Agenda

9:00 – 9:10 AM

Welcome and Introduction

Speaker: Karen Hecht, PhD
Description: A brief introduction to the symposium, its goals, and an overview of the day’s agenda.

9:10 – 9:40 AM

Defeating DOMS and Fighting Fatigue

Speaker: Gaven Barker, PhD
Description: This session examines the multifaceted role of fatigue in athletic performance, with a focus on both physical and cognitive dimensions. Particular attention will be given to astaxanthin, a nutritional intervention shown to reduce delayed-onset muscle soreness and alleviate the negative effects associated with mental fatigue, supporting recovery and sustained performance.
Key Topics: Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness, Mental Fatigue, Athletic Performance
Audience Takeaways: Attendees will learn the latest data on astaxanthin and DOMS and maintaining cognitive function

9:40 AM – 10:10 AM

Unlocking the “Pink” Competitive Edge for Tactical and Occupational Readiness

Speaker: Drew Gonzalez, PhD
Description: What if one nutrient could help tactical athletes recover faster, manage stress, and stay sharp when it matters most? Enter astaxanthin, the powerful nutrient gaining attention in studies on performance and resilience. In this session, we’ll review the latest science, practical uses, and why astaxanthin might be the “competitive edge’ that tactical and occupational athletes can use to boost their performance and stay mission-ready.

Key Topics: Occupational health and readiness; Dietary antioxidants as part of a food-first but not food-only approach; Improving occupational-related recovery to maintain output on the job.

Audience Takeaways:

• Understand the Evidence: Learn how astaxanthin has been shown to reduce oxidative stress, muscle soreness, and fatigue, with direct implications for recovery and resilience in tactical and occupational settings.
• Translate Research to Practice: Discover how to apply cutting-edge findings on astaxanthin to real-world performance nutrition strategies for firefighters, law enforcement officers, military personnel, and other high-stress professionals.
• Unlock the Competitive Edge: Walk away with practical insights on how this emerging “pink powerhouse” may serve as a simple, science-backed tool to keep tactical athletes healthier, stronger, and mission-ready.

10:10 – 10:25 AM

Break

10:25 – 11:10 AM

Panel Discussion: The Future of Interdisciplinary Astaxanthin Science

Panelists: Amrita Sahu, PhD; Siobhan Malany, PhD; Hunter Waldman, PhD
Description: This panel will bring together experts from diverse fields to discuss the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration in advancing astaxanthin research. Panelists will share insights on how their fields intersect and the potential for future breakthroughs.
Key Topics: Interdisciplinary research, collaboration, innovation.
Audience Takeaways: Attendees will learn strategies for fostering collaboration across disciplines and the benefits of integrating diverse perspectives in research.

11:10 – 11:20 AM

Panel Q&A Session

11:20 – 11:30 AM

Concluding Remarks

Speaker: Karen Hecht, PhD
Description: A summary of the day’s key takeaways and a preview of Day 2.

9:00 – 9:10 AM

Welcome and Introduction

Speaker: Karen Hecht, PhD
Description: A brief introduction to the second day of the symposium and an overview of the “Speed-science” format.

9:10 – 9:20 AM

Astaxanthin Impact on Muscle Fiber in Young and Old Female Cells

Speaker: Karly Caples
Description: This talk will explore the effects of astaxanthin on muscle fiber health in both young and aging female cells. Karly will discuss how astaxanthin supports muscle regeneration and its potential to improve physical performance across age groups.
Key Topics: Muscle fiber health, aging, astaxanthin.
Audience Takeaways: Attendees will understand the role of astaxanthin in maintaining muscle health in females across different life stages.

9:20 – 9:30 AM

The Effects of Astaxanthin Supplementation on Cognitive Function Before and After Physical Fatigue in Older Adults

Speaker: Callum Queen
Description: The presentation will explore the effects of the aging process, and physical fatigue on cognitive function. The impact of astaxanthin supplementation on markers of cognitive performance within these contexts and the findings from a provisional experimental study will be discussed. Key Topics: The Relationship Between Astaxanthin Supplementation, Cognitive Performance, Mental Fatigue and Exercise in Older Adults. The Effects of Astaxanthin Supplementation on Cognitive Function Before and After Strenuous Exercise in Older Adults.

Audience Takeaways: Astaxanthin has been shown to offer beneficial effects to higher order facets of cognitive function measured before and after 30 minutes of strenuous exercise. Future research should aim to explore the effects of astaxanthin supplementation within this context in larger more diverse study populations to substantiate the aforementioned claim. 

9:30 – 9:40 AM

Astaxanthin promotes muscle progenitor cell-mediated myogenicity in a sexually dimorphic manner

Speaker: Zach Clemens, PhD
Description: Nutritional strategies supporting muscle health are critical for improving strength and function. We explored effects of astaxanthin on muscle progenitor cells, which facilitate recovery from injury. Some differences in antioxidative effects were observed between male and female cells. Overall, astaxanthin enhanced proliferation and myogenic commitment, likely through a mitochondrially-targeted mechanism.
Key Topics: Astaxanthin and muscle regeneration, aging muscle health. Audience Takeaways: Astaxanthin improves myogenic potential of aged muscle cells. Mechanisms likely include ROS-scavenging as well as improvement of mitochondrial function. Male muscle progenitor cells were more responsive to astaxanthin than female cells, though both showed improvements.

9:40 – 9:50 AM

Open Discussion and Concluding Remarks

Speaker: Karen Hecht, PhD
Description: A summary of the Science Blitz talks, key takeaways, and closing thoughts for the symposium.