Rhodiola Rosae May Help Improve Athletic Performance

Rhodiola rosea, also known as golden root, is a flowering herb that has been used for centuries in traditional medicine. According to a recent study, supplementation with Rhodiola rosae may help improve athletic performance in active individuals.

For their study, researchers used data from 10 studies that evaluated the effect of supplementation with Rhodiola rosae on athletic performance. The studies included between 10 and 48 healthy participants with supplementation periods ranging from 1 hour to 37 days.

Participants who were given Rhodiola rosae supplements saw improvements in athletic explosive power during a repeated bench press exercise. They also reported lower ratings of perceived exertion and improved endurance performance compared to the placebo group.

The researchers found that supplementation with Rhodiola rosae resulted in a decrease in blood creatine kinase levels following exercise. High levels of creatine kinase are a marker of muscle damage. Supplementation also resulted in reductions in skeletal muscle damage after exhaustive exercise.

In addition, supplementation with Rhodiola rosae resulted in significantly higher total plasma antioxidant capacity compared to placebo. This indicates a reduction in oxidative stress.

The study was conducted by researchers from the Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine. It was published online ahead of print on April 7, 2022 in the journal Frontiers in Nutrition.

Vitamin E was found to help protect against muscle damage in a previous study.