Saffron and repeated sprint performance in young men
What it found
A single 300 mg dose of saffron taken two hours before a repeated sprint test did not change sprint times, heart rate, blood lactate, or how hard the men felt they were working.
The authors say it did not improve performance.
What they found
Studies in people
Sprint performance
There were no significant differences in peak time, total time, or fatigue index between the saffron and placebo sessions.
Heart rate
Heart rate before and after the repeated sprint test did not differ significantly between saffron and placebo.
Blood lactate
Blood lactate measured three minutes after the test showed no significant difference between the saffron and placebo sessions.
Perceived effort and mood
Ratings of perceived exertion and feeling scale scores before and after the test were not significantly different between saffron and placebo.
What the authors conclude
“The study results indicate that 300 mg of acute SAF supplementation did not improve the ability to repeat sprints or affect physiological and perceptual measures in healthy, physically active young males.”
Also in their conclusions
- They conclude that 300 mg of acute saffron supplementation did not improve the ability to repeat sprints or affect physiological and perceptual measures in healthy, physically active young males.
- They advise that further investigations are necessary to investigate the effect of acute or prolonged saffron supplementation with different doses on responses to exercise.
How it was done
Saffron has been suggested to have benefits for the nervous and cardiovascular systems and some studies have found improved physical performance with saffron or its components, but the effect of a single dose on the ability to repeat sprints had not been studied.
Twenty-two healthy, physically active young men (average age 21.7 years) took either 300 mg of saffron or a placebo (lactose) in a double-blind, crossover design, with a one-week gap between sessions. Two hours after taking the capsule, they performed a repeated sprint test of 2 sets of 5 x 20 m shuttle sprints, and researchers measured sprint times, heart rate, blood lactate, ratings of perceived exertion, and feeling scale.
What it can’t tell you
- This trial tested only a single 300 mg dose of saffron taken two hours before exercise in young, active men.
- It cannot show whether higher doses, longer use, or use in other groups would have different effects.
Who paid
- Conflicts
- The authors declare no competing interests.
- Authors work at
- University of Jendouba, Tunisia; University of Tunis El Manar, Tunisia; University of Gafsa, Tunisia
The paper
- Title
- Crocus Sativus Linnaeus (Saffron) intake does not affect physiological and perceptual responses during a repeated sprint test in healthy active young males
- Type
- Randomised controlled trial
- Evidence
- Studies in people
- Summarised from
- Full text
- Cite
- Ouerghi N, Abassi W, Jebabli N, et al (2024). Crocus Sativus Linnaeus (Saffron) intake does not affect physiological and perceptual responses during a repeated sprint test in healthy active young males. BMC research notes. doi:10.1186/s13104-024-06918-1Free full textPubMed 39227898DOI
Summary written 26 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error