Effects of Four-Week Rhodiola Rosea Supplementation on Physical Fitness, Neuromuscular Performance, and Decision-Making in Competitive Football Players

Effects of Four-Week Rhodiola Rosea Supplementation on Physical Fitness, Neuromuscular Performance and Decision-Making in Competitive Football Players: A Randomised Controlled Trial

This study investigates whether four weeks of Rhodiola rosea supplementation can improve physical fitness, neuromuscular performance, and decision-making ability in competitive male football players. Participants are randomly assigned to receive either Rhodiola rosea or a placebo while continuing their regular football training. Before and after the four-week intervention, all participants complete a series of tests, including aerobic fitness, repeated sprint ability, jumping performance, reaction time, and soccer-specific decision-making tasks. Blood samples are also collected to assess fatigue and recovery-related markers. The purpose of this study is to determine whether Rhodiola rosea supplementation can enhance performance and cognitive function under high-intensity training and competition conditions.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Physical Performance and Fatigue in Competitive Football Players
• Intervention / Treatment: Dietary supplement: Rhodiola rosea extract; Other: Placebo

Detailed Description

This study is a prospective, double-blind supplementation study conducted in competitive male football players to examine the effects of short-term Rhodiola rosea intake on physical and cognitive performance under regular training conditions.

Participants continue their habitual football training while receiving either Rhodiola rosea supplementation or a placebo for four weeks. Performance assessments are conducted before and after the intervention period under standardized conditions.

The study aims to explore whether Rhodiola rosea supplementation may support adaptations related to high-intensity exercise performance, neuromuscular function, and decision-making ability in competitive football players.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 24
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• China
  • Beijing Municipality
    • Beijing, Beijing Municipality, China, 100084
      • China Football Institute, Beijing Sport University

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Male competitive football players aged 18-30 years
• Regular participation in structured football training (≥3 sessions per week)
• Free from musculoskeletal injury for at least 3 months prior to the study
• Not using any nutritional supplements or ergogenic aids for at least 4 weeks before enrollment
• Willing to maintain habitual diet and training throughout the study
• Provided written informed consent

Exclusion Criteria:

• History of cardiovascular, metabolic, neurological, or endocrine disease
• Use of Rhodiola rosea, caffeine, or other performance-enhancing supplements within the past 4 weeks
• Current smoking or substance abuse
• Known allergy to herbal supplements
• Any injury or illness that could affect physical performance or safe participation

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

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

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Rhodiola rosea Group; Participants received Rhodiola rosea supplementation for 4 weeks in addition to their regular football training.	Dietary supplement: Rhodiola rosea extract; Participants assigned to this intervention will receive Rhodiola rosea extract for 4 weeks in addition to their regular football training. The supplement will be administered orally in capsule form at a dose of 2,400 mg per day, given twice daily. The extract is standardized to salidroside, providing a total of 12 mg salidroside per daily dose. The capsules contain starch as excipient and gelatin as the capsule shell. All supplements are sourced from the same production batch to ensure consistency throughout the intervention period. Adherence will be monitored by capsule count and compliance logs.; Other Names: Rhodiola
Placebo Comparator: Placebo; Participants consumed placebo capsules identical in appearance to Rhodiola rosea for 4 weeks.	Other: Placebo; Participants assigned to this intervention will receive placebo capsules identical in appearance, taste, and packaging to the Rhodiola rosea capsules for 4 weeks in addition to their regular football training. The placebo contains inert ingredients and is administered orally following the same dosing schedule as the Rhodiola rosea group.; Other Names: Placebo capsule

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Yo-Yo Intermittent Recovery Test Level 2 (Yo-Yo IR2) distance	The Yo-Yo Intermittent Recovery Test Level 2 (Yo-Yo IR2) will be used to assess high-intensity intermittent endurance capacity. The total distance completed during the test will be recorded at baseline and after 4 weeks of Rhodiola rosea or placebo supplementation.	Time Frame: Baseline and Week 4

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Best sprint time during repeated sprint test	Best sprint time (seconds) recorded during a 6 × 30 m repeated sprint test.	Time Frame: Baseline and Week 4
Mean sprint time during repeated sprint test	Mean sprint time (seconds) calculated across all sprints during a 6 × 30 m repeated sprint test.	Baseline and Week 4
Countermovement jump (CMJ) height	Vertical jump height will be measured using a countermovement jump test to evaluate lower-limb neuromuscular performance before and after the intervention.	Time Frame: Baseline and Week 4
Decision-making reaction time	Reaction time (milliseconds) measured during a computer-based soccer-specific decision-making task. Lower values indicate faster responses.	Time Frame: Baseline and Week 4
Blood lactate concentration immediately post-repeated sprint exercise	Capillary blood lactate concentration (mmol/L) measured immediately following a repeated sprint exercise to assess acute metabolic stress.	Baseline and Week 4 (immediately post-repeated sprint exercise)
Decision-making response accuracy	Response accuracy (%) measured during a computer-based soccer-specific decision-making task. Higher values indicate better performance.	Baseline and Week 4
Blood lactate concentration 3 minutes post-repeated sprint exercise	Capillary blood lactate concentration (mmol/L) measured 3 minutes following a repeated sprint exercise to assess early recovery.	Baseline and Week 4 (3 minutes post-repeated sprint exercise)
Blood lactate concentration 5 minutes post-repeated sprint exercise	Capillary blood lactate concentration (mmol/L) measured 5 minutes following a repeated sprint exercise to assess late recovery.	Baseline and Week 4 (5 minutes post-repeated sprint exercise)
Hemoglobin concentration	Resting hemoglobin concentration (g/L) measured to assess oxygen-carrying capacity.	Time Frame: Baseline and Week 4
Hematocrit	Resting hematocrit (%) measured to assess oxygen-carrying capacity.	Baseline and Week 4

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Beijing Sport University
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Dingmeng Ren, PhD, Beijing Sport University

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): August 30, 2025
• Primary Completion (Actual): September 27, 2025
• Study Completion (Actual): October 4, 2025

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: January 9, 2026
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: January 16, 2026
• First Posted (Actual): January 26, 2026

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): January 26, 2026
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: January 16, 2026
• Last Verified: January 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Soccer; Dietary supplement; Randomized controlled trial; Fatigue; Decision making; Rhodiola rosea; Football players; Repeated sprint ability
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms; Signs and Symptoms; Fatigue
• Other Study ID Numbers: 2025619H

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO
• IPD Plan Description: Individual participant data will not be shared due to participant confidentiality and institutional data protection policies.

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No