Ashwagandha
Ashwagandha is a supplement that is slowly coming to the forefront in the supplement industry and appearing more and more in individuals supplement regimen.
Other than sounding like something your old school friend Mikey might smoke, what is it and does it have any benefits?
Don’t smoke it by the way.
Introduction
Withania somnifera, also known as Ashwagandha is an Ayurvedic herb originating from India. Whilst various parts of the plant are used, the most common in supplementation is an extract of its roots.
There is a respectable amount of research on Ashwagandha, which certainly surprised me. The research investigates various topics, such as the effects on;
- stress and anxiety,
- neurogenerative diseases,
- weight management,
- brain disorders,
- hyperthyroidism,
- male infertility,
The list goes on and on.
But as we are mainly focused on any benefits that are associated with physical and mental wellbeing, lets keep it to these topics.
Stress
Perhaps the area Ashwagandha has been most researched is for its effect on stress and anxiety, and the results are notable in the short to medium term.
A 2012 study (1) carried out a double blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial on 64 test subjects to test the effect on their chronic stress levels, over a 60-day period. In this trail participants supplemented with 300mg of Ashwagandha root extract twice a day to determine the effects on cortisol levels and markers of stress.
The results were significant reductions in both serum cortisol levels and stress assessment scales.
A comparable study in 2019 investigated the effects of 240mg per day on similar markers of stress and testosterone. The results were largely similar on various scales that measure stress, anxiety, depression, and cortisol levels. Testosterone levels increased in men, but this was not significant in comparison to the placebo group.
Other studies have been conducted to see if Ashwagandha’s stress relieving capabilities can be used to manage body weight, as high body weight and chronic stress are correlated, and the results are positive.
Surely all this research and the results can only be a good thing, right?
It is worth remembering that while there were little to no adverse effects reported over the periods of these trials, more long-term research is needed to see if there are any negative effects or if the stress relieving effects are elongated over time.
VO2 Max and Endurance
More research? Yes please.
There are a few studies, including systematic reviews, that tried to evaluate whether Ashwagandha improves VO2 max, which is a measure of how much oxygen your body can absorb and use during exercise. This is considered the best measure of cardiovascular fitness.
The results are quite positive in that Ashwagandha showed significant enhancement in VO2 max in both athlete and non-athlete population.
However, the research in this area is not 100% concrete or robust. As mentioned, there are only a few studies to assess and although the results are statistically significant, Ashwagandha won’t turn you into a marathon runner overnight.
Conclusion
There is a respectable amount of research. But long term studies are still quite thin on the ground, but most show positive results for the stress relieving capabilities and improvements in VO2 max and cardiovascular endurance.
Most studies are short to medium term at best, circa 8-12 weeks, so if there any adverse effects longer term we would not know.
If you do choose to supplement Ashwagandha for these purposes, 400-600mg a day looks the best bet to see some benefits.
Practically, the benefits could be applied to exercise over 3 minutes that utilises the aerobic energy system and for the relief of chronic stress that is associated with day-to-day modern life.
It may also be useful to reduce stress for athletes who are in peak training periods to enhance recovery markers, improve sleep and reduce cortisol levels.
