Ashwagandha Supplementation for Prevention of Muscle Damage

February 19, 2026 updated by: Phil Chilibeck, University of Saskatchewan

Ashwagandha Supplementation for Recovery From Muscle-damaging Exercise and Sleep Quality

Ashwagandha is an herbal supplement that has a wide range of benefits related to exercise when supplemented for about 8-12 weeks. This study aims to investigate whether short-term Ashwagandha supplementation can enhance muscle recovery following exercise by measuring muscle strength recovery, swelling, and soreness in the biceps.

Study Overview

Status

Completed

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

The purpose of the study is to determine the effects of Ashwagandha supplementation on recovery from muscle-damaging exercise. Ten to twenty participants will be randomized to receive Ashwagandha supplementation (600 mg/d) or placebo for 10 days. On day 7, participants will perform a muscle damaging exercise session (six sets of concentric and emphasized eccentric repetitions with the biceps). Before and after exercise and at 24, 48, and 72 hours after exercise, isometric muscle strength, muscle swelling (ultrasound), and muscle soreness will be assessed. The investigators hypothesize the Ashwagandha will alleviate symptoms of muscle damage (swelling and soreness) and enhance strength recovery after a bout of muscle-damaging exercise.

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

19

Phase

  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

  • Canada
    • Saskatchewan
      • Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada, S7K 2X2
        • University of Saskatchewan

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria: male or female, aged 18-35y

-

Exclusion Criteria:

Conditions that may be affected by exercise (determined by "yes" answers to the "Get Active Questionnaire") Pregnant Breastfeeding

Allergies to:

  • Dicalcium Phosphate
  • Cellulose
  • Vegetable magnesium stearate
  • Silica

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Treatment
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: Triple

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Placebo Comparator: Placebo
600 mg/d placebo for 10 days
Dietary supplement: Placebo
600 mg/d placebo
Experimental: Ashwagandha
600 mg/d Ashwagandha
Dietary supplement: Ashwagandha
600 mg/d Ashwagandha

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Time Frame
Change in isometric biceps strength measured with a dynamometer (Nm)
Time Frame: 72 hours
72 hours

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Time Frame
Change in muscle thickness measured with ultrasound (cm)
Time Frame: 72 hours
72 hours
Change in muscle soreness measured with a visual analog scale with scores ranging from 0 (no soreness) to 10 (maximal soreness)
Time Frame: 72 hours
72 hours
Change in sleep quality with the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index with scores ranging from 0 (no sleep problems) to 3 (lowest sleep quality)
Time Frame: 10 days
10 days

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

University of Saskatchewan

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

March 22, 2025

Primary Completion (Actual)

April 30, 2025

Study Completion (Actual)

May 15, 2025

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

March 15, 2025

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

March 21, 2025

First Posted (Actual)

March 28, 2025

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

February 23, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

February 19, 2026

Last Verified

February 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • 2024_25_06

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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