Taking ashwagandha supplements (300mg twice a day for 2 months) may boost testosterone levels in young men who lift weights, according to one study that found a much bigger increase compared to a placebo pill.

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Pro

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Against

Evidence from Studies

Supporting (1)

68

Community contributions welcome

68

Examining the effect of Withania somnifera supplementation on muscle strength and recovery: a randomized controlled trial

Randomized Controlled Trial

Human

2015

This study gave men either ashwagandha pills or fake pills while they weight-trained for 8 weeks, and found those taking ashwagandha had a much bigger testosterone increase (96.2 ng/dL) compared to the placebo group (18.0 ng/dL), exactly matching what the claim stated.

Contradicting (0)

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Community contributions welcome

No contradicting evidence found

Gold Standard Evidence Needed

According to GRADE and EBM methodology, here is what ideal scientific evidence would look like to definitively prove or disprove this specific claim, ordered from strongest to weakest evidence.

Source Study

Examining the effect of Withania somnifera supplementation on muscle strength and recovery: a randomized controlled trial

Score: 68

DOI: 10.1186/s12970-015-0104-9

Similar Assertions

Scientists tested whether an herb called ashwagandha helps young men who don't work out build muscle or get stronger, but they only studied men ages 18-50 for 8 weeks, so we don't know if it works for women, older adults, athletes, or if taking it longer makes any difference.

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86%

Taking ashwagandha supplements (300mg twice daily for 8 weeks) while doing weight training makes your arm muscles and chest grow bigger compared to just doing weight training with a fake pill (placebo).

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85%

Taking ashwagandha supplements (300mg twice daily for 2 months) was safe for healthy young men who exercised - none of them had any serious side effects and everyone thought it was either good or excellent to take.

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68

85%

Taking ashwagandha supplements (300mg twice daily) for 8 weeks while doing weight training may help men lose more body fat - about 3.5% versus 1.5% with a placebo pill.

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85%

Taking ashwagandha supplements (300mg twice daily for 8 weeks) helps young men build more leg muscle strength during weight training compared to taking a placebo pill - about 14.5 kg more strength gain versus 9.8 kg with placebo.

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83%