Ashwagandha root extract stabilises physiological stress responses in male and female team sports athletes during pre-season training

Objectives: This study investigates the effects of 600 mg/day Ashwagandha root extract on physiological stress biomarkers, perception of recovery, muscle strength and aerobic capacity in team sports athletes during pre-season training, a period associated with elevated cortisol and accumulated train...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores: Coope, Olivia, Otaegui, Esteban, Suárez, Manolo, Levington, Alex, Abad-Sangrà, Maria, Lloyd, Beth, Spurr, Tilly, Roman-Viñas, Blanca
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Fecha de publicación:2026
País:España
Institución:Consorcio Madroño
Repositorio:Recercat. Dipósit de la Recerca de Catalunya
OAI Identifier:oai:dnet:recercat____::87c2071815635bc701f9fb1875ae3767
Acceso en línea:https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14342/6101
https://doi.org/10.3390/nu18020230
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:Ashwagandha
Plantes medicinals
Atletes
Pretemporada
Condició física
Capacitat aeròbica
Recuperació
Estrès
Hidrocortisona
Cortisona
Assaigs clínics
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oai_identifier_str oai:dnet:recercat____::87c2071815635bc701f9fb1875ae3767
network_acronym_str ES
network_name_str España
repository_id_str
spelling Ashwagandha root extract stabilises physiological stress responses in male and female team sports athletes during pre-season trainingCoope, OliviaOtaegui, EstebanSuárez, ManoloLevington, AlexAbad-Sangrà, MariaLloyd, BethSpurr, TillyRoman-Viñas, BlancaAshwagandhaPlantes medicinalsAtletesPretemporadaCondició físicaCapacitat aeròbicaRecuperacióEstrèsHidrocortisonaCortisonaAssaigs clínicsObjectives: This study investigates the effects of 600 mg/day Ashwagandha root extract on physiological stress biomarkers, perception of recovery, muscle strength and aerobic capacity in team sports athletes during pre-season training, a period associated with elevated cortisol and accumulated training stress. Methods: Fifty-six athletes (26.8 ± 4.4 years, 1.74 ± 0.10 m, 79.4 ± 17.3 kg, 11.0 ± 7.1 career years) across rugby, water polo and football were randomly assigned to an Ashwagandha (ASH; n = 28, 14 males and 14 females) or placebo (PLA; n = 28, 14 males and 14 females) group for 42 days. Salivary biomarkers were assessed after training, muscle strength and aerobic capacity were measured during training, and perception of recovery was evaluated with Hooper Index (HI) the following day. Mixed ANOVA was used to determine group × time interactions and Bonferroni post hoc analyses were conducted for multiple pairwise comparisons. Results: In female athletes, salivary cortisol increased significantly in PLA (p = 0.001), while recovery parameters such as the overall HI score (p = 0.001), Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS) (p = 0.008) and perception of fatigue (p = 0.026) scores improved significantly in ASH. In males, salivary cortisone increased significantly in PLA (p = 0.022), while Countermovement Jump (CMJ) improved significantly in ASH (p = 0.018). Pull-up performance increased in both PLA (p = 0.004) and ASH (p < 0.0001) in males. Conclusions: Supplementation with 600 mg/day of Ashwagandha root extract for 42 days may stabilise stress biomarkers, improve perception of recovery and enhance muscle strength in team sports athletes during pre-season training.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersionMDPIUniversitat Ramon Llull. Facultat de Ciències de la Salut Blanquerna2026info:eu-repo/semantics/article22 p.https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14342/6101https://doi.org/10.3390/nu18020230reponame:Recercat. Dipósit de la Recerca de Catalunyainstname:Consorcio MadroñoInglésNutrients, 2026, 18(2): 230© L'autor/aAttribution 4.0 Internationalhttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccessoai:dnet:recercat____::87c2071815635bc701f9fb1875ae37672026-05-29T05:05:01Z
dc.title.none.fl_str_mv Ashwagandha root extract stabilises physiological stress responses in male and female team sports athletes during pre-season training
title Ashwagandha root extract stabilises physiological stress responses in male and female team sports athletes during pre-season training
spellingShingle Ashwagandha root extract stabilises physiological stress responses in male and female team sports athletes during pre-season training
Coope, Olivia
Ashwagandha
Plantes medicinals
Atletes
Pretemporada
Condició física
Capacitat aeròbica
Recuperació
Estrès
Hidrocortisona
Cortisona
Assaigs clínics
title_short Ashwagandha root extract stabilises physiological stress responses in male and female team sports athletes during pre-season training
title_full Ashwagandha root extract stabilises physiological stress responses in male and female team sports athletes during pre-season training
title_fullStr Ashwagandha root extract stabilises physiological stress responses in male and female team sports athletes during pre-season training
title_full_unstemmed Ashwagandha root extract stabilises physiological stress responses in male and female team sports athletes during pre-season training
title_sort Ashwagandha root extract stabilises physiological stress responses in male and female team sports athletes during pre-season training
dc.creator.none.fl_str_mv Coope, Olivia
Otaegui, Esteban
Suárez, Manolo
Levington, Alex
Abad-Sangrà, Maria
Lloyd, Beth
Spurr, Tilly
Roman-Viñas, Blanca
author Coope, Olivia
author_facet Coope, Olivia
Otaegui, Esteban
Suárez, Manolo
Levington, Alex
Abad-Sangrà, Maria
Lloyd, Beth
Spurr, Tilly
Roman-Viñas, Blanca
author_role author
author2 Otaegui, Esteban
Suárez, Manolo
Levington, Alex
Abad-Sangrà, Maria
Lloyd, Beth
Spurr, Tilly
Roman-Viñas, Blanca
author2_role author
author
author
author
author
author
author
dc.contributor.none.fl_str_mv Universitat Ramon Llull. Facultat de Ciències de la Salut Blanquerna
dc.subject.none.fl_str_mv Ashwagandha
Plantes medicinals
Atletes
Pretemporada
Condició física
Capacitat aeròbica
Recuperació
Estrès
Hidrocortisona
Cortisona
Assaigs clínics
topic Ashwagandha
Plantes medicinals
Atletes
Pretemporada
Condició física
Capacitat aeròbica
Recuperació
Estrès
Hidrocortisona
Cortisona
Assaigs clínics
description Objectives: This study investigates the effects of 600 mg/day Ashwagandha root extract on physiological stress biomarkers, perception of recovery, muscle strength and aerobic capacity in team sports athletes during pre-season training, a period associated with elevated cortisol and accumulated training stress. Methods: Fifty-six athletes (26.8 ± 4.4 years, 1.74 ± 0.10 m, 79.4 ± 17.3 kg, 11.0 ± 7.1 career years) across rugby, water polo and football were randomly assigned to an Ashwagandha (ASH; n = 28, 14 males and 14 females) or placebo (PLA; n = 28, 14 males and 14 females) group for 42 days. Salivary biomarkers were assessed after training, muscle strength and aerobic capacity were measured during training, and perception of recovery was evaluated with Hooper Index (HI) the following day. Mixed ANOVA was used to determine group × time interactions and Bonferroni post hoc analyses were conducted for multiple pairwise comparisons. Results: In female athletes, salivary cortisol increased significantly in PLA (p = 0.001), while recovery parameters such as the overall HI score (p = 0.001), Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS) (p = 0.008) and perception of fatigue (p = 0.026) scores improved significantly in ASH. In males, salivary cortisone increased significantly in PLA (p = 0.022), while Countermovement Jump (CMJ) improved significantly in ASH (p = 0.018). Pull-up performance increased in both PLA (p = 0.004) and ASH (p < 0.0001) in males. Conclusions: Supplementation with 600 mg/day of Ashwagandha root extract for 42 days may stabilise stress biomarkers, improve perception of recovery and enhance muscle strength in team sports athletes during pre-season training.
publishDate 2026
dc.date.none.fl_str_mv 2026
dc.type.none.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/article
format article
dc.identifier.none.fl_str_mv https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14342/6101
https://doi.org/10.3390/nu18020230
url https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14342/6101
https://doi.org/10.3390/nu18020230
dc.language.none.fl_str_mv Inglés
language_invalid_str_mv Inglés
dc.relation.none.fl_str_mv Nutrients, 2026, 18(2): 230
dc.rights.none.fl_str_mv © L'autor/a
Attribution 4.0 International
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
rights_invalid_str_mv © L'autor/a
Attribution 4.0 International
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
eu_rights_str_mv openAccess
dc.format.none.fl_str_mv 22 p.
dc.publisher.none.fl_str_mv MDPI
publisher.none.fl_str_mv MDPI
dc.source.none.fl_str_mv reponame:Recercat. Dipósit de la Recerca de Catalunya
instname:Consorcio Madroño
instname_str Consorcio Madroño
reponame_str Recercat. Dipósit de la Recerca de Catalunya
collection Recercat. Dipósit de la Recerca de Catalunya
repository.name.fl_str_mv
repository.mail.fl_str_mv
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score 15,812455

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