Effects of <i>Withania somnifera</i> (Ashwagandha) Supplementation on Exercise Performance: A Systematic Review and Three-Level Meta-Analysis
Li X, Li H, Yao S, Hou Y, Chi A
Nutrients · 0 citations
How it was studied
- Design
- Meta-analysis (indexed by PubMed)
- Studied in
- People
- Main outcome
- Health markers and function
Who paid for it
- Funding
- Independent funding
- Government
- National Education Science Planning Foundation of China
Based on 1 listed funder(s) and full-text disclosure statement.
Publication
- Published
- 2026-06-12 · Nutrients · vol. 18 · issue 12 · p. 1915
- Publisher
- Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute
- Cited
- 1 citation · more than 95% of similar papers · 4.3× the field average
- Impact
- Top 10% most cited in its field
- References
- 71 works
- Access
- Open access (journal) · CC-BY
- Research areas
- Phytochemicals and Medicinal Plants · Mindfulness and Compassion Interventions · Hormonal and reproductive studies
- Keywords
- Withania somnifera, Placebo, Blinding, Aerobic exercise, Randomized controlled trial, Confidence interval, VO2 max, Cohort study
- MeSH
- humans, withania, plant extracts, dietary supplements, adolescent, adult, female, male, randomized controlled trials as topic, athletic performance, young adult
5 authors
From CN
- Xiupeng LiShaanxi Normal University
- Hansen LiSichuan Agricultural University
- Shuqi YaoShaanxi Normal University
- Ying HouShaanxi Normal University
- Aiping Chi · correspondingShaanxi Normal University
Abstract
Background/objectives
Evidence for herbal ergogenic aids remains uncertain, and ashwagandha trials span heterogeneous performance domains. This review evaluated oral Withania somnifera supplementation on exercise performance and explored participant-, outcome-, formulation-, and supplementation-related moderators.
Methods
PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, Embase, and SPORTDiscus-EBSCO were searched from inception to 1 April 2026. Eligible randomized controlled trials compared oral ashwagandha with placebo or control conditions and reported objective exercise-performance outcomes. Dependent effects were synthesized using restricted-maximum-likelihood three-level random-effects models; 95% prediction intervals, GRADE certainty ratings, subgroup analyses, and dose/duration meta-regressions were reported.
Results
Thirteen trials involving 599 participants contributed 79 effect sizes. Samples were mainly young adults or athletes; reported ages included one 18-40-year trial and one late-adolescent athlete cohort aged 17.4 ± 1.7 years. Trial-level sex composition was four male-only, one female-only, three mixed-sex, and five incompletely reported cohorts. Ashwagandha improved overall exercise performance on average (Hedges' g = 0.47, 95% CI [0.25, 0.69], p 2 = 60%; 95% prediction interval [-0.40, 1.33]), but the prediction interval crossed zero. Exercise type was the clearest moderator (P_between = 0.006): evidence was most consistent for aerobic endurance (g = 0.54, 95% CI [0.22, 0.85], p = 0.002), whereas strength effects were positive but uncertain and power or muscular endurance evidence remained sparse. Dose analyses were hypothesis-generating; 500-600 mg/day was the most evidence-supported extract-dose range.
Conclusions
Oral ashwagandha may improve selected exercise-performance outcomes, particularly aerobic endurance, but benefits are not uniform across contexts. Future trials should be preregistered, adequately powered, double-blind, formulation-standardized, sex-stratified, and include rigorous blinding checks, mechanistic endpoints, adverse-event monitoring, and sport-specific performance tests.
Abstract via Europe PMC. Copyright remains with the authors or publisher (CC BY).
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