Ashwagandha root extract, recovery and strength in female footballers
What it found
In 30 professional female footballers, taking 600 mg of ashwagandha root extract daily for 28 days improved perceived recovery and perceived sleep quality compared with a placebo.
Muscle strength changes were not clearly different between the groups.
What they found
Studies in people
Perceived recovery
The ashwagandha group reported better total quality recovery than the placebo group, with the clearest difference at 28 days.
Perceived sleep quality
The ashwagandha group reported better sleep quality than the placebo group, with a noticeable difference at 14 days.
Muscle strength
Hand grip strength showed a difference between groups in the first analysis, but the follow-up tests did not confirm this. No other strength measures differed clearly between groups.
Diet and strength
Carbohydrate intake was linked to hand grip strength, medicine ball throw and body mass. The authors note that participants generally had low carbohydrate intake.
Side effects
No adverse events were reported in either group during the 28 days.
What the authors conclude
“A dosage of 600 mg of ashwagandha root extract for 28 days may improve TQR and enhance perceived sleep quality in female footballers.”
Also in their conclusions
- They conclude that a 28-day course of 600 mg ashwagandha root extract significantly improved total quality recovery and perceived sleep quality in female footballers compared with placebo.
- They advise that future studies should test different doses and longer or shorter periods, and include a wider range of athletes, genders and age groups.
- They also recommend that future research use a crossover design and clinical tests such as cortisol measurements and sleep tracking.
How it was done
The authors note that research on ashwagandha in female athletes is limited, and existing studies often focus on males and do not report dietary intake. They wanted to test whether a 4-week course could help recovery and strength in this group.
Thirty professional female footballers from two clubs in Barcelona were randomly assigned to take 600 mg of ashwagandha root extract or a placebo daily for 28 days. Recovery and sleep were tracked with questionnaires after matches, and muscle strength was measured at the start, 14 days and 28 days. Dietary intake was recorded before the study began.
What it can’t tell you
- The study lasted only 28 days, so it cannot show what happens with longer use.
- The results are from a small group of professional female footballers, so they may not apply to other people.
- Muscle strength was measured with simple tests, not with blood or other clinical markers, so the reasons behind the changes are unclear.
Who paid
- Conflicts
- The authors declare no conflicts of interest.
- Authors work at
- Ramon Llull University, Spain; Seagull Academy, Spain; University of Chichester, UK
The paper
- Title
- Effects of Root Extract of Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) on Perception of Recovery and Muscle Strength in Female Athletes
- Type
- Randomised controlled trial
- Evidence
- Studies in people
- Summarised from
- Full text
- Licence
- CC BY. Words in quotation marks are the authors’; the rest is our summary.
- Cite
- Coope OC, Reales Salguero A, Spurr T, et al (2025). Effects of Root Extract of Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) on Perception of Recovery and Muscle Strength in Female Athletes. European journal of sport science. doi:10.1002/ejsc.12265Free full textPubMed 39954269DOI
Summary written 29 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error