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Meldonium lacks proven ergogenic benefit in healthy athletes, review findsEvidence is lacking for Meldonium to improve athletic performance

AI-generated summary of the cited source, checked by automated accuracy review. How we work

Key Takeaway
Interpret Meldonium's ergogenic claims cautiously due to lack of high-quality evidence in healthy athletes.

This narrative review synthesizes available evidence on Meldonium, a drug used off-label for its purported ergogenic effects. The review covers biochemical mechanisms, pharmacokinetics, and safety profile, but focuses on the drug's ergogenic potential in healthy athletes.

The authors report a profound lack of high-quality, randomized placebo-controlled trials demonstrating consistent ergogenic benefits in healthy athletes. Existing human performance studies are characterized by high risk of bias and methodological flaws, limiting the reliability of any positive findings.

Safety data are not reported in detail, and the review does not provide pooled effect sizes or quantitative synthesis. The authors aim to clarify Meldonium's pharmacological profile to inform athlete health considerations and guide future research.

Limitations include the poor quality of available literature. Clinicians should interpret claims of ergogenic benefit with caution, as current evidence does not support Meldonium's use for performance enhancement in healthy athletes.

If you are an athlete looking for a way to push your limits, you might have heard of Meldonium. Some people believe it can help with physical performance and endurance. However, when we look closely at the actual data, the picture becomes much less clear.

Experts reviewed the existing research on how Meldonium affects healthy athletes. They found a significant lack of high-quality, randomized trials to prove that it actually provides any consistent benefits for performance. Most of the current information comes from studies with major flaws or a high risk of bias, making it hard to trust the results.

While the drug has been studied for its chemical properties, we still need much better research to understand its true impact on safety and effectiveness. For now, there is no solid evidence to suggest that Meldonium gives athletes a reliable advantage in their training or competition.

What this means for you:
There is currently no high-quality evidence that Meldonium improves performance for healthy athletes.

Study Details

Study typeSystematic review
EvidenceLevel 1
PublishedJun 2026
View Original Abstract ↓
Meldonium has attracted considerable attention in sports due to its suggested effects on energy metabolism and high-profile doping cases. This narrative review evaluates Meldonium's biochemical mechanisms, pharmacokinetics, safety profile, and the quality of evidence surrounding its use in athletes. While Western literature categorizes Meldonium as a metabolic modulator, Eastern literature often classifies it as an antihypoxic agent. By inhibiting carnitine biosynthesis, Meldonium shifts substrate utilization from fatty acid oxidation toward more oxygen-efficient glucose metabolism. However, despite its widespread use and inclusion on the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) prohibited list, there remains a profound lack of high-quality, randomized placebo-controlled trials demonstrating consistent ergogenic benefits in healthy athletes. Existing human performance studies exhibit a high risk of bias and methodological flaws. This review provides a critical appraisal of the current literature, highlighting the physiological trade-offs of Meldonium use and emphasizing the need for rigorous clinical trials to determine its genuine impact on athletic performance and long-term safety. This comprehensive review aims to clarify Meldonium's pharmacological profile, inform athlete health considerations, and guide future research into its legitimate clinical and sports applications.
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