in oil) |
| Doses in trials | 4–20 mg/day in the exercise trials cited here; 35 of 87 human studies in a 2019 safety review used 12 mg/day or more |
| Half-life | 15.9 ± 5.3 h after a single 40 mg dose in healthy men |
| EU limit | 8 mg/day in food supplements judged safe for adults (EFSA 2020); acceptable daily intake 0.2 mg/kg body weight |
| US status | Dietary supplement ingredient; FDA “no questions” letters for some Haematococcus and Paracoccus extracts as GRAS food ingredients; listed color additive for salmonid fish feed |
| WADA status | Not named on the 2026 Prohibited List |
What it is
Astaxanthin belongs to the xanthophylls, the oxygen-containing carotenoids (PubChem). It is made by Haematococcus pluvialis, Chlorella zofingiensis, Chlorococcum and the yeast Phaffia rhodozyma, and it accumulates up to 3.8% of dry weight in H. pluvialis (Ambati et al., Mar Drugs 2014). Animals that eat these organisms, such as salmon and shrimp, take on its color.
Commercial astaxanthin comes in two broad types:
- Natural (algal or yeast) astaxanthin, including H. pluvialis extracts containing astaxanthin esters, the form named in several FDA GRAS notices (see below).
- Synthetic astaxanthin. A 2019 safety review stressed that synthetic astaxanthin is chemically different from natural astaxanthin and argued that safety results from one should not be applied to the other (Brendler and Williamson, Phytother Res 2019).
Its antioxidant reputation rests largely on laboratory and animal studies. As the sections below show, measured antioxidant effects in people are inconsistent.
Pharmacokinetics
Like other carotenoids, astaxanthin is very fat-soluble and has low oral bioavailability that improves when it is taken with fat (Mercke Odeberg et al., Eur J Pharm Sci 2003). In that open study, healthy men took a single 40 mg dose in different formulations:
| Measure | Result |
|---|---|
| Elimination half-life | 15.9 ± 5.3 h (n = 32), single phase |
| Effect of lipid-based formulations | Bioavailability 1.7–3.7 times that of a commercial reference supplement |
| Best formulation | One containing a high proportion of the emulsifier polysorbate 80 |
With daily dosing, blood levels rise substantially. In trained cyclists taking 20 mg/day for 4 weeks, basal plasma astaxanthin went from undetectable to 187 ± 19 µg/kg (Res et al., Med Sci Sports Exerc 2013).
Regulatory status
European Union
In 2020 EFSA’s nutrition panel assessed astaxanthin at up to 8 mg/day in food supplements, combined with intake from fish and crustaceans (EFSA NDA Panel, EFSA J 2020):
| Point | EFSA finding |
|---|---|
| Acceptable daily intake (ADI) | 0.2 mg/kg body weight, set by EFSA’s feed panel in 2019, replacing an earlier ADI of 0.034 mg/kg |
| Adults | Background diet plus 8 mg/day from supplements is safe |
| Adolescents aged 14 to under 18 | Reach the ADI |
| Children aged 10 to under 14 | ADI exceeded by 28% |
| Infants aged 4–6 months | ADI exceeded by up to 524% |
For a 70 kg adult, 0.2 mg/kg works out to 14 mg/day from all sources (our calculation). The earlier ADI of 0.034 mg/kg corresponds to about 2 mg/day, which Brendler and Williamson criticized because it was based on a rat study of synthetic astaxanthin. Their review of 87 human studies of natural astaxanthin, 35 of them at 12 mg/day or more, found no safety concerns, and noted that recommended or approved doses in different countries ranged from 2 to 24 mg/day (Brendler and Williamson 2019).
United States
- Dietary supplements. Astaxanthin is widely sold as a supplement ingredient; the NIH Dietary Supplement Label Database returned 2,287 labels mentioning it in November 2026 (NIH DSLD). FDA does not set a daily limit for supplements.
- GRAS notices. FDA’s GRAS notice inventory lists “no questions” letters for Haematococcus pluvialis extracts containing astaxanthin esters (GRN 294, 2010; GRN 580, 2015) and for a Paracoccus carotinifaciens carotenoid extract (GRN 700, 2017), each noting that some uses may require a color additive listing. FDA stopped evaluating GRN 356 at the notifier’s request (FDA GRAS notice inventory).
- Fish feed. Under 21 CFR 73.35, astaxanthin is a listed color additive for the feed of salmonid fish, at no more than 80 mg/kg of finished feed (21 CFR 73.35).
- No drug approval. A Drugs@FDA search returned no product with astaxanthin as an active ingredient (openFDA, accessed November 2026).
What the research shows
Exercise performance
Individual trials disagree, and the pooled evidence does not show a performance benefit.
| Trial | Participants | Dose, duration | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Earnest et al., Int J Sports Med 2011 | 21 competitive cyclists randomized, 14 completed (7 per group) | 4 mg/day for 28 days | 20 km time trial improved by 121 s on astaxanthin vs 19 s on placebo, with more power output; no change in fat or carbohydrate use |
| Res et al., Med Sci Sports Exerc 2013 | 32 well-trained male cyclists or triathletes | 20 mg/day for 4 weeks | No improvement in time-trial performance, fat oxidation, plasma antioxidant capacity or malondialdehyde (a lipid oxidation marker) |
| Brown et al., J Sci Med Sport 2021 | 12 recreationally trained male cyclists, crossover | 12 mg/day for 7 days | 40 km time trial 1.2% faster (about 51 s; effect size g = 0.21); higher fat oxidation in the final kilometer |
The 2011 trial lost a third of its participants and analyzed only seven per group; the larger 2013 trial, with five times the dose, was negative.
A 2026 meta-analysis of 24 randomized trials in healthy people and athletes concluded that astaxanthin “may be more beneficial for post-exercise recovery than for direct performance enhancement” (Liu et al., Nutrients 2026):
| Outcome | Pooled result |
|---|---|
| Creatine kinase | Lower (SMD −0.45, 95% CI −0.83 to −0.07) |
| Lactate dehydrogenase | Lower (SMD −0.93), but with substantial heterogeneity |
| Malondialdehyde, interleukin-6 | No significant effect |
| VO₂max, time-trial performance, maximal workload or power | No significant improvement |
Muscle damage and recovery
Trials of resistance-trained men point toward little effect on soreness or damage markers after eccentric exercise:
- 4 mg/day for 3 weeks before and 4 days after heavy eccentric exercise did not change soreness, creatine kinase or muscle performance compared with placebo in 20 resistance-trained men (Bloomer et al., IJSNEM 2005).
- 8 mg/day for 4 weeks before a 2.25-hour run had no effect on muscle soreness, muscle damage, six cytokines or 42 oxylipins (inflammation-related lipids), although it countered exercise-induced decreases in 82 plasma proteins, many involved in immune function (Nieman et al., Front Nutr 2023).
Oxidative stress and inflammation
| Meta-analysis | Trials, participants | Findings |
|---|---|---|
| Ma et al., Nutr Res 2022 | 12 RCTs, 380 participants, at least 1 week of use | Lower blood malondialdehyde (SMD −0.95, 95% CI −1.67 to −0.23); lower interleukin-6 in type 2 diabetes; no significant effect on C-reactive protein or TNF-α. The authors called the effect mild |
| You et al., 3 Biotech 2026 | 7 exercise RCTs, 188 participants, 4–28 mg/day | Lower advanced oxidation protein products (a protein-damage marker; SMD −1.06); no significant changes in malondialdehyde, superoxide dismutase, creatine kinase or IL-6 |
Blood lipids, glucose and blood pressure
The meta-analyses do not agree, which suggests any effect is small.
| Meta-analysis | Trials | Findings |
|---|---|---|
| Ursoniu et al., Arch Med Sci 2015 | 7 RCTs, 280 participants | No significant effect on total, LDL or HDL cholesterol, triglycerides or glucose |
| Xia et al., Pharmacol Res 2020 | 14 articles | No effect on fasting glucose, HbA1c, total or LDL cholesterol, triglycerides, body weight or blood pressure; HDL cholesterol up 1.47 mg/dL; C-reactive protein lower only with ≥12 weeks of use or more than 12 mg/day |
| Fornari Laurindo et al., Pharmaceuticals 2025 | 8 studies (11 results) at 6–20 mg/day | Higher HDL cholesterol and lower triglycerides; no effect on LDL or total cholesterol |
None of these trials measured heart attacks, strokes or deaths. Supplements with stronger cardiovascular data in this library include fish oil (omega-3), and lipid-lowering drugs such as atorvastatin.
Skin aging
A 2021 meta-analysis of nine randomized trials of oral astaxanthin found improved skin moisture (SMD 0.53) and elasticity (SMD 0.77) but no significant reduction in wrinkle depth (SMD −0.26, 95% CI −0.58 to 0.06) (Zhou et al., Nutrients 2021).
Side effects and risks
- Well tolerated in trials. In an 8-week randomized safety trial of 35 healthy adults, 6 mg/day from H. pluvialis extract produced no clinically meaningful differences from placebo in blood pressure, blood chemistry or blood counts (Spiller and Dewell, J Med Food 2003). The 2019 safety review found no safety concerns across 87 human studies of natural astaxanthin (Brendler and Williamson 2019).
- Children and adolescents. EFSA found that 8 mg/day plus dietary intake would exceed the ADI in children aged 10 to under 14 and reach it in older adolescents, so its safety conclusion applies to adults only (EFSA 2020).
- Natural vs synthetic. Most human safety data come from natural algal astaxanthin; synthetic astaxanthin has been studied much less in people (Brendler and Williamson 2019).
- Interactions and pregnancy. No clinically important drug interactions or pregnancy data are documented in the sources reviewed here.
Sports and anti-doping
Astaxanthin is not named on the WADA 2026 Prohibited List (WADA 2026 Prohibited List). Products that combine it with other ingredients should be judged on the full formula.
Key takeaways
- A carotenoid antioxidant from algae. Astaxanthin is a red pigment found in salmon and shrimp; most supplements use Haematococcus pluvialis extract.
- Take-with-fat absorption, long half-life. Lipid formulations raised bioavailability 1.7–3.7-fold, and the half-life after a single dose was about 16 hours.
- No clear performance benefit. A 2026 meta-analysis of 24 trials found lower creatine kinase after exercise but no improvement in VO₂max, time trials or power; the best-designed cycling trial was negative.
- Mild biomarker effects. Malondialdehyde and some protein oxidation markers fell in meta-analyses, while inflammatory markers mostly did not change.
- Small, inconsistent lipid effects. Meta-analyses range from no effect to small rises in HDL and falls in triglycerides; LDL does not change.
- Intake limits. EFSA judged up to 8 mg/day from supplements safe for adults (ADI 0.2 mg/kg); in the US it is a dietary supplement with GRAS notices for some food uses but no drug approval.
Sources
- National Center for Biotechnology Information. Astaxanthin (CID 5281224). PubChem. PubChem.
- Ambati RR, Phang SM, Ravi S, Aswathanarayana RG. Astaxanthin: sources, extraction, stability, biological activities and its commercial applications—a review. Mar Drugs. 2014;12(1):128–152. PubMed.
- Brendler T, Williamson EM. Astaxanthin: how much is too much? A safety review. Phytother Res. 2019;33(12):3090–3111. PubMed.
- Mercke Odeberg J, Lignell A, Pettersson A, Höglund P. Oral bioavailability of the antioxidant astaxanthin in humans is enhanced by incorporation of lipid based formulations. Eur J Pharm Sci. 2003;19(4):299–304. PubMed.
- Res PT, Cermak NM, Stinkens R, et al. Astaxanthin supplementation does not augment fat use or improve endurance performance. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2013;45(6):1158–1165. PubMed.
- EFSA Panel on Nutrition, Novel Foods and Food Allergens (NDA), Turck D, Castenmiller J, et al. Safety of astaxanthin for its use as a novel food in food supplements. EFSA J. 2020;18(2):e05993. PubMed.
- National Institutes of Health, Office of Dietary Supplements. Dietary Supplement Label Database: search for “astaxanthin” (accessed November 2026). NIH DSLD.
- US Food and Drug Administration. GRAS notice inventory: search for “astaxanthin” (GRN 294, 356, 580, 700; accessed November 2026). FDA.
- US Food and Drug Administration. Listing of color additives exempt from certification: astaxanthin. 21 CFR 73.35. eCFR.
- US Food and Drug Administration. openFDA Drugs@FDA dataset: search for active ingredient astaxanthin (no matching records; accessed November 2026). openFDA.
- Earnest CP, Lupo M, White KM, Church TS. Effect of astaxanthin on cycling time trial performance. Int J Sports Med. 2011;32(11):882–888. PubMed.
- Brown DR, Warner AR, Deb SK, Gough LA, Sparks SA, McNaughton LR. The effect of astaxanthin supplementation on performance and fat oxidation during a 40 km cycling time trial. J Sci Med Sport. 2021;24(1):92–97. PubMed.
- Liu S, Yao W, Wei Y, et al. The effects of astaxanthin supplementation on exercise recovery biomarkers and exercise performance: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Nutrients. 2026;18(10):1570. PubMed.
- Bloomer RJ, Fry A, Schilling B, Chiu L, Hori N, Weiss L. Astaxanthin supplementation does not attenuate muscle injury following eccentric exercise in resistance-trained men. Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab. 2005;15(4):401–412. PubMed.
- Nieman DC, Woo J, Sakaguchi CA, et al. Astaxanthin supplementation counters exercise-induced decreases in immune-related plasma proteins. Front Nutr. 2023;10:1143385. PubMed.
- Ma B, Lu J, Kang T, Zhu M, Xiong K, Wang J. Astaxanthin supplementation mildly reduced oxidative stress and inflammation biomarkers: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Nutr Res. 2022;99:40–50. PubMed.
- You T, Peng K, Zhao K, et al. Effects of astaxanthin supplementation on exercise-induced oxidative stress: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. 3 Biotech. 2026;16(3):98. PubMed.
- Ursoniu S, Sahebkar A, Serban MC, Banach M. Lipid profile and glucose changes after supplementation with astaxanthin: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Arch Med Sci. 2015;11(2):253–266. PubMed.
- Xia W, Tang N, Kord-Varkaneh H, et al. The effects of astaxanthin supplementation on obesity, blood pressure, CRP, glycemic biomarkers, and lipid profile: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Pharmacol Res. 2020;161:105113. PubMed.
- Fornari Laurindo L, Dogani Rodrigues V, Penna Carneiro D, et al. Assessing the effects of moderate to high dosage of astaxanthin supplementation on lipid profile parameters—a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled studies. Pharmaceuticals (Basel). 2025;18(8):1097. PubMed.
- Zhou X, Cao Q, Orfila C, Zhao J, Zhang L. Systematic review and meta-analysis on the effects of astaxanthin on human skin ageing. Nutrients. 2021;13(9):2917. PubMed.
- Spiller GA, Dewell A. Safety of an astaxanthin-rich Haematococcus pluvialis algal extract: a randomized clinical trial. J Med Food. 2003;6(1):51–56. PubMed.
- World Anti-Doping Agency. The 2026 Prohibited List. In force January 1, 2026. WADA.