Supplementation with fucoidan, a polysaccharide derived from brown algae, increases muscle strength and endurance. These are the findings of a human study recently published in Archives of Gerontology and Geriatrics.

Study
Taiwanese researchers affiliated with I-Shou University divided 46 people aged 60 and older into three groups. For 12 weeks, all participants received a powdered supplement twice daily - once in the morning and once in the evening - which they dissolved in liquid.

Participants in the placebo group used a powder containing no active ingredients.

Participants in one experimental group received 825 milligrams of fucoidan per dose, resulting in a total daily intake of 1,650 milligrams.

Participants in the other experimental group received a powder containing BCAAs and vitamin D3 in addition to fucoidan. This group did not perform better than the first experimental group, so we will not focus on it further in this report.

The researchers used a specific fucoidan product from Hi-Q Marine Biotech International, marketed as oligo-fucoidan or OliFuco. Oligo-fucoidan is produced when enzymes break down fucoidan - a sulfur-containing polysaccharide from brown algae - into fragments of approximately 15 kilo Daltons. The body absorbs oligo-fucoidan more effectively than regular fucoidan.

Hi-Q Marine Biotech International sponsored the study.

Results
Calf circumference decreased significantly in the placebo group, indicating a loss of muscle mass. Calf circumference also decreased in the other two groups, but these changes were not statistically significant. Click on the figures below for a larger version.

The test subjects who received fucoidan became significantly stronger physically. When the researchers measured the force with which the subjects could squeeze a hand dynamometer, they found that fucoidan supplementation increased muscle strength by 18–23 percent.

Finally, fucoidan supplementation alone resulted in a substantial increase in the distance the subjects could cover during a 6-minute walk.

Conclusion
"Oligo-Fucoidan supplementation showed promising effects in improving muscle strength and physical performance among community-dwelling older adults, with a meaningful proportion of participants achieving clinically significant improvements," the researchers summarize.

"These findings suggest that Oligo-Fucoidan may serve as a novel, safe, and nonpharmacological intervention for sarcopenia, particularly for individuals who face barriers to regular exercise participation."