Ashwagandha with HIIT training in young healthy men
What it found
In 38 young healthy men, 8 weeks of high-intensity interval training changed some hormones linked to energy metabolism, but ashwagandha capsules taken alongside it made no difference to body composition, blood fats or the hormones measured.
What they found
Studies in people
Body composition
After 8 weeks, there were no significant changes in body weight, fat mass, muscle mass or total body water in either group. The authors note the men started at a normal body weight.
Blood fats
Total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol and LDL cholesterol fell slightly in both groups and triglycerides rose slightly, but none of these changes were statistically significant. Ashwagandha made no significant difference to any of these measures.
Adiponectin
Resting levels of adiponectin fell after the 8-week training programme, with a statistically significant drop in the ashwagandha group. A single bout of intense exercise raised adiponectin levels in both groups, but not significantly.
Irisin
Irisin levels rose after the exercise test and stayed higher 24 hours later in both groups after training. Ashwagandha did not significantly change this response.
Asprosin
Asprosin levels fell slightly before and after exercise and rose slightly after 24 hours of recovery in both groups, but none of these changes were statistically significant.
Tolerance
No adverse effects were reported in either group, and the capsules were well tolerated.
What the authors conclude
“In young, healthy men, an 8-week HIIT programme significantly affects selected hormones related to energy metabolism of adipose (adiponectin) and muscle (irisin) tissues, but ashwagandha supplementation did not significantly affect any of the hormonal parameters analysed.”
Also in their conclusions
- They conclude that an 8-week HIIT programme significantly affects selected hormones related to adipose (adiponectin) and muscle (irisin) tissues.
- They state that ashwagandha supplementation (600 mg/day) in healthy men subjected to 8-week HIIT does not affect health status parameters (body composition, lipid profile), as well as selected hormones related to energy metabolism.
- They call for further research on other doses of ashwagandha and/or supplementation duration in other populations (older women and men, overweight/obese individuals).
How it was done
The authors wanted to see whether ashwagandha, an herb with possible health-promoting properties, could boost the metabolic benefits of high-intensity interval training in healthy young men without chronic disease, a group they say the existing research does not cover.
They randomly split 41 healthy male students into two groups, one taking 600 mg of ashwagandha root extract daily and the other a placebo, both doing 8 weeks of supervised high-intensity interval training on a rowing ergometer three times a week. After dropouts, 18 men in the ashwagandha group and 20 in the placebo group were analysed, with body composition, blood fats and the hormones adiponectin, asprosin and irisin measured before and after the programme.
What it can’t tell you
- This trial was in young, healthy, physically active men, so the results may not apply to women, older people or those who are overweight or obese.
- The study lasted 8 weeks with one dose of ashwagandha, so it cannot show what longer use or different doses might do.
- Diet was recorded by the participants themselves, which the authors say may be biased.
Who paid
- Funding
- Funded by Józef Piłsudski University of Physical Education in Warsaw (from the PubMed record).
- Conflicts
- The authors declare no conflicts of interest.
- Authors work at
- University of Physical Education in Warsaw, Poland
The paper
- Title
- Ashwagandha Does Not Enhance the Effect of High-Intensity Interval Training on Selected Energy Metabolism Parameters in Young Healthy Men
- 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
- Charmas M, Jówko E, Długołęcka B, Klusiewicz A, Przybylska I, Galczak-Kondraciuk A (2025). Ashwagandha Does Not Enhance the Effect of High-Intensity Interval Training on Selected Energy Metabolism Parameters in Young Healthy Men. Nutrients. doi:10.3390/nu17203245Free full textPubMed 41156498DOI
Summary written 29 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error