Melatonin Enhances Metabolic Recovery After Endurance Exercise: Time-Dependent Modulation of Glycogen and Triglyceride Levels in Skeletal Muscle and Liver
Alinson Eduardo Cipriano, Taciane Maria Melges Pejon, Wladimir Rafael Beck · Journal of Science in Sport and Exercise · 2026
Abstract
Purpose: This study investigated the time-dependent effects of melatonin administration on recovery following physical exercise, focusing on key tissues involved in energy metabolism and serum markers of skeletal muscle damage.
Methods: Sixty male Wistar rats were subjected to a 60-min swimming session at 90% of the maximal aerobic capacity and then received melatonin (10 mg/kg) or vehicle, being euthanized at 6, 12 or 48 h post-exercise. Data were analyzed using two-way ANOVA with post hoc tests. Effect sizes and multivariate approaches (Integrated Biomarker Response (IBR) and Principal Component Analysis (PCA)) were applied to assess treatment and time effects.
Results: Melatonin significantly enhanced glycogen resynthesis in the soleus, red and white gastrocnemius, gluteus maximus, and liver ( P < 0.01), and concurrently reduced triglyceride content in the soleus, white gastrocnemius, gluteus maximus, and liver ( P < 0.01). Serum glucose, triglyceride, creatine kinase (CK), and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) levels were significantly attenuated in melatonin-treated animals, indicating reduced muscle damage. IBR analysis revealed the most pronounced metabolic modulation at 12 h post-exercise, while PCA showed distinct clustering of melatonin-treated groups, particularly at 6 h, supporting a temporally dynamic effect.
Conclusion: These
Findings: suggest that melatonin improved substrate restoration and enhanced metabolic recovery in a tissue and time-specific manner, likely through mechanisms involving improved glucose uptake, lipid oxidation, and protection against skeletal muscle damage induced by exercise.