Abstract: Exercise-induced fatigue can result in physical deprivation, diminished concentration, and decreased work capacity, etc. Food-derived anti-fatigue agents, originating from diverse sources, possess substantial potential to alleviate these effects and hold broad prospects for development in functional food and healthcare sectors. This paper overviews biomarkers such as lactate, glycogen, lactate dehydrogenase, and urea nitrogen, which are intimately linked to the severity of exercise fatigue. The primary mechanisms for mitigating exercise fatigue include enhancing energy reserves, clearing metabolites, preserving redox balance, curbing inflammation, and reducing central nervous system fatigue. The review also lists food-borne active ingredients with significant anti-fatigue potential and discusses their synergistic interactions in alleviating fatigue, to provide a theoretical foundation for the development and application of food-borne anti-fatigue foods and health products.