Is Rhodiola rosea root extract beneficial during physical activity?

Introduction

Rhodiola rosea, commonly known as Golden Root or Arctic Root, is a perennial herb native to high-altitude regions. It has been traditionally used for its adaptogenic properties, which help the body resist physical, chemical, and biological stressors. Recent research has explored its potential benefits as a supplement during physical activity.

Key Insights

Improved Athletic Performance and Muscle Recovery
- Rhodiola rosea supplementation has been shown to enhance athletic ability, improve muscle recovery, and reduce muscle damage and pain after exercise .
- It also improves anaerobic exercise performance, increasing mean watts, anaerobic capacity, and total work output during repeated high-intensity exercise bouts.
Antioxidant and Anti-inflammatory Effects
- Rhodiola rosea extract reduces oxidative stress produced during muscle contraction, bringing ROS production back to physiological levels .
- It has significant anti-inflammatory properties, inhibiting enzymes related to inflammation and stabilizing cell membranes.
Enhanced Endurance and Fatigue Resistance
- Acute intake of Rhodiola rosea can improve endurance exercise capacity, increasing time to exhaustion and VO2peak.
- Chronic supplementation increases swimming tolerance and reduces fatigue biomarkers in animal models, suggesting improved endurance and energy supply.
Synergistic Effects with Caffeine
- Combined supplementation of Rhodiola rosea and caffeine significantly improves muscle strength, endurance, and overall physical performance in both untrained and trained individuals.
Mental Performance and Reaction Time
- Rhodiola rosea ingestion improves mental performance, including reaction time and the number of correct responses in psychomotor tests, although it does not significantly affect endurance exercise capacity or hormonal profiles.

Conclusion

Rhodiola rosea root extract appears to be beneficial during physical activity. It enhances athletic performance, improves muscle recovery, reduces oxidative stress and inflammation, and increases endurance and fatigue resistance. Additionally, it can improve mental performance and reaction time. The combination of Rhodiola rosea with caffeine further amplifies these benefits, making it a promising supplement for both untrained and trained individuals.

Is Rhodiola rosea root extract beneficial during physical activity?

Summary

Consensus Meter

Introduction

Key Insights

Conclusion

Sources and full results

Effects of Rhodiola Rosea Supplementation on Exercise and Sport: A Systematic Review

Rhodiola rosea supplementation is a safe and effective supplement for improving athletic ability and sports performance without causing obvious adverse reactions.

Rhodiola rosea, a protective antioxidant for intense physical exercise: An in vitro study

Rhodiola rosea root extract can reduce oxidative stress and potentially protect against muscle wasting during intense physical exercise.

Effects of short-term Rhodiola Rosea (Golden Root Extract) supplementation on anaerobic exercise performance

Short-term Rhodiola Rosea (Golden Root Extract) supplementation enhances anaerobic exercise performance in physically active college aged females, potentially offering ergogenic benefits.

Effects of Rhodiola rosea supplementation on mental performance, physical capacity, and oxidative stress biomarkers in healthy men

Chronic Rhodiola rosea supplementation improves reaction time in healthy men without affecting physical performance or hormonal profile, but may increase antioxidant capacity.

Synergistic Effect of Rhodiola rosea and Caffeine Supplementation on the Improvement of Muscle Strength and Muscular Endurance: A Pilot Study for Rats, Resistance Exercise-Untrained and -Trained Volunteers

Combined supplementation of Rhodiola rosea and Caffeine significantly improves resistance exercise performance in both untrained and trained individuals.

Acute Rhodiola rosea intake can improve endurance exercise performance.

Acute Rhodiola rosea intake can improve endurance exercise capacity in young healthy volunteers, without altering this response by prior daily 4-week Rhodiola intake.

Rhodiola rosea: A Versatile Adaptogen.

Rhodiola rosea (rose root) is a versatile adaptogen that enhances physiological functions, reduces depression, and prevents high-altitude sickness, while also being a strong antioxidant and anticarcinogen.

Chronic Rhodiola rosea extract supplementation enforces exhaustive swimming tolerance.

Chronic Rhodiola rosea extract supplementation significantly improves swimming-induced fatigue in rats by increasing glycogen content, energy supply, lipogenic enzyme expressions, and protective defense mechanisms.

Anti‐inflammatory activity of Rhodiola rosea – “a second‐generation adaptogen”

Rhodiola rosea root extract shows anti-inflammatory activity, potentially due to membrane stabilization and inhibition of inflammation-related enzymes.

Rhodiola rosea root extract has antipsychotic-like effects in rodent models of sensorimotor gating.

Rhodiola rosea root extract shows antipsychotic-like effects in rodent models of sensorimotor gating deficits, suggesting potential therapeutic applications for neuropsychiatric disorders.

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