Rhodiola Rosea and Sports Performance

Rhodiola rosea

Rhodiola rosea is a very interesting herb in that there is contradicting evidence to its benefits in athletic usage.

I now refer to chapter 16 (Supplements and sports foods) of Burke and Deakin's (eds) book "Clinical Sports Nutrition," 4th ED, McGraw Hill, Sydney 2010.

In a Belgian study by De Bock et al, modest but statistically significant improvements in VO2 max were established in subjects who were supplemented with Rhodiola rosea. (1) In this study, subjects consumed 200 mg of Rhodiola rosea extract one hour prior to exercise (200-mg Rhodiola rosea extract containing 3% rosavin + 1% salidroside plus 500 mg starch).  The improvement in VO2 max ranged from just under 4% to 6% in test subjects.

Burke and Deakin concluded that, "compared with placebo, supplementation with Rhodiola rosea produced increased time to exhaustion in cycling protocol. No effect seen on muscle strength, or measures of reaction time and responsiveness to stimuli."

It must be noted that these improvements were seen only in acute supplementation. Chronic supplementation with Rhodiola rosea showed no change in endurance or aerobic capacity.

In another study, acute Rhodiola rosea ingestion "decreases heart rate response to sub-maximal exercise, and appears to improve endurance exercise performance by decreasing the perception of effort." (2) So it seems that Rhodiola rosea can help in sports performance.

A very recent study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, however, showed no benefits with acute supplementation of Rhodiola rosea. (3)

Research elsewhere likewise did not reveal similar benefits. Recently, the University of Rome published the results of a study concerning the effects of Rhodiola rosea in 14 trained male athletes. (4) The researchers found that one month supplementation with Rhodiola rosea did reduce lactate levels and parameters of skeletal muscle damage after exhaustive exercise session.  But no improvements were established for VO2 max or max HR in test subjects.

Optygen is a very popular supplement amongst triathletes. Recently, the effects of this Rhodiola rosea extract-containing dietary supplement (Optygen) were evaluated among 17 elite amateur competitive cyclists. (5) The cyclists were randomly assigned to ingest six capsules/day for four days and then three capsules/day for an additional 11 days. The Optygen was claimed to provide 100mg R. rosea extract/capsule, standardised to a minimum 2.5 per cent salidroside and 3 per cent rosavins. Also included in Optygen was 333mg Cordyceps sinensis mycelia biomass with a claimed minimum 7.5 per cent cordycepic acid. All cyclists performed a graded exercise test on a computer-interfaced bicycle ergometer until exhaustion/low pedal rpm. The group receiving the Rhodiola rosea-containing extract performed no better than placebo in all measures of performance.

Although this supplement is relatively safe for athletes (6), the results of clinical research thus far are ambivalent and inconclusive at best. Due to the lack of clinical evidence, I cannot advise triathletes and endurance athletes to supplement with this herb, unless, of course, their finances and conscience allow them to do so.

References:

1. De Bock K, Eijnde BO, Ramaekers M, Hespel P.  Acute Rhodiola rosea intake can improve endurance exercise performance. Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab. 2004 Jun; 14(3):298-307.

2. Noreen, Eric E.; Buckley, James G.; Lewis, Stephanie L; Brandauer, Josef; Stuempfle, Kristin J. The Effects of an Acute Dose of Rhodiola Rosea on Endurance Exercise Performance. Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research May 2012. Published ahead of print.

3. D Muniz-Pumares et al. Effects of acute supplementation with Rhodiola rosea and L-carnitine on exercise performance, cognitive function and cortisol in healthy active volunteers. Br J Sports Med 2011; 45:A1 doi:10.1136/bjsports-2011-090606.2

4. Parisi A, Tranchita E, Duranti G, Ciminelli E, Quaranta F, Ceci R, Cerulli C, Borrione P, Sabatini S.  Effects of chronic Rhodiola rosea supplementation on sport performance and antioxidant capacity in trained male: preliminary results.  J Sports Med Phys Fitness. 2010 Mar; 50(1):57-63.

5. Earnest CP, et al. Effects of a commercial herbal-based formula on exercise performance in cyclists. Med Sci Sports Exerc 2004; 36:504-9.

6. Fintelmann V, Gruenwald J.  Efficacy and tolerability of a Rhodiola rosea extract in adults with physical and cognitive deficiencies.  Adv Ther. 2007 Jul-Aug; 24(4):929-39.