Research · Randomised controlled trial
Effect of spirulina maxima supplementation and aerobic exercise on body composition
Hernández-Lepe et al. · 2018 · Marine Drugs
Key finding
Spirulina plus aerobic exercise produced significantly greater reductions in body fat percentage and BMI than exercise alone. Spirulina alone (no exercise) showed non-significant improvements. The spirulina-plus-exercise group also showed better VO₂max improvements than exercise only.
Why this matters for consumers
Demonstrates that spirulina's body-composition effects are additive to exercise rather than independent — a key nuance missing from most weight-loss marketing. The VO₂max improvement in the combined group suggests the mechanism may operate through enhanced exercise capacity, with body composition improvement following as a downstream effect.
Study limitations
Small sample; obese population (results may not generalise to healthy weight individuals); 12-week duration.
Related studies
Ergogenic and antioxidant effects of spirulina supplementation
Kalafati et al. · 2010
The effect of spirulina supplementation on exercise performance
Gurney & Juturu · 2004
Anti-obesity and anti-inflammatory effects of spirulina in obese adults
Park et al. · 2008
Spirulina supplementation and body weight: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Colla et al. · 2020
New research, when it matters
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