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Increasing testosterone is one of the most popular desires fitness enthusiasts have. Higher testosterone levels, supposedly, increase muscle mass and reduce fat to a great extent. So, recently Ashwagandha has received a lot of attention for its supposed testosterone-boosting properties. Let us take a deep dive into the benefits it has to offer for fitness enthusiasts and find out if this is the world’s first natural testosterone booster.
In one study by Lopresti and colleagues, overweight participants between the age of 40-70, with mild fatigue, were divided into two groups. One group was given Ashwagandha extract, Shoden beads, and the other one was given a placebo. It was carried out for 16 weeks and in the end, they found out that the group which consumed Ashwagandha had an 18% increase in DHEA-S and 14% increase in testosterone. Also, there was no difference in cortisol levels and how the participants felt.
Another study by Lopresti and colleagues had 60 participants and it went on for 60 days. Again, they were divided into two groups, one group was given 240mg of Ashwagandha extract and the other one was placebo. In this one, the group which consumed Ashwagandha had a significant reduction in stress levels and also a reduction in morning cortisol levels.
A study by Ahmad and colleagues showed significant improvements in testosterone levels in the case of 75 infertile men. So, Ashwagandha did help to bring their testosterone levels back to normal. However, one thing to note here is that the participants were infertile men.
So, does Ashwagandha increase testosterone? Not really. Ashwagandha is an excellent stress reliever which is a big reason why it is being consumed for centuries. So, maybe the increase in testosterone could be due to a reduction in cortisol and stress levels. If someone has low testosterone due to some problem, Ashwagandha can help to bring it back to normal. But, it is highly unlikely that it will increase testosterone beyond limits. For healthy people with optimal test levels, it will not have a big impact. Even if it does increase testosterone by 10%, practically speaking, it will not have any visible impact on muscle size. Increasing natural testosterone is not going to make the muscles bigger. For that, an insane amount of testosterone is required which has to be injected through the backside, aka steroids.
But, Ashwagandha is a great supplement for improving strength, cardiovascular endurance, and muscle size. A eight week study by Sachin Wankhede and colleagues showed that the group which consumed Ashwagandha had significant increase in the bench press and leg extension one rep maxes. Also, they found a significant increase in muscle size and reduction in fat. Most importantly, they had a significant reduction in muscle damage which will make recovery faster. Also, there was an increase in testosterone levels.
In a study by Jaspal Singh Sandhu, participants were given Ashwagandha and Terminalia Arjun for 8 weeks. They found out that Ashwagandha improved velocity, power, and VO2 max, while Terminalia Arjun improved VO2 max and reduced resting systolic blood pressure. So, Ashwagandha is beneficial even for cardiovascular sports along with strength and hypertrophy gains.
Ziegenfuss and colleagues found out that Ashwagandha supplementation improved one rep max in squat, bench press, and performance in 7.5km cycling with better-perceived recovery scores.
And finally, in 2021, there was a systemic review of 12 studies which again concluded that Ashwagandha is beneficial for improving performance for athletes. The metanalysis also gave a recommendation of 300-500mg of Ashwagandha twice per day, in the morning and before going to bed, that might be safe and beneficial for both men and women who workout.
To conclude, Ashwagandha is a good supplement for people interested in fitness. Do not consume it for just improving testosterone but for recovery, relaxation, and better performance. If it does not increase testosterone, it could be due to the user having optimal testosterone levels which is something positive. Also, consulting an Ayurvedic doctor would be helpful to know how much and when to consume. There will be a difference in consumption amount for a serious athlete, normal gymgoer, and average man. Aswagandha also has many more benefits than this, but this article was just about the fitness aspects. People not into fitness can also consume Ashwagandha and reap its many benefits.
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