Saffron and muscle strength in young men
What it found
Ten days of saffron supplements increased leg press force and sped up reaction times in nonactive, healthy male university students.
The trial was small and short.
What they found
Studies in people
Isometric force
After 10 days, the saffron group's isometric force on the leg press was 10.1% higher. The authors report this increase as significant.
Isotonic force
Isotonic force on the leg press rose by 6.1% in the saffron group. The authors report this increase as significant.
Reaction times
Visual and audio reaction times both became faster in the saffron group. The authors report these changes as significant.
Possible reasons
The authors suggest the force increase may come from more muscle mitochondria and an effect on the motor cortex. They say these may also explain the faster audio and visual reaction times.
Blood flow and oxygen
The authors say saffron supplementation was possibly responsible for better muscle blood perfusion and easier oxygen transport.
What the authors conclude
“This study shows that 10 days of supplementation with saffron significantly increased (10.1%) the isometric force (p < .0001; effect size (EF) = 0.432) and increased 6.1% the isotonic force (p < .0001; effect size = 0.662), as well as effecting faster visual (p < .05; EF = 0.217) and audio (p < .05; EF = 0.214) reaction times.”
Also in their conclusions
- They conclude that 10 days of saffron supplementation significantly increased isometric and isotonic force and led to faster visual and audio reaction times.
- They suggest the ergogenic effect may be explained by increased muscle mitochondrial biogenesis and a positive effect on the motor cortex.
- They also say saffron supplementation was possibly responsible for improved muscle blood perfusion and facilitated oxygen transport.
How it was done
Muscular strength, lung function and reaction time matter for athletic performance, and the authors wanted to test whether saffron has an ergogenic effect.
Twenty-eight nonactive, healthy male university students were split at random into a saffron group and a control group. The saffron group took 300 mg a day of dried saffron stigma for 10 days, while the control group took a placebo. Leg press force and visual and audio reaction times were measured one day before and after.
What it can’t tell you
- We summarised it from the abstract only.
- The trial was small and lasted only 10 days, so it cannot show what longer use would do.
- It studied nonactive, healthy young men, so the results may not apply to other groups.
- It cannot show whether the force and reaction time changes would affect actual sports performance.
Who paid
- Authors work at
- University of Mohaghegh Ardabili, Iran
The paper
- Title
- Potential Ergogenic Effects of Saffron
- Type
- Randomised controlled trial
- Evidence
- Studies in people
- Summarised from
- Abstract only
- Cite
- Meamarbashi A, Rajabi A (2016). Potential Ergogenic Effects of Saffron. Journal of dietary supplements. doi:10.3109/19390211.2015.1120259PubMed 26811090DOI
Summary written 26 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error