Athletes, fitness enthusiasts and weekend warriors are constantly on the lookout for ways to improve their performance and their body’s ability to handle the arduous workouts. The strenuous physical routine often leads to exhaustion, muscle damage and fatigue.
Ashwagandha, an Adaptogenic herb, is also considered as a Rasayana – that promotes physical and mental health, slows down aging process, defends against diseases and adverse environmental factors and also accelerates the process of cell repair in the body. As a sports performance supplement, the benefits of Ashwagandha aren’t limited to just increasing performance.
An 8- week, randomised, double blind, placebo-controlled study published in the Journal of International Society of Sports Nutrition, investigated the effect of KSM-66 Ashwagandha root extract as an ergogenic supplement and recovery aid in 57 male athletes. At the end of the study, not only did KSM-66 Ashwagandha root extract supplementation significantly increase muscle strength, muscle size and testosterone levels, but also had significantly decreased amount of serum muscle creatine kinase levels, a marker for exercise induced muscle damage.
In another study, researches evaluated the ergogenic effect of KSM-66 Ashwagandha root extract in both male and female participants for 8 weeks. This randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled study involved 80 participants of both gender. At the end of the study, it was found that KSM-66 Ashwagandha root extract supplementation not only demonstrated a statistically significant improvement in muscle strength, muscle size, immunity and overall quality of life, but also demonstrated a statistically significant decline in exercise induced muscle damage.
A study published recently in the Journal of Ethnopharmacology found that supplementation with KSM-66 Ashwagandha root extract may aid in recovery, along with enhancing cardiorespiratory endurance. In this placebo-controlled, double-blind, randomised clinical trial, 50 athletic individuals received either KSM-66 Ashwagandha root extract or placebo for 8 weeks. Cardiorespiratory fitness, endurance and recovery were measured in this study. Researchers found that, after 8 weeks, KSM-66 Ashwagandha root extract supplementation showed a significant improvement in recovery assessed through the RESTQ (Recovery-Stress Questionnaire) scores.
The exquisiteness of Ashwagandha is that it offers more than just athlete specific benefits, that enhances both psychological and physiological functioning. It is a natural fit in the sports nutrition industry and you will find Ashwagandha in our Super Male T testosterone building product.