Rhodiola & Athletic Performance
Rhodiola rosea, referred to as the Arctic or Golden root, grows at high altitudes, on mountain tops and sea cliffs in Europe and Asia and is classified as an adaptagen – a substance that supports the body during times of stress.
In the 8th century, it’s believed rhodiola was used by the Vikings to fight off fatigue and increase stamina, by indigenous Sherpa’s in the Himalayas to adapt to living at high altitude and a “secret” of Soviet-era military used to ramp up resiliency during extended time on the combat field.
Over the last decade, rhodiola has become increasingly popular for use before or after exercise to enhance performance. However, does rhodiola provide the anecdotal benefits suggested in the folklore or are its impacts exaggerated?
Let’s do a quick review of the rhodiola’s active biochemical constituents.
CHEMICAL COMPOSITION & PHARMACOLOGY
Over 140 different compounds have been isolated in rhodiola roots, including phenols, roasvin, rosin, rosarin, terpenoids, flavonoids, anthraquinones and flavonoids. Depending on where the rhodiola is grown, it can markedly change the chemical composition of the plant. It’s believed the family of rosavins - rosavin, rosarin, rosin and salidroside - exert the most important benefits in humans for upgrading performance and health.
Research on isolated tissues, organs and enzymes has revealed that Rhodiola exhibits adaptagenic effects, such as; neuroprotective, cardioprotective, anti-fatigue, anxiolytic, nootropic, anti-depressant and central nervous system (CNS) stimulating effects.(1)
While this seems extremely promising from a performance standpoint, the beneficial effects on mental and physical performance are only seen in approximately 50% of the randomized-control trials (RCTs).
ENDURANCE EXERCISE PERFORMANCE
In 2004, early studies on rhodiola showed that acute doses of 200mg of rhodiola taken one hour before training could improve endurance exercise performance, likely due to increases in pulmonary ventilation. (2)
A more recent study of 15 active collegiate aged-women investigated the effects of a 3mg/kg dose of rhodiola on 6-mile ergometer time-trial bike ride to see if it could improve endurance exercise performance. The results showed the rhodiola group did see improvements in endurance performance and decreased heart rate during maximal training. (3)This suggests rhodiola could be a useful tool for enhancing aerobic capacity in athletes.
However, not all the research supports the benefits of rhodiola on endurance exercise. Studies on elite endurance athletes found that chronic supplementation failed to exert any benefits on maximum heart rate, perceived exertion (i.e. Borg scale), maximum aerobic capacity (i.e. VO2 max) or cycle time.(4) However, The athletes did show improvement in reducing lactate levels and muscle damage after exhaustive exercise, however future studies did not replicate the benefits on muscle damage (5) When athletes did see improvements, the benefits seem to be most impactful in the short-term, at 2-4 weeks after supplementation.
PERCEIVED EXERTION
Perceived exertion is effectively “how hard training feels” for the athlete. Most people will agree, reducing how hard an exercise feels will likely produce a meaningful improvement in performance.
In 2014, a study of 10 males performing two 30 minutes cycling time trials and supplementing with 3mg/kg of rhodiola found significant decreases in perceived exertion and mood state compared to placebo (see figure 1 below). (6) However, they did not find any effects on energy expenditure, carbohydrate or fat oxidation.
MUSCULAR STRENGTH
The research on rhodiola’s ability to enhance muscular strength is minimal. The addition of 200mg of supplemental rhodiola failed to produce any increases in isometric knee-extension torque in one study, and I have yet to see any other research demonstrating this benefit. (7)
IMPROVE ENERGY PRODUCTION
Rhodiola has been suggested to increase ATP - adenosine triphosphate - production, thus potentially leading to superior energy levels and sustained exercise tolerance. Unfortunately, a recent trial investigating the herbal supplements ability to enhance physical performance by improving ATP turnover failed to show any benefits in 12 resistance trained men ingesting 1,500mg of rhodiola over the course of four days. (8)
REDUCING BLOOD LACTATE LEVELS
Rhodiola also displays the ability to reduce muscular damage during exercise. A recent study in 14 trained male athletes found that rhodiola supplementation could reduce blood lactate and creatine kinase levels after exhaustive exercise. (9) In contrast, a 2015 study of 24 experienced marathoners examined the effects of 600mg of rhodiola supplementation for 30 days prior, and 7 days following, a marathon competition. The results were far from impressive; no improvements in race time, delayed onset muscle soreness, liver enzymes, or inflammatory markers. (10)
BOOSTING ANTI-VIRAL IMMUNITY
Rhodiola has recently been shown to contain anti-microbial properties. Interestingly, the study of 24 marathoners who supplemented with rhodiola did experience an increase in bioactive compounds that protect against viral infections following the marathon. (11) This could also be advantageous during intense training periods, when athletes are more susceptible to catching colds and flu.
ANTIOXIDANT SUPPORT
Research in professional rowers showed who received 100mg of rhodiola, twice daily, while training for 1,000m rowing events found that supplementation did increase antioxidant status in rowers, but had no effect on exhaustive exercise.(12) It’s important to note that the addition of supra-physiological doses of antioxidants after training has been shown to blunt adaptations to exercise, therefore taking rhodiola post-training is not ideal. (13)
COGNITIVE SUPPORT
Adaptagens, like rhodiola, can be a useful tool to help get people through a mentally or physically stressful work period. Researchers have shown that rhodiola can improve cognitive function (likely via reducing fatigue levels). Although, not all studies show benefit and the exact mechanism is not known.(14,15,16,17)
ANXIETY SUPPORT
When you’re busy and gearing up for a competition, it’s easy to live in the “future-state”, constantly scheduling and planning your tasks and workouts. Unfortunately, constantly thinking about the future can predispose you to anxiety and anxiety-like symptoms.
Rhodiola has shown potential benefit for anxiety. A recent small study at UCLA investigated the effects of 340mg of supplemental rhodiola, over a 10-week period, on adults between the ages of 34-55 who had been diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). The researchers found the group supplementing with rhodiola had significant improvements in the Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale scores, demonstrating an amelioration in their symptoms.(18)
LOW MOOD SUPPORT
One of the early signs of over-reaching in athletes is low mood. Chronic high volume or high-intensity training can quickly lead over-training tremendous stress on the athlete’s nervous system. This can also occur when you’ve working long hours, and for most amateur athletes, balancing work and training is a difficult task. Epidemiological studies have shown rhodiola may increase the sensitivity of brain cells (i.e. neurons) to two key neurotransmitters - dopamine and serotonin – both of which are essential for optimal cognitive function, memory and improving mood.
Supporting an athlete’s mood, and avoiding the over-reliance of caffeine during intense training blocks, should be a key part of any high-performance program as it will lay the foundation for the athlete to perform their best. Studies show that rhodiola does exert benefit for low mood, although not to the same degree as anti-depressant medications, however it did produce far fewer adverse side-effects than medication.(19) If you or your athlete is struggling with chronic or severe depression, be sure to talk to your doctor about the most effective integrative strategy.
WHAT IS THE IDEAL RHODIOLA DOSE?
The therapeutic dose of rhodiola is typically around 3mg/kg bodyweight. That said, in clinical practice I typically start athletes on 100mg-200mg a day, first thing in the morning on an empty stomach. Unfortunately, obtaining NSF or Informed for Sport forms of rhodiola is very challenging, so ensure you’re not putting your athlete at risk with uncertified products.
Be sure to always look for a standardized extract, products containing 2-3% rosavin and 0.8-1% salidroside, the active ingredients which exert the desired beneficial effects. Avoid taking rhodiola in the evening (after 700pm) or before bed, as it may increase your risk of insomnia or disturbed sleep.
CAN YOU TAKE TOO MUCH RHODIOLA?
Potential side-effects of excessive or chronic intake of rhodiola include dry mouth, increase blood pressure (if you have hypertension, rhodiola should only be taken under supervision from your doctor or naturopath), dizziness, and may worsen anxiety in certain people.
THE BOTTOM LINE: The benefits of rhodiola supplementation are limited, while the risk of contamination is quite high. For professional and Olympic level athletes who undergo testing and cannot risk a contaminated supplement, it simply is not worth the risk.
In the general population, rhodiola may mprove aerobic exercise capacity and reduce perceived exertion. It may also be able to offset symptoms of anxiety or depression that can occur during intense training phases.
Athletes train hard. It would wonderful is there was a “magic bullet” or secret herb from the depths of the jungles or mountain tops that could catapult their performance on to the podium, but the reality is, there is no such thing.
What you eat, how you train, and lifestyle factors like sleep and mental-emotional stress control are the pillars to support elite athletic performance.
Dr. Marc Bubbs ND, MSc, CISSN, CSCS