This study investigated whether the intake of ashwagandha, a traditional medicinal plant from Ayurvedic medicine, can improve the recovery and strength of female athletes. To this end, 30 professional female soccer players were given either an ashwagandha root extract or a placebo every day for four weeks.
The results show: Women who took ashwagandha reported better recovery after games and training as well as improved sleep quality. The data also indicated an increase in muscle strength, even if not all values were clearly statistically proven. Importantly, there were no side effects, which confirms the safety of taking this dose.
The study suggests that ashwagandha could be a natural aid to regeneration for female athletes – especially to better balance sleep, well-being and the ability to cope with stress.
The performance of female athletes depends not only on training and technique, but also to a large extent on recovery, sleep and mental balance. Against this background, the plant ashwagandha (Withania somnifera), which has been used in Indian medicine for centuries, has attracted increasing attention in recent years. It is said to have stress-reducing, invigorating and regeneration-promoting properties. However, until now there has been a lack of studies specifically investigating its effect on women in competitive sport.
This randomized, double-blind and placebo-controlled study closes this gap. Over a period of four weeks, 30 female soccer players received either 600 mg ashwagandha root extract or a placebo every day. At the same time, various measurements were taken: subjective recovery after games and training, sleep quality, stress perception and strength tests such as hand grip strength, medicine ball throw and jumping power. Nutrition was also recorded in order to monitor its influence on the results.
The results show clear advantages for the Ashwagandha group. Above all the perception of recovery (total quality recovery) improved significantly compared to the placebo group, especially at the end of the four weeks. Another clear effect was seen in the sleep qualitywhich was rated better in the Ashwagandha group after just two weeks. Both factors – recovery and sleep – are of crucial importance in sport, as they enable adaptation to training stimuli and reduce the risk of injury.
There were also positive trends in the strength measurements: Hand grip strength increased more in the ashwagandha group than in the placebo comparison, indicating a a potential muscle-strengthening effect. effect. However, these results were not clearly significant in all analyses, which means that they should be interpreted with caution. Another important aspect was the influence of diet – carbohydrates in particular had a clear effect on performance values.
The study underlines the safety of taking ashwagandha: no side effects were found. This indicates that it is well tolerated, even in everyday sporting activities.
Overall, the results provide valuable evidence that ashwagandha could be an effective and natural supplement in competitive sport especially for women who are often under particular stress. While the improvements in sleep and recovery are clear, the question of direct effects on muscle strength remains unanswered. Further studies with larger numbers of participants, longer duration and additional measurement methods (e.g. hormone or sleep analyses) are therefore advisable.
Conclusion: Ashwagandha can improve the recovery and sleep quality of female athletes and possibly also support muscle strength. It is considered safe and well tolerated. It could therefore establish itself as an interesting herbal supplement in everyday sporting life – especially in disciplines where regeneration and stress control are crucial.