The all-rounder for increasing athletic performance, which in addition to pronounced antioxidant properties has a variety of other health-promoting effects.
GN Astaxanthin Product Highlights
- Works synergistically with omega-3 fatty acids for maximum antioxidant protection
- Could counteract the increased oxidative stress in the brain caused by a higher intake of omega-3 fatty acids
- Can increase endurance performance, strength endurance and power release even in trained athletes
- Glycogen-saving effect through an increased use of fatty acids for energy supply
- Can reduce the amount of muscle damage during exercise
- Antioxidant effect 10 times stronger than vitamin A and 100 times stronger antioxidant effect than vitamin E.
- Direct antioxidant effect and stimulation of the cell's own antioxidant systems
- Has an anti-inflammatory effect
- Supports the function of the immune system and has an antibacterial effect
- Can improve blood lipid levels
- May improve insulin sensitivity
- Can reduce wrinkles and improve skin elasticity
- Might improve memory and brain function
- Can improve male fertility
- Could lower dihydrotestosterone (DHT) levels and lower estrogen levels
- With a clinical dosage of 10 mg, it contains astaxanthin with the highest astaxanthin content of all products available on the market.
What is astaxanthin?
Astaxanthin is a fat-soluble carotenoid that occurs naturally in the highest concentrations in krill oil and a type of algae called Haematococcus pluvialis, as well as in traces in salmon. Astaxanthin is a reddish pigment that is also used as a food coloring. One of the most important properties of astaxanthin is a very strong antioxidant effect, which exceeds the effects of other widely used antioxidants such as vitamin A and vitamin E by ten to a hundred times. In addition to these antioxidant effects, astaxanthin has a number of performance-enhancing and health-promoting effects, some of which are based on the special antioxidant properties of this carotenoid and partly on other mechanisms of action.
Unlike many other astaxanthin products on the market that are at the lower end of clinically used dosages with a dosage in the 4 mg range, GN Astaxanthin contains the full clinical dose of 10 mg astaxanthin to ensure that you really get it benefit from all the benefits of this amazing ingredient.
Why astaxanthin and omega-3 fatty acids complement each other perfectly in the form of fish oil
Most athletes and many health-conscious people supplement with fish oil in order to benefit from its high content of the animal omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA and their health benefits. However, polyunsaturated fatty acids such as DHA and EPA are unfortunately very reactive in the human body and are often destroyed by free radicals before the body's own antioxidants can intervene (1). One of the consequences of this is that only part of the DHA consumed can be used by the body. With an increased supply of DHA and EPA, these fatty acids are also incorporated to an increased extent in the membrane of the cells - which also includes the nerve cells of the brain - which is basically a positive thing, as this makes the cell membrane more stable and the signal transmission between brain cells and Nerve cells are improved. Unfortunately, however, these EPA and DHA fatty acids, which are integrated into the cell membrane, are still very susceptible to being destroyed by free radicals, and studies have shown that increased oxidative stress in the frontal brain area has been linked to fish oil supplementation. Interestingly, this oxidative stress decreased significantly when astaxanthin was administered in addition to fish oil (2). In addition, other studies have observed a synergistic antioxidant effect of fish oil and astaxanthin, which is based on the activation of genes that are responsible for the antioxidant protection of cells (3).
All of this suggests that omega-3 fatty acids in the form of fish oil and astaxanthin complement each other perfectly and synergistically and that astaxanthin is an optimal addition to any high-quality fish oil product such as GN Triglyceride Omega 3 Sports Edition.
What positive effects can astaxanthin have on athletic performance and regeneration?
A number of scientific studies have shown that astaxanthin can significantly increase athletic performance. A study carried out with professional cyclists was able to measure a significant increase in the release of power, which manifested itself in a time improvement of over 2 minutes in a race over 20 kilometers - an increase that can be described as sensational with trained professional athletes with a clear conscience (4).
Particularly interesting for strength athletes and bodybuilders should be a study that was able to show a significantly increased strength endurance in squats thanks to astaxanthin. In this study, subjects who supplemented astaxanthin were able to increase the maximum number of repetitions possible with a given weight by a factor of three compared to the placebo group (5). More repetitions translate into more time spent under tension and greater gains in muscle mass.
This could be due, among other things, to an increased use of fatty acids for energy supply during training and a related glycogen-saving effect, which comes about because astaxanthin stimulates the activity of the CPT-1 enzyme, which is involved in the burning of fatty acids ( 6).
In addition to its performance-enhancing effects, astaxanthin can also promote and accelerate regeneration after exercise. This is due, among other things, to the fact that the strong antioxidant effects of astaxanthin can neutralize the increased amounts of free radicals that occur during exercise more quickly, which means that they do less damage to muscle cells and other cells in the body can evoke. This is not just theory. A human study was able to show that astaxanthin was able to significantly lower serum levels of several markers for muscle damage after exercise compared to the control group - and less muscle damage means faster recovery after exercise (7).
What other health benefits does astaxanthin have?
In addition to the benefits already mentioned, astaxanthin also has a number of interesting health-promoting properties. Astaxanthin has very strong antioxidant effects that exceed those of other carotenoids such as lutein and beta-carotene by a factor of 10 and that of vitamin E by a factor of 100 (8). What is particularly interesting about this is that astaxanthin not only acts as an antioxidant itself, but at the same time also stimulates and increases the body's own antioxidant enzymes (9). Studies have shown that astaxanthin can increase the antioxidant capacity of the human body by 30 to 120%.
These antioxidant effects are particularly pronounced in the area of the cell membrane, which is based on the fact that astaxanthin is stored in the cell membrane and thereby unfolds its effects both inside and outside the cell. As a result, astaxanthin can reduce the lipid peroxidation that is responsible for the destruction of the cell membrane by free radicals by 40%. An increased exposure to free radicals is associated with all types of diseases, ranging from cardiovascular diseases to degenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's and dementia, and is also seen as one of the factors responsible for accelerating the natural aging process . - Speaking of aging: there is evidence that astaxanthin can increase the activity of the so-called longevity gene FOXO3a by almost 100%, which could protect against age-related diseases (10).
Other human research has found that astaxanthin has anti-inflammatory effects by blocking enzymes and signals involved in inflammatory responses, while at the same time exerting antibacterial effects and improving immune system function by increasing the activity of natural killer cells ).
Further human studies suggest that astaxanthin may lower triglyceride levels and improve cholesterol levels in people with elevated blood lipids, while also improving insulin sensitivity (12). In addition, there is evidence that astaxanthin can improve brain performance and the accuracy of cognitive tests in healthy people (13).
In men with reduced fertility, astaxanthin therapy increased the linear velocity of the sperm and increased sperm production, which increased the probability of fathering a child by a value from 10.5% to 54.5% (14). In addition, there is evidence that astaxanthin may lower both DHT (dihydroxytestosterone) levels in men by inhibiting the 5-alpha reductase enzyme, as well as lowering estrogen levels, while at the same time increasing testosterone levels (15), with astaxanthin in these studies was combined with a saw palmetto extract and therefore further research is required into the isolated effects of astaxanthin.
Last but not least, astaxanthin appears to improve the elasticity and moisture of the skin and counteract the formation of wrinkles (16), which should be a decisive advantage not only for women but also for bodybuilders who want to shine on the competitive stage
Recommended use: Take 1 capsule daily with plenty of water.
Food supplements
Content: 18.9g / 60 capsules
Manufacturer: GN Laboratories Europe, Nero Labs BV, Postbus 278, 5900AG Venlo, NL
1. Shahidi F, Zhong Y. Lipid oxidation and improving the oxidative stability. Chemical Society Reviews. 2010;39(11):4067-79
2. Mattei R, Polotow TG, Vardaris CV, Guerra BA, Leite JR, Otton R, et al. Astaxanthin limits fish oil-related oxidative insult in the anterior forebrain of Wistar rats: putative anxiolytic effects? Pharmacology, biochemistry, and behavior. 2011 Sep;99(3):349-55.
3. Saw CL, Yang AY, Guo Y, Kong AN. Astaxanthin and omega-3 fatty acids individually and in combination protect against oxidative stress via the Nrf2-ARE pathway. Food and chemical toxicology : an international journal published for the British Industrial Biological Research Association. 2013 Dec;62:869-75.
4. Earnest CP, Lupo M, White KM, Church TS. Effect of astaxanthin on cycling time trial performance. International journal of sports medicine. 2011 Nov;32(11):882-8.
5. Curt L. Malmsten ÅL. Dietary Supplementation with Astaxanthin-Rich Algal Meal Improves Strength Endurance Carotenoid Science. 2008;13
6. Aoi W, Naito Y, Takanami Y, Ishii T, Kawai Y, Akagiri S, et al. Astaxanthin improves muscle lipid metabolism in exercise via inhibitory effect of oxidative CPT I modification. Biochemical and biophysical research communications. 2008 Feb 22;366(4):892-7.
7. Djordjevic B, Baralic I, Kotur-Stevuljevic J, Stefanovic A, Ivanisevic J, Radivojevic N, et al. Effect of astaxanthin supplementation on muscle damage and oxidative stress markers in elite young soccer players. The Journal of sports medicine and physical fitness. 2012 Aug;52(4):382-92.
8. Miki W. Biological functions and activities of animal carotenoids. Pure and Applied Chemistry. 1991;63(1):141-6.
9. Ranga Rao A, Raghunath Reddy RL, Baskaran V, Sarada R, Ravishankar GA. Characterization of microalgal carotenoids by mass spectrometry and their bioavailability and antioxidant properties elucidated in rat model. Journal of agricultural and food chemistry. 2010 Aug 11;58(15):8553-9. PubMed PMID: 20681642.
10. Astaxanthin compound found to switch on the FOX03 'Longevity Gene' in mice, University of Hawaii Cancer Center, March 28, 2017
11. Jean Soon Park, Jong Hee Chyun, Yoo Kyung Kim, Larry L Line, Boon P Chew, Astaxanthin decreased oxidative stress and inflammation and enhanced immune response in humans, Nutrition & Metabolism20107:18
12. Hiroshi Yoshida, Hidekatsu Yanai, Kumie Ito, Yoshiharu Tomono, Takashi Koikeda, Hiroki Tsukahara, Norio Tada, Administration of natural astaxanthin increases serum HDL-cholesterol and adiponectin in subjects with mild hyperlipidemia, Artheriosclerosid April 2010Volume 209, Issue 2, Pages 520–523
13. Katagiri M, Satoh A, Tsuji S, Shirasawa T. Effects of astaxanthin-rich Haematococcus pluvialis extract on cognitive function: a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled study. Journal of clinical biochemistry and nutrition. 2012 Sep;51(2):102-7.
14. Comhaire FH, El Garem Y, Mahmoud A, Eertmans F, Schoonjans F. Combined conventional/antioxidant "Astaxanthin" treatment for male infertility: a double blind, randomized trial. Asian journal of andrology. 2005 Sep;7(3):257-62.
15. Anderson ML. Evaluation of Resettin(R) on serum hormone levels in sedentary males.Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition. 2014;11:43.
16. Yamashita E. The effects of a dietary supplement containing astaxanthin on skin condition. FOOD STYLE 21. 2005;9(9):72.
