SYSTEMATIC REVIEW article
Front. Nutr.
Sec. Sport and Exercise Nutrition
This article is part of the Research TopicThe Role of Nutritional Interventions in Optimizing Exercise Outcomes and RecoveryView all 12 articles
Timing-Dependent Effects of Melatonin Supplementation on Exercise Performance and Exercise-Induced Muscle Damage: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Provisionally accepted
- 1Shandong University, Jinan, China
- 2Beijing Sport University, Beijing, China
- 3Universiti Sains Malaysia, Minden Heights, Malaysia
- 4University of Jinan, jinan, China
Select one of your emails
You have multiple emails registered with Frontiers:
Notify me on publication
Please enter your email address:
If you already have an account, please login
You don't have a Frontiers account ? You can register here
Background: Melatonin, an endogenous neurohormone with both chronobiotic and antioxidant properties, has been proposed as a nutritional aid for recovery and performance optimization. However, its timing-dependent effects on athletic performance remain unclear. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the timing-dependent effects of melatonin supplementation on exercise performance and exercise-induced muscle damage in athletes and physically active individuals. Methods: A comprehensive search of PubMed, Web of Science, SPORTDiscus, and Cochrane Library was conducted from inception to September 2025. Only randomized controlled trials (RCTs) published in English examining melatonin versus placebo effects on athletic performance and muscle damage biomarkers were included. Results: Nineteen RCTs involving 266 participants met the inclusion criteria. Meta-analysis revealed small effects on explosive power (SMD = 0.29, 95% CI: 0.05 to 0.53, p = 0.02, I² = 0%) and moderate effects on endurance performance (SMD = 0.58, 95% CI: 0.29 to 0.87, p < 0.001, I² = 46%). Melatonin significantly reduced creatine kinase levels (SMD = 0.59, 95% CI: 0.29 to 0.89, p < 0.0001, I² = 0%), with non-significant effects on lactate dehydrogenase (SMD = 0.45, 95% CI: -0.03 to 0.94, p = 0.07, I² = 56%). Subgroup analyses revealed timing-dependent effects: evening administration with >6-hour exercise intervals produced superior benefits for both endurance performance and explosive power compared to daytime administration or shorter intervals. Higher doses (6 – 10 mg) and athlete populations demonstrated greater improvements, while adolescents (≤18 years) showed enhanced explosive power responses. Conclusions: These findings suggest that melatonin supplementation, particularly when administered in the evening with adequate timing intervals, enhances endurance performance and reduces exercise-induced muscle damage in athletes during intensive training periods. The review followed PRISMA guidelines and was registered on PROSPERO (CRD420251178430).
Keywords: Athletic Performance, endurance performance, Meta-analysis, Muscle damage biomarkers, Nutritional supplem entation, Systematic review
Received: 09 Nov 2025; Accepted: 13 Jan 2026.
Copyright: © 2026 Guo, Shi, Zhou, GU, Sun, Liu and Chao. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Wei Chao
Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.