The Study
Examining the effect of Withania somnifera supplementation on muscle strength and recovery: a randomized controlled trial
This is like a science experiment where they split 50 men into two groups - one got ashwagandha pills, the other got fake pills. Neither the men nor the researchers knew who got what. Both groups did the same weight training for 8 weeks. The ashwagandha group got stronger muscles and more testosterone. Because of how the study was set up (random, with a fake pill group to compare against), we can be pretty confident the herb actually caused these changes - it's not just coincidence.
Analysis score
Maximum 90 for a randomized controlled trial.
Where the score came from
In this study, young men who took ashwagandha while doing weight training got stronger and bigger muscles than men who took a placebo pill.
Where does this study sit?
Reviews of RCTs (Meta-analyses)
Max 100Randomized Trials
Max 90Reviews of Cohort Studies
Max 85Cohort Studies
Max 72Reviews of Case-Control Studies
Max 63Case-Control Studies
Max 58Cross-Sectional & Case Series
Max 50Expert Opinion
Max 568 / 100
Quality score
Participants are randomly assigned to treatment or control groups, minimizing bias. The gold standard for testing whether an intervention causes an effect.
Key takeaways
Summary
Based on the study abstract and findings.
- 1Yes - the differences are substantial.
- 2Ashwagandha group nearly doubled the bench press improvement compared to placebo, and the effect sizes are large enough to be meaningful for someone starting weight training.
- 3Men taking ashwagandha could lift 46 kg more on bench press vs 26 kg for placebo.
- 4They gained more arm muscle (8.6 cm² vs 5.3 cm²) and lost more body fat (3.5% vs 1.5%).
- 5Their testosterone also went up much more (96 vs 18 ng/dL).
Score breakdown, methodology, conflicts of interest, evidence analysis & raw study data
Publication
Journal
Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition
Year
2015
Authors
S. Wankhede, Deepak Langade, K. Joshi, Shymal R Sinha, Sauvik Bhattacharyya
Related Content
Claims (9)
Taking ashwagandha supplements (300-600mg every day) for about 2 months makes people stronger at bench pressing, according to this claim.
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).
Taking ashwagandha supplements while weight training helps men build more muscle strength - they could lift about 46 kg more on bench press vs 26 kg more with placebo
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.
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.
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.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making health decisions.