New clinical study shows astaxanthin enhances cognitive performance in active women

A new clinical study shows that AstaReal’s natural astaxanthin significantly improves cognitive performance and resilience to mental fatigue in recreationally active young women.

“The group supplemented with AstaReal^® Astaxanthin showed significant improvements in key areas of cognitive function even after mental fatigue, while the placebo group showed no such changes,” the study authors write.

In the new study, participants received AstaReal^® Astaxanthin showed significant improvements in several measures of cognitive performance, compared to both baseline and placebo. Task-switching performance improved with a 19% reduction in reaction time and a 10% increase in correct responses per second. Participants also responded 23% faster on a distraction-heavy task while making 3% fewer errors. They also reported lower perceived mental exertion.

“These improvements were most significant in tasks requiring higher-level cognitive processing, like inhibition and cognitive flexibility. This suggests astaxanthin may specifically support the brain’s executive functions, which are often the first to decline when we’re mentally tired.”

The double-blind, placebo-controlled study included twenty-five recreationally active women who supplemented with 12 mg per day of AstaReal^® Astaxanthin or a placebo for four weeks. Cognitive performance was assessed before and after supplementation, and mental fatigue was induced using a 20-minute adaptive high-load cognitive challenge.

Mental fatigue is increasingly recognized as a critical performance factor, particularly among women, who report higher levels of fatigue than men in large population studies.

“This opens up new possibilities for supporting cognitive health in female athletes through nutrition-based solutions. If we can reduce the impact of mental fatigue on physical performance while maintaining focus and reaction time, it could have significant implications for better performance and overall well-being in everyday life”, say the authors. 

Astaxanthin is one of nature’s most potent antioxidants and one of the few capable of crossing the blood–brain barrier. This unique property allows astaxanthin to help neutralize free radicals generated during intense cognitive activity, thereby supporting the brain’s executive functions and overall cognitive performance.