Lee Swanson Research Update

Rhodiola Improves Exercise Performance

February 2005

Athletes taking 200 mg of Rhodiola rosea before exercise showed a statistically significant overall improvement in performance after exercise, according to a study reported in the International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism.

Researchers used a rhodiola extract containing three percent rosavin and one percent salidroside in their four-week study. Twenty-four young adults were given 200 mg of the extract and studied for impact on physical capacity, muscle strengths, speed of limb movement, reaction time and attention.

On day one of the study, one group of subjects was given 200 mg of Rhodiola rosea extract and one group was given a placebo. Both groups were checked for speed of limb movement, aural and visual reaction time and the ability to sustain attention. On day two, the two groups were again given either 200 mg of Rhodiola rosea or a placebo. They were then checked for maximal isometric knee-extension torque and endurance exercise capacity. After a five-day cleansing period, the tables were turned. The placebo group in the first phase of the study was given Rhodiola rosea and the original rhodiola group was given a placebo.

Researchers noted an increased time to exhaustion in study subjects taking rhodiola as well as increased pulmonary ventilation, leading them to conclude that Rhodiola rosea intake can improve endurance exercise capacity in young healthy volunteers.

International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism 14(3):298-307, 2004

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