By Linda Woolven and Ted Snider, The Natural Path
Attention athletes! This large, new study concludes that the herb Rhodiola rosea can improve endurance training and performance.
A new meta-analysis of Rhodiola rosea and endurance performance included 26 double-blind studies of 668 people. Half the studies were on trained athletes and half were on untrained athletes. 15 of the studies were on males, 3 were on females and 8 included both.
The results show that rhodiola significantly improves endurance performance compared to controls. The herb significantly improved maximal oxygen uptake (VO2 max), which, as a measure of how much oxygen your body can absorb to power itself when you are pushing it to the limit during a workout, may be the best measure of fitness. It also significantly improved time to exhaustion and time trial performance.
Rhodiola also significantly improved training’s effect on muscle damage, significantly decreasing creatine kinase, increasing antioxidant activity and decreasing oxidative damage. Lactic acid levels also significantly decreased after exercise.
This meta-analysis suggests that supplementing Rhodiola rosea benefits endurance training and performance while reducing oxidative stress and muscle damage.
Source
Front Nutr. September 25, 2025;12:1645346.
Find it at Nutrition World
Rhodiola from several brands:
- Rhodiola: NOW Foods Rhodiola 500 mg, Life Extension Rhodiola and Nature's Answer Rhodiola Root Extract (alcohol-free) (look for the rosavin amount listed on the label)
Browse the full herbs and botanicals collection, or stop by the store at 2401 PGA Blvd in Palm Beach Gardens and we'll help you compare labels. Questions? Call (561) 626-4377.
These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.