Table of Contents
- What Are Herbal Adaptogens and Why Are Athletes Paying Attention?
- How Adaptogens Work in the Body During Exercise
- Ashwagandha: The Most Researched Adaptogen for Athletes
- Rhodiola Rosea: Endurance, Recovery, and Reduced Muscle Damage
- Panax Ginseng: Heart Rate, Perceived Exertion, and Endurance
- Cordyceps: Aerobic Performance and Heart Rate Efficiency
- Holy Basil, Astragalus, and Turmeric: Supporting Roles in Athletic Health
- Adaptogens and Cortisol: Managing the Stress of Hard Training
- Do Adaptogens Help With Recovery and Muscle Soreness?
- Strength Training vs. Endurance: Which Athletes Benefit Most?
- Dosage, Timing, and Practical Use
- Safety, Drug Interactions, and Banned Substance Status
- Gaps in the Research: What We Still Don't Know
- Key Takeaways for Athletes
What Are Herbal Adaptogens and Why Are Athletes Paying Attention?
Walk into any supplement store or scroll through any athlete's social media feed in 2025, and you will almost certainly encounter the word "adaptogen." It appears on protein powders, pre-workouts, recovery drinks, and standalone capsules. But the concept is far older than modern sports nutrition marketing.
The term "adaptogen" was first formally proposed by Soviet pharmacologist Nikolai Lazarev in 1947. His definition described a substance that could help an organism resist a broad range of physical, chemical, and biological stressors without disturbing normal physiological function. Russian and Eastern European sports programs quietly used certain herbal adaptogens throughout the Cold War era, and interest has only grown as Western sports science has started examining traditional Ayurvedic and Chinese medicinal plants through clinical trials.
At its core, an adaptogen is a plant compound — most often derived from roots, berries, or fungi — that is thought to modulate the body's stress response systems. The primary mechanisms proposed involve the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, the sympatho-adrenal system, and a range of downstream hormonal and inflammatory pathways. For athletes, this matters because hard training is itself a significant physiological stressor. Every heavy squat session, every long run, and every sprint interval triggers a cascade of hormonal responses, inflammatory signals, and oxidative stress that the body must manage and recover from.
The appeal of herbal adaptogens and athletic performance lies in a simple idea: if an herb can help your body handle stress more efficiently, could it help you train harder, recover faster, and perform better on race day?
This post takes a detailed look at what the current science actually supports, where the evidence is solid, where it is still preliminary, and what athletes need to understand before adding adaptogens to their routine.
How Adaptogens Work in the Body During Exercise
Before diving into individual herbs, it is worth understanding the proposed biological mechanisms that connect herbal adaptogens exercise research to real-world athletic outcomes.
The HPA Axis and Cortisol Regulation
When you begin a training session, your hypothalamus signals your pituitary gland, which then signals your adrenal glands to release cortisol. Cortisol is not inherently bad — it mobilizes energy, regulates inflammation, and helps sustain effort. But chronically elevated cortisol from overtraining, inadequate sleep, or life stress can impair muscle protein synthesis, suppress immune function, increase fat storage, and negatively affect mood and motivation.
Adaptogens are thought to act as "buffer" compounds in this system. Rather than suppressing cortisol entirely — which would be counterproductive during exercise — research suggests they may help normalize the cortisol response, preventing it from spiking excessively during heavy training loads and declining too slowly during recovery.
Antioxidant and Anti-Inflammatory Pathways
Exercise generates reactive oxygen species (ROS). In appropriate quantities, ROS actually serve as important signaling molecules that drive training adaptations. But excessive oxidative stress overwhelms the body's antioxidant defenses and contributes to muscle damage, soreness, and impaired recovery. Several adaptogens, including rhodiola, ashwagandha, and turmeric, contain compounds with documented antioxidant activity that may support this balance.
Some adaptogens appear to influence the efficiency of cellular energy production. Cordyceps sinensis, for instance, has been studied for effects on adenosine triphosphate (ATP) synthesis and oxygen utilization — both directly relevant to aerobic performance capacity.
Neurotransmitter and Stress Hormone Modulation
Beyond cortisol, adaptogens may influence catecholamines like adrenaline and noradrenaline, as well as neuropeptide Y and heat shock proteins — all of which play roles in how the body copes with intense physical and psychological stress.
Understanding these mechanisms helps explain why adaptogen athlete research tends to measure outcomes like VO2 max, perceived exertion, cortisol levels, muscle damage markers, and recovery time rather than just simple performance outputs.
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Ashwagandha: The Most Researched Adaptogen for Athletes
If there is one adaptogen that has received the most rigorous clinical attention in the context of sport and exercise, it is ashwagandha (Withania somnifera). The root extract of this Ayurvedic herb has been studied in relation to strength, aerobic capacity, body composition, and recovery — and the results are, by adaptogen standards, fairly impressive.
Ashwagandha and VO2 Max
One of the most commonly cited outcomes in ashwagandha sports research is the improvement of maximal oxygen uptake, or VO2 max — the gold standard measure of aerobic fitness.
A 2019 study by Shenoy and colleagues examined 40 elite Indian cyclists in a randomized comparison design. The researchers reported that ashwagandha supplementation was associated with meaningful improvements in aerobic capacity and VO2 max among these competitive athletes. This is significant because VO2 max improvements are notoriously difficult to achieve through supplementation alone in already-trained athletes; their aerobic systems are already highly developed.
The 2024 review published in the Open Medicinal Chemistry Journal, titled "Adaptogenic Herbs as Natural Sources of Sports Performance Enhancement," summarized review-level evidence concluding that ashwagandha is associated with increased VO2 max, improved muscular strength, and increased muscle size when combined with resistance training programs. The ashwagandha VO2 max relationship appears to be one of the more consistent findings across multiple trials in this literature.
Ashwagandha and Strength Training
The same 2024 review highlighted that ashwagandha's benefits extend beyond endurance sports. When combined with structured resistance training, ashwagandha supplementation has been associated with greater gains in both muscular strength and hypertrophy compared to training plus placebo. Proposed mechanisms include suppression of exercise-induced cortisol spikes (which would otherwise blunt anabolic signaling), as well as direct effects on testosterone levels in some male populations.
The Active Compounds
Ashwagandha's primary active constituents are withanolides — a class of steroidal lactones found in the root. Most clinical trials have used standardized extracts containing between 1.5% and 5% withanolides, with KSM-66 and Sensoril being the most commonly studied branded extracts. This distinction matters: not all ashwagandha products on the market are standardized to the same withanolide content, which makes comparing trial results to commercial products genuinely complicated.
Dosage in Research
Clinical trials on adaptogens athletic performance related to ashwagandha have typically used doses ranging from 300 mg to 600 mg of standardized root extract per day, split into one or two doses. Some studies have used up to 1,000 mg daily. The duration of supplementation in most trials has ranged from 8 to 12 weeks, which aligns with the general understanding that adaptogen effects tend to build over time rather than occurring acutely.
Rhodiola Rosea: Endurance, Recovery, and Reduced Muscle Damage
Rhodiola rosea — also called golden root or Arctic root — grows in cold, high-altitude regions across Europe, Asia, and North America. It has been used in Scandinavian and Russian traditional medicine for centuries, and it was among the adaptogens most extensively studied by Soviet-era sports scientists. Today, modern rhodiola athletic performance research is building a reasonably strong evidence base, particularly in the areas of endurance capacity and post-exercise recovery.
The 2022 Review of 10 Clinical Studies
One of the most useful data points cited by current researchers comes from a 2022 review that analyzed 10 clinical studies on rhodiola rosea and exercise. The findings reported across these studies included:
- Reduced aches and muscle damage following exercise training sessions
- Increased antioxidant capacity in exercising subjects
- Reduced ratings of perceived exertion (RPE) during standardized exercise tests
The RPE finding is particularly interesting from a practical standpoint. If rhodiola supplementation genuinely reduces how hard a given effort feels — at the same absolute workload — athletes could theoretically train at higher intensities before reaching their perceived limit. Over weeks of training, this could compound into meaningful performance improvements even if acute performance gains are modest.
The rhodiola endurance study literature generally points toward effects on endurance performance rather than power output, which aligns with the proposed mechanisms involving oxidative stress reduction, cortisol modulation, and mitochondrial support.
Active Compounds in Rhodiola
The primary bioactive compounds in rhodiola are rosavins (specific to Rhodiola rosea) and salidroside, a phenylpropanoid glycoside also found in other plants. High-quality rhodiola extracts are typically standardized to contain 3% rosavins and 1% salidroside, which mirrors the naturally occurring ratio in the wild plant.
Timing and Dosage
Unlike ashwagandha, which is generally taken daily for chronic effects, rhodiola research includes both chronic supplementation protocols (taken daily for weeks) and acute use protocols (taken shortly before exercise). Some studies have examined rhodiola taken 30 to 60 minutes before a training session or competition, finding acute reductions in perceived fatigue and improved endurance performance. This dual-use profile makes rhodiola a particularly versatile adaptogen for athletes.
Doses used in clinical trials typically range from 200 mg to 600 mg per day of standardized extract, though acute pre-exercise doses at the lower end of this range (200–400 mg) have also shown effects.
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Panax ginseng is perhaps the most globally recognized adaptogenic herb, having been used in East Asian medicine for over two thousand years. Its use in sports contexts has a substantial body of research behind it, though the findings are somewhat mixed depending on the population studied and the outcome measured.
The 2020 Bhattacherjee et al. Study
A well-designed 2020 randomized controlled trial by Bhattacherjee and colleagues provides some of the clearest recent data on ginseng and athletic performance. The study design was double-blind and placebo-controlled — the highest standard for clinical trials — and examined 12 young male endurance athletes.
Participants received 200 mg of Panax ginseng extract taken one hour before exercise. The findings showed:
- Significantly increased endurance capacity compared to placebo
- Lowered heart rate during the exercise bout
- Lowered perceived exertion at the point of exhaustion
Lowered heart rate at the same workload is a meaningful finding. It suggests improved cardiovascular efficiency — the heart delivering the same or greater cardiac output with fewer beats, which is a hallmark of both training adaptation and an effective ergogenic aid.
The reduced perceived exertion finding echoes what appears in rhodiola research and suggests a potential central component to ginseng's effects — perhaps involving stress hormone modulation or neurotransmitter influence on effort perception.
Limitations to Note
The sample size of 12 participants is small, and all were male. As with much of the adaptogen athlete research literature, results from a small, homogeneous group need to be replicated in larger, more diverse populations before strong conclusions can be drawn. The study represents encouraging evidence, but not definitive proof of universal benefit.
Ginsenosides: The Active Compounds
Ginseng's active compounds are called ginsenosides — a family of steroidal saponins. Different ginsenosides appear to have different biological effects, which partly explains why results across studies can vary when different extracts or preparations are used. Standardized extracts with defined ginsenoside content are preferable for both research and supplementation purposes.
Cordyceps: Aerobic Performance and Heart Rate Efficiency
Cordyceps sinensis is a fungus — technically a parasitic fungus that grows on caterpillar larvae in the high-altitude regions of Tibet and the Himalayas — that has been used in traditional Chinese medicine for centuries. Its reputation as a performance-enhancing herb gained international attention after Chinese female distance runners broke multiple world records in 1993 and their coach credited, in part, a cordyceps-based tonic in their training regimen.
Modern research has investigated whether those claims hold up under controlled conditions.
The 2024 Review Findings on Cordyceps
The 2024 Open Medicinal Chemistry Journal review reported findings from cordyceps supplementation studies that are worth examining closely:
- After 12 weeks of supplementation, subjects showed improved aerobic performance
- After 8 weeks of supplementation, subjects demonstrated decreased heart rate at the same moderate-intensity exercise effort
The heart rate finding is consistent with the Panax ginseng data — both suggesting improved cardiovascular efficiency as a potential mechanism of action. A lower heart rate at a given workload means the cardiovascular system is working more economically, which has direct implications for endurance capacity, pacing strategy, and time to fatigue.
Adenosine and ATP Mechanisms
One proposed mechanism for cordyceps' aerobic performance effects involves cordycepin, an adenosine analogue found in the fungus, which may influence cellular energy metabolism and oxygen utilization. There is also some evidence for anti-fatigue effects involving reduced lactic acid accumulation, though the human trial data on this specific mechanism remains limited.
A Practical Note on Sourcing
Wild-harvested Cordyceps sinensis is extraordinarily expensive and difficult to obtain. Most commercial supplements use Cordyceps militaris, a related species that can be cultivated, or mycelium-based products grown on grain substrates. The bioactive compound profiles of these different preparations are not identical, and research conducted on one form may not directly predict the effects of another. Athletes choosing cordyceps supplements should pay attention to the species and part of the organism used.
Holy Basil, Astragalus, and Turmeric: Supporting Roles in Athletic Health
While ashwagandha, rhodiola, and ginseng tend to dominate the adaptogen athlete research headlines, the 2024 Open Medicinal Chemistry Journal review also highlighted several other botanicals with relevance to sports performance.
Holy Basil (Tulsi)
Holy basil (Ocimum tenuiflorum) is revered in Ayurvedic medicine as an adaptogen with broad stress-modulating properties. In the context of athletics, the most relevant research concerns holy basil athletic cortisol dynamics.
Holy basil contains several bioactive compounds, including ursolic acid, eugenol, and rosmarinic acid, that have demonstrated anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects in laboratory settings. Some human studies have reported reductions in cortisol levels and improvements in stress-related biomarkers with regular holy basil supplementation.
For athletes, the potential value lies in its role as part of a comprehensive stress management approach during heavy training blocks. When training volume and intensity are high, life stress is also elevated, and sleep is compromised, the cumulative cortisol burden can significantly impair recovery. Holy basil, in this context, may help dampen that overall stress load — though direct, high-quality evidence in competitive athletes specifically is more limited than for ashwagandha or rhodiola.
Astragalus
Astragalus (Astragalus membranaceus) is a foundational herb in Traditional Chinese Medicine, used for its immune-supporting and adaptogenic properties. For athletes, immune function is not a peripheral concern — intense training is known to temporarily suppress immune defenses, creating windows of increased infection susceptibility. The heavy training-competition cycle can leave athletes particularly vulnerable to upper respiratory illnesses.
Astragalus polysaccharides have shown immunomodulatory effects in research settings, potentially supporting the immune system's resilience under the stress of hard training. Some research also points to antioxidant and anti-fatigue effects. Direct trials specifically measuring athletic performance outcomes are limited, but astragalus may have a role as part of a broader adaptogen strategy focused on health maintenance and training consistency.
Turmeric and Curcumin
Turmeric occupies an interesting position in this discussion because curcumin, its primary active compound, has one of the largest research bodies of any plant compound in sports nutrition — but it is often classified as an anti-inflammatory or recovery agent rather than a traditional adaptogen.
That said, the 2024 review included turmeric in its discussion of herbs relevant to sports performance. Curcumin's well-documented effects on inflammatory pathways (including inhibition of NF-κB signaling) have direct relevance to exercise-induced muscle damage and recovery. Some research has examined curcumin's ability to reduce delayed-onset muscle soreness (DOMS) and accelerate recovery between training sessions.
If your goal is managing the inflammatory load of heavy training, curcumin with piperine (to enhance absorption) has a reasonable evidence base behind it — perhaps more so than some traditional adaptogens for this specific outcome.
Adaptogens and Cortisol: Managing the Stress of Hard Training
The relationship between adaptogens exercise cortisol is one of the most studied and most misunderstood aspects of adaptogen research in sports contexts. Let's unpack it carefully.
Why Cortisol Matters for Athletes
Cortisol is a glucocorticoid hormone released from the adrenal cortex in response to physical and psychological stress. During exercise, cortisol rises to support energy mobilization — breaking down glycogen and triglycerides to fuel working muscles, modulating inflammation, and maintaining cardiovascular function.
The problem arises when cortisol remains chronically elevated beyond what training demands, a situation that can occur with overtraining syndrome, high life stress, inadequate sleep, or prolonged caloric restriction. In this state, cortisol can:
- Suppress testosterone and growth hormone signaling, impairing muscle protein synthesis
- Increase muscle protein catabolism
- Suppress immune function
- Disrupt sleep quality and architecture
- Impair cognitive function and mood
Chronically elevated cortisol is essentially the enemy of adaptation. The training stress you put your body through is only productive if you recover from it, and cortisol is a key variable in that recovery equation.
How Adaptogens Influence the Cortisol Response
The proposed mechanism is not cortisol suppression per se, but cortisol normalization. Research on adaptogens — particularly ashwagandha and rhodiola — suggests they may help the HPA axis respond proportionately to stress rather than overreacting. This means:
- Cortisol still rises appropriately during training to support performance
- The cortisol spike does not exceed what is physiologically necessary
- Cortisol levels return toward baseline more efficiently after training
- The cumulative cortisol burden over a training week is reduced
For athletes in heavy training blocks — pre-competition, during high-volume phases, or when combining intense training with high life stress — this buffering effect on cortisol dynamics could have meaningful practical implications for recovery and long-term adaptation.
What the Research Shows
Multiple studies on ashwagandha have reported reductions in serum cortisol compared to placebo, with the effect being more pronounced in populations experiencing significant stress. Rhodiola research, while less focused on cortisol specifically, points to reduced physiological markers of stress and improved recovery metrics that are consistent with improved cortisol regulation.
An important caveat: most of these studies have measured morning or resting cortisol as a proxy, which may not fully capture the dynamic cortisol response during and after training sessions. The field still needs more research that measures cortisol responses in an exercise-specific context with properly controlled training protocols.
Do Adaptogens Help With Recovery and Muscle Soreness?
Recovery is increasingly recognized as a performance variable in its own right. Athletes who recover faster can train more frequently, accumulate more training volume, and arrive at competitions fresher. The question of whether adaptogens meaningfully improve recovery is one of the more practically important questions in the adaptogens recovery study literature.
Rhodiola and Muscle Damage Markers
The 2022 review of 10 clinical rhodiola studies found reduced aches and muscle damage following exercise training. Reduced muscle damage after training means the inflammatory and structural disruption caused by exercise was attenuated — which could allow faster return to full training capacity and reduced soreness between sessions.
The mechanism proposed involves rhodiola's antioxidant compounds (particularly salidroside and tyrosol) reducing oxidative stress-driven muscle damage, combined with anti-inflammatory effects that modulate the post-exercise inflammatory cascade.
Ashwagandha and Exercise Recovery
Ashwagandha research has examined several recovery-relevant outcomes, including muscle damage markers like creatine kinase (CK), subjective soreness ratings, and exercise performance tests during recovery periods. Some trials have reported lower CK levels following training in ashwagandha groups compared to placebo, suggesting reduced muscle damage — a similar finding to the rhodiola data.
The cortisol-modulating effects of ashwagandha are also recovery-relevant. If ashwagandha reduces the cortisol burden following intense training, this should theoretically support faster restoration of the anabolic environment needed for muscle repair and growth.
The Recovery Picture Across Multiple Adaptogens
The convergence of evidence from multiple adaptogens on recovery-related outcomes is genuinely interesting. Reduced oxidative stress, attenuated inflammatory signaling, and normalized cortisol dynamics are not trivial effects — they hit several of the key biological levers that determine how quickly an athlete can recover from hard training.
That said, this is an area where the research base still needs more rigorous, athlete-specific trials with standardized training protocols, consistent supplementation regimens, and diverse populations. The existing data is promising but not yet definitive enough to make strong, universal recommendations.
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Shop Organic Cortisol Balance DropsStrength Training vs. Endurance: Which Athletes Benefit Most?
One of the most frequently asked questions about adaptogens athletic performance is whether the benefits apply equally to strength athletes and endurance athletes, or whether certain adaptogens are more relevant to specific training types.
The Endurance Evidence
The strongest evidence for adaptogens in sport comes from endurance-relevant outcomes. Rhodiola's effects on RPE reduction, muscle damage, and antioxidant capacity are directly applicable to endurance sports. Panax ginseng's effects on heart rate and endurance capacity point to aerobic mechanisms. Cordyceps's effects on aerobic performance and heart rate efficiency are explicitly endurance-relevant. The ashwagandha VO2 max findings from cyclist populations reinforce this endurance connection.
For endurance athletes — runners, cyclists, swimmers, rowers, triathletes — the overall body of adaptogen evidence is arguably the most compelling and the most directly applicable.
The Strength and Power Evidence
Ashwagandha stands out most clearly here. The evidence for ashwagandha improving strength gains and muscle hypertrophy in combination with resistance training is more developed than for any other adaptogen. The proposed mechanisms — testosterone support, cortisol attenuation during training, and reduced recovery time between sessions — are all relevant to the strength athlete's goals.
For strength and power athletes, ashwagandha appears to be the most evidence-backed choice, though the overall volume of high-quality research is still smaller than what exists for most conventional ergogenic aids.
Combat Sports and Team Sports
Combat sports athletes and team sport athletes face a unique combination of demands: high strength and power requirements, significant aerobic base needs, and extremely high psychological stress. The combination of ashwagandha (for strength and cortisol management) and rhodiola (for endurance capacity and recovery) has been suggested as a complementary stack for mixed-demand sports — though direct trials in these populations specifically are sparse.
The Mental Performance Angle
Competitive athletes at all levels face significant psychological stress. Pre-competition anxiety, performance pressure, and mental fatigue during prolonged events are real performance-limiting factors. Some adaptogens — particularly rhodiola and ashwagandha — have evidence for effects on cognitive function under stress, anxiety reduction, and mental clarity. These effects, while not purely physical, may be meaningful performance variables in their own right, particularly in precision sports, strategy-heavy team games, or during multi-day competition formats.
Dosage, Timing, and Practical Use
Understanding the research is one thing; applying it practically is another. Here is a summary of dosage and timing information based on the clinical literature.
Ashwagandha
- Typical research dose: 300–600 mg/day of standardized root extract (KSM-66 or Sensoril)
- Timing: Most studies have used once or twice daily dosing, often with meals. Some research has used pre-bedtime dosing given evidence for sleep quality improvements
- Duration: Effects appear to accumulate over 8–12 weeks of consistent use; not primarily an acute, pre-workout supplement
- Standardization: Look for extracts standardized to 5% withanolides (KSM-66) or 10% withanolides (Sensoril)
Rhodiola Rosea
- Typical research dose: 200–600 mg/day of standardized extract
- Timing: Can be used both chronically (daily for ongoing benefits) and acutely (30–60 minutes before exercise for pre-workout fatigue reduction)
- Duration: Chronic benefits seen over weeks; acute effects can occur on first use
- Standardization: Look for extracts standardized to 3% rosavins and 1% salidroside
Panax Ginseng
- Research dose: 200–400 mg of standardized extract taken approximately 1 hour before exercise (based on Bhattacherjee 2020 protocol)
- Timing: Pre-exercise timing supported by the endurance study data
- Duration: Benefits appear with both acute and chronic use
- Standardization: Look for extracts standardized to defined ginsenoside content (typically 4–7%)
Cordyceps
- Research protocols: Have used daily supplementation over 8–12 week periods
- Dose range: Studies have varied widely; 1,000–3,000 mg of mycelium or extract per day in many protocols
- Timing: Chronic daily use for aerobic performance benefits
- Sourcing note: Cordyceps militaris fruiting body extracts are more reliably standardized than mycelium-on-grain products
General Practical Considerations
- Most adaptogens work through gradual, cumulative mechanisms and are not acute performance enhancers in the way that caffeine or beta-alanine are
- Starting with a single adaptogen for 8–12 weeks allows you to assess individual response before stacking multiple herbs
- Training and nutrition fundamentals are far more impactful on performance than any adaptogen; supplements should support a strong foundation, not substitute for one
- Cycling use (e.g., 8–12 weeks on, 2–4 weeks off) is commonly recommended, though the evidence for this practice is largely traditional rather than trial-based
Safety, Drug Interactions, and Banned Substance Status
For any athlete considering adding a new supplement, safety is a non-negotiable starting point.
General Safety Profile
The adaptogens discussed in this article — ashwagandha, rhodiola, Panax ginseng, cordyceps, and holy basil — have generally favorable safety profiles when used at researched doses in healthy adults. Adverse events reported in clinical trials have typically been mild and infrequent, most commonly including gastrointestinal discomfort, particularly when adaptogens are taken on an empty stomach.
Ashwagandha has been associated with rare cases of liver enzyme elevation in case reports, though causality has not been clearly established in most of these reports. Athletes with existing liver conditions should exercise particular caution and consult a healthcare provider before use.
Drug Interactions
Several potential interaction considerations are relevant for athletes:
- Thyroid medications: Ashwagandha has demonstrated thyroid-stimulating effects in some studies and may theoretically interact with thyroid medication dosing
- Immunosuppressants: Several adaptogens have immunomodulatory effects that could theoretically interact with immunosuppressive drugs
- Sedatives and anxiolytics: Ashwagandha and holy basil have mild anxiolytic and sedative effects that could compound with prescription medications in this category
- Anticoagulants: Some adaptogens have mild blood-thinning effects that may be relevant for athletes taking anticoagulant medications
- Blood pressure medications: Adaptogens that influence the sympatho-adrenal system could theoretically interact with antihypertensive medications
Banned Substance Status
This is a critical question for competitive athletes, and the answer is straightforward: none of the major adaptogens — ashwagandha, rhodiola, ginseng, cordyceps, holy basil, astragalus, or turmeric — are currently listed on the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) Prohibited List.
However, two important cautions apply. First, individual adaptogen supplements can be contaminated with banned substances during manufacturing. Certified products from companies that use third-party testing programs (NSF Certified for Sport, Informed Sport, BSCG) provide meaningful protection against contamination risks. Second, compound products that combine adaptogens with other ingredients (common in pre-workouts and multi-ingredient recovery blends) may contain prohibited substances even if the adaptogen itself is clean. Always check complete ingredient lists against the WADA Prohibited List and use certified products when competitive stakes are high.
Research Population Limitations
An important safety-adjacent issue concerns how broadly we can generalize trial results. Many adaptogen studies have been conducted in male participants, often with small sample sizes. Evidence in women athletes is more limited, and hormonal interactions that are relevant to female physiology (including effects on estrogen balance and menstrual cycle regularity) have not been thoroughly studied. Women athletes considering adaptogen supplementation should be aware of this evidence gap and monitor for any unexpected changes in menstrual function during supplementation.
Gaps in the Research: What We Still Don't Know
Honest reporting on adaptogen science requires acknowledging what the evidence cannot yet tell us. Multiple sources reviewing this literature have noted that the overall body of evidence remains mixed, with important limitations.
Small Sample Sizes
Many of the cited trials have enrolled fewer than 50 participants. The Bhattacherjee 2020 ginseng study, for instance, had only 12 participants. Small samples reduce statistical power, increase the influence of individual variation, and make it difficult to detect modest but real effects — or to confidently rule out false positives.
Male-Dominated Populations
The preponderance of research in male athletes or male populations generally is a significant limitation. Hormonal dynamics, stress response patterns, and baseline physiology differ meaningfully between sexes, and effects seen in male athletes may not translate to female athletes with the same magnitude or direction. This is an area where the research community needs to invest substantially more effort.
Lack of Long-Term Data
Most trials run for 8–12 weeks. There is very limited data on what happens with adaptogen supplementation over periods of 6 months, 1 year, or longer. Long-term safety, potential tolerance development, and whether performance benefits are maintained or plateau over extended use are all open questions.
Standardization and Product Variability
Clinical trials typically use carefully standardized extracts with verified active compound content. Commercial products vary enormously in quality, standardization, and actual delivered dose. The gap between what was tested in trials and what most consumers actually purchase makes it difficult to predict real-world outcomes from clinical data.
Mechanistic Gaps
While proposed mechanisms are plausible and supported by some laboratory research, the specific mechanisms by which adaptogens produce performance effects in humans are not definitively established. Multiple plausible pathways have been identified, but their relative importance and interactions are not fully understood.
Absence of Recent Primary Trial Data
The most current evidence reviewed here comes primarily from 2024 review-level publications synthesizing older trials. No major new primary intervention trials in athletes were identified for 2025–2026. The field would benefit from well-funded, pre-registered, large-scale trials with diverse athlete populations and standardized supplementation protocols.
Key Takeaways for Athletes
After reviewing all of the available evidence on herbal adaptogens and athletic performance, here is what athletes need to know:
What the evidence supports with reasonable confidence:
- Ashwagandha has the strongest evidence base among adaptogens for sports use, with data supporting improvements in VO2 max, strength, and recovery in multiple trials
- Rhodiola rosea has meaningful evidence for reduced perceived exertion, reduced muscle damage markers, and improved antioxidant capacity in exercising populations
- Panax ginseng has well-designed (if small) trial data supporting improved endurance, reduced heart rate, and reduced perceived exertion during exercise
- Cordyceps has evidence for improved aerobic performance and cardiovascular efficiency over multi-week supplementation periods
- Adaptogens that modulate cortisol and oxidative stress have a physiologically plausible and partially supported case for improving recovery between training sessions
What requires more research:
- Long-term effects beyond 12 weeks
- Effects specifically in female athletes
- Optimal dosing for different athletic populations and sports types
- Head-to-head comparisons between different adaptogens
- Mechanistic clarity on how exactly effects are produced
- Whether benefits observed in recreationally trained populations apply to elite athletes
Practical recommendations:
- Choose one adaptogen to start with, select a quality product with third-party certification, and use a clinically supported dose for a minimum of 8–12 weeks before assessing results
- If you are an endurance athlete, ashwagandha, rhodiola, and cordyceps have the most direct evidence for your primary performance outcomes
- If you are a strength athlete, ashwagandha is the most evidence-backed choice
- Prioritize certified products to reduce contamination risk, especially if you compete under anti-doping regulations
- Consult a sports medicine physician or registered dietitian before starting adaptogen supplementation if you take any medications or have any existing health conditions
- Track your response systematically — subjective markers like sleep quality, recovery sensation, and training motivation are valid data points alongside any objective performance metrics you have access to
- Adaptogens are not magic. They are one small tool within a much larger performance picture dominated by training quality, nutrition, sleep, and stress management
Support Your Stress Response, Lower Cortisol and Feel Calmer, Clearer and More Like Yourself Again.
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Shop Organic Cortisol Balance DropsReferences and Sources
- Bhattacherjee, A. et al. (2020). Effects of Panax ginseng extract on endurance performance in young male athletes. [Cited in Orgain Healthcare review]
- Shenoy, S. et al. (2019). Effects of ashwagandha on aerobic capacity and VO2 max in elite Indian cyclists. [Cited in Orgain Healthcare review]
- Mind Lab Pro (2022). Review of 10 clinical studies on Rhodiola rosea and exercise outcomes. https://www.mindlabpro.com/blogs/nootropics/best-adaptogens-for-athletes
- Open Medicinal Chemistry Journal (2024). Adaptogenic Herbs as Natural Sources of Sports Performance Enhancement. https://openmedicinalchemistryjournal.com/VOLUME/18/ELOCATOR/e18741045309981/FULLTEXT/
- Orgain Healthcare (2024). Harnessing Adaptogens for Athletic Performance: Exploring the Science and Benefits. https://healthcare.orgain.com/news/harnessing-adaptogens-for-athletic-performance-exploring-the-science-and-benefits/
This content is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider before beginning any new supplement regimen.
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