Marine Clamworm Extract Dramatically Boosts Stamina and Fights Fatigue

Fatigue is a widespread physiological barrier in modern society that lowers work performance and serves as a risk factor for various chronic conditions. Researchers are actively looking for safe, natural functional foods to combat physical exhaustion without the side effects associated with long-term stimulant use. A team of scientists set out to test whether an enzymatic extract from a commercially important marine species could boost physical stamina and protect muscle tissue.

The study evaluated a specialized mixture derived from the marine clamworm, scientifically known as *Perinereis aibuhitensis*. The researchers extracted and optimized a protein-rich hydrolysate using the commercial enzyme Flavourzyme, achieving a high degree of hydrolysis. Further laboratory analysis, published in Food Science & Nutrition, detailed the separation of the hydrolysate into distinct peptide and polysaccharide fractions to uncover how each component contributes to physical recovery.

How Clamworm Extracts Boost Physical Stamina in Laboratory Tests

To test the anti-fatigue properties of the clamworm mixture, the team administered the preparation, along with its isolated peptide and polysaccharide portions, to male mice via oral gavage over a 30-day period. The researchers tracked physical endurance using both a rotarod retention test and a weighted exhaustive swimming assay. Mice that received the clamworm treatments demonstrated remarkable improvements in staying power compared to untreated control animals.

Specifically, the swimming time until exhaustion was prolonged by over 80 percent in mice receiving the crude hydrolysate, and by more than 114 percent in the group receiving the isolated peptide fraction. This remarkable extension in endurance points to a powerful ability to delay physical exhaustion. The team also observed that treated mice retained better muscle fiber organization and experienced significantly less cellular damage after intense exercise.

The Biochemical Drivers Behind Reduced Fatigue and Muscle Damage

Intense physical exertion typically depletes immediate energy reserves while causing a damaging surge of metabolic waste products and oxidative stress. Biochemical assays revealed that the clamworm supplements successfully countered these physiological hurdles by altering key energy and antioxidant markers. Treated animals showed significantly lower concentrations of blood lactic acid and blood urea nitrogen, two primary byproducts that accumulate during heavy exertion and contribute to muscle fatigue.

• Blood Lactic Acid: Reduced by up to 30 percent in treated groups, preventing the severe drop in intramuscular pH that halts ATP synthesis.
• Muscle and Liver Glycogen: Rose significantly, ensuring that animals maintained an adequate energy reserve during sustained activity.
• Cellular ATP Levels: Jumped by up to 160 percent in the hydrolysate group, providing the immediate energy currency required for muscle contraction.

Furthermore, the treatments protected the animals by curbing the leakage of creatine kinase, an enzyme whose presence in the bloodstream signals muscle fiber injury. Stained tissue sections of the gastrocnemius muscle confirmed that the clamworm preparations preserved healthy cell morphology and prevented the shrinkage and large intercellular gaps seen in fatigued controls.

Antioxidant Defenses and the Role of Branched-Chain Amino Acids

The investigators attribute the success of the marine extract to a multicomponent synergy. First, the peptide fraction contained an abundance of small molecular weight peptides rich in branched-chain amino acids, such as leucine, isoleucine, and valine. These specific amino acids are oxidized directly in skeletal muscle to supply energy and support protein synthesis, while potentially mitigating central nervous system fatigue.

Second, the polysaccharide components were separated into a glycogen-like fraction that optimizes glucose reserves and a sulfated heteroglycan fraction that boosts internal antioxidant defenses. Serum activity levels for protective enzymes like superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase increased by up to 65 percent in the treated subjects. These antioxidant enzymes scavenge reactive oxygen species, clearing the oxidative surge that damages mitochondria during heavy exertion.

While these laboratory findings highlight significant potential for natural health product development, the researchers note important limitations in their current design. The work utilized a single fixed dose for the peptide and polysaccharide components, meaning future investigations will need to explore dosage gradients to establish exact thresholds for human translation.

The research was published in Food science & nutrition on November 11, 2026.