Ashwagandha Can Help Relieve Stress Before a Ride and Help You Sleep After
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If, underneath your helmet, your mind races with anxiety and then, later, keeps you up at night so you don't get enough sleep, ashwaganda may be the herbal supplement of your dreams (pun intended). Ashwaganda has many health benefits, including stress reduction, sleep aid, and strength builder, but although it has a long history of use in traditional Indian medicine, called Ayurveda, its effects have not been well studied in the United States. Nevertheless, it is sold as an over-the-counter herbal supplement, and is recommended by medical communities, including Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and the Cleveland Clinic.
What Is Ashwagandha?
Ashwagandha (botanical name: Withania somnifera) is gleaned from a small evergreen shrub native to India and North Africa. While multiple parts of the plant are used for medicinal purposes, the most common part in supplements is an extract of its root. Also called Indian ginseng or winter cherry, “ashwagandha” is Sanskrit for smell of the horse, which refers to both its rather unique equine-like odor and purported ability to increase strength.
Ashwagandha is just one of the many herbs, including turmeric, used by Western doctors. Although there are very few long-term, double-blind clinical studies, some promising research has demonstrated various positive effects of ashwagandha supplements. One problem, though, is that almost all of the studies have been conducted on men.
Nevertheless, based on the available research, it appears taking reasonable amounts of ashwagandha is well-tolerated and a safe supplement for most people. The typical does is 300 to 500 milligrams of the root extract (a form likely more effective than just ground root or leaf powder) taken once or twice daily, preferably with meals. People who are on medications or who have chronic conditions such as diabetes or hypertension or who are pregnant or breastfeeding should speak with their doctor before taking any supplement. Likewise, men should check with their doctors before using it, as it affects testosterone levels. Finally, as with all supplements, get ashwagandha from a reliable source, such as Gaia Herbs.
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The Health Benefits of Ashwagandha
According to Ayruveda, ashwangandha has a very long list of potential health benefits; the Cleveland Clinic even mentions it may reduce certain cancer risks. It is an adaptogen, one of a group of more than 70 plants and herbs that can reduce stress, according to the Cleveland Clinic. Adaptogens calm the body's heightened response to stress, bringing about relaxation and, in many cases, sleep.
Nevertheless, because as mentioned, the connections between ashwagandha and all of its effects have not been thoroughly studied, it's important to note that you should only first try the supplement as a potential over-the-counter remedy for very specific health issues, which include the three listed below:
Reduction of Anxiety Symptoms
Ashwagandha is most often prescribed to help dampen stress and anxiety, with some research supporting this benefit. For instance, in a 60-day randomized, double-blind study in 64 people suffering from chronic stress, those in the group that supplemented with 300 milligrams of ashwagandha twice daily reported a greater reduction in stress symptoms including anxiety and insomnia compared to the placebo group. The ashwagandha users also had a 28-percent reduction in their levels of cortisol, a hormone released in greater amounts in response to stress and can contribute to poor health over time when chronically elevated.
An Aid for Better Sleep
According to the Sleep Foundation, ashwagandha “may help people fall asleep faster, spend more time asleep, and experience better sleep quality. After taking ashwagandha for six weeks, participants in one actigraphy-based study described their sleep as being 72% better, on average.”
Remember, though, you don't want to be sleepy during the day or when you want to focus, so be sure to first take ashwangandha at night or when you don't need to be alert. If you take it to build strength, as discussed below, then its ability to cause drowsiness is actually considered a side effect.
Strength Builder (with caution)
A study in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition found that men who took 300 milligrams of ashwagandha root extract twice daily experienced greater improvements in muscular strength and developed bigger chest and biceps muscle size in response to an eight-week resistance training program than those also pumped iron but consumed a placebo.
One reason for the boost could be that the supplement group experienced a larger increase in testosterone levels—a hormone that plays a crucial role in muscle size and strength. A separate investigation discovered that active men who consumed 500 milligrams of aqueous extract of the root for three months had increased upper- and lower-body strength (as tested on the bench press and squat machine) as well as 7.5 kilometer cycling time trial performance compared to subjects who just popped a placebo. Greater muscle strength can translate into greater power in the pedals.
Another study involving elite cyclists in India discovered that those who popped 500 milligrams of Ashwanghda twice daily for two months experienced greater improvements in VO2 max and time to exhaustion on an endurance test than their counterparts who were provided just a placebo. A rise in VO2 max—the maximum amount of oxygen a person can utilize during intense exercise—has been played out in other research as well. And if your Strava segment pursuits frequently leave your knees crying foul, you may like to hear that in one investigation in people with knee joint pain, a standardized extract of ashwanghda administered twice daily seemed to improve pain, physical function, stiffness, and swelling.
The Bottom Line on Ashwagandha
There appears to be a kernel of truth when it comes to the hyped benefits of ashwagandha. Nevertheless, popping any daily pill won't guarantee good health or make up for a lousy diet and sedentary lifestyle. Remember, it’s a supplement and not a foundation for healthy living.
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