From powerlifters to hybrid athletes and beyond, everyone’s looking to boost performance. If you’ve found your progress has stalled (aka the dreaded fitness plateau), it might be time to invest in a new supplement. 

While creatine, BCAAs, and protein powders are popular (and well-studied) performance boosters, ashwagandha, an evergreen shrub popular in Ayurvedic medicine could be the missing piece in improving muscle strength, growth, and endurance, according to a recent study published in F1000Research.

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Ashwagandha is found in varying parts of India, Africa, and the Middle East, it’s known for its bioactive compounds—specifically withanolides—which are said to have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. Now it may have more benefits than we ever thought before. 

The study followed 73 healthy male and female participants aged 18 to 45 for eight weeks. During this time, participants were randomly allocated in a 1:1 ratio to receive either 300mg ashwagandha capsules or an identical placebo pill twice daily. Study volunteers were also instructed to participate in an identical eight-week resistance training program at the same time they took ashwagandha (or the placebo). 

Participants were excluded if they were taking any other nutritional supplements, medications, or steroids used to enhance physical performance in order to see the true effect ashwagandha may have. Any individuals with a history of drug abuse, who smoked more than 10 cigarettes a day, or regularly consumed more than 14 grams of alcohol per day were also excluded. Lastly, participants who were on varying medications such as beta-blockers, hormonal contraceptives, or psychotropic substances for the three months prior to the study were also ruled out. 

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After the end of the eight weeks, researchers found that not only was there a greater improvement in participants’ strength on the bench press, but their endurance and muscle girth on their arms, chest, and thighs improved in both male and female participants. 

This study isn’t the first to find that the popular herb has positive effects on strength. In fact, another study published in 2010 found that ashwagandha may be useful in improving speed, lower limb muscular strength, and neuromuscular coordination. 

While ashwagandha may be a helpful tool in increasing strength and endurance, more studies are needed to determine their effects long term and on different kinds of people, not just individuals who perform resistance training. 

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