Adaptogens have moved from obscure herbal remedies into sports supplements, protein blends, and recovery drinks for people who train. Athletes, weightlifters, endurance runners, or anyone juggling a heavy workout calendar and real-life stress are pitched adaptogens as a way to help push harder, recover faster, and manage fatigue better.
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But not every claim holds up when you take a deeper look, and not every adaptogen delivers the same benefit. Here’s what the science actually says about some of these compounds and how they affect training, performance, and recovery.
What’s an Adaptogen, anyway?
Adaptogens are plants or mushrooms used to help the body handle stress and keep systems closer to balance during physical or mental strain.
The idea isn’t to jack you up like a stimulant such as caffeine in pre-workout, but to nudge the body’s stress-response system back toward normal when you’re under a heavy load. The term itself originated from Soviet biology in the mid-20th century, when scientists studied herbs such as rhodiola and schisandra for their effects on military and athletic performance in extreme conditions, including cold, high altitude, and sleep deprivation.
Most of the better-studied adaptogens appear to work by modulating the HPA axis, or your stress-hormone command center, by dampening excess cortisol. They also provide antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects that influence how you feel and perform under stressful training conditions.
The Big Players
Here are the most researched adaptogens and what human trials suggest they do — and don’t do — for fitness.
Ashwagandha
Ashwagandha has the strongest and most consistent evidence among adaptogens for athletes and regular lifters. Multiple controlled trials and meta-analyses show it can improve strength, muscle size, aerobic capacity (VO₂ max), and recovery when combined with training. In resistance training studies, participants supplementing with standardized ashwagandha extract gained more strength and muscle compared to placebo groups. A recent analysis confirmed these results, finding increases in both upper- and lower-body strength across multiple trials.
Ashwagandha also appears to improve aerobic performance. A systematic review found a mean increase in VO₂ max of around 3 mL/kg/min in both athletes and non-athletes. Other reviews note that it enhances recovery by lowering cortisol, reducing perceived stress, and improving antioxidant defenses.
Most research looks at ashwagandha effects in men, but the benefits are not limited by gender. Newer trials have replicated improvements in both male and female participants. It really stands out as the adaptogen with the clearest track record of helping people get stronger, perform better aerobically, and handle recovery stress more effectively.
Most studies report good tolerance for it, but there are rare case reports of ashwagandha-related liver injury. It should be avoided in people with known liver disease, and stopped if symptoms like jaundice or dark urine appear.
Rhodiola rosea
Rhodiola is an adaptogen most often studied for endurance and fatigue. Some trials show people last a bit longer before exhaustion, or feel workouts are less taxing. For example, cyclists taking rhodiola were able to extend time-to-fatigue just modestly compared to placebo. In resistance training, one study found that higher doses helped lifters move the bar faster, but it didn’t actually add more reps to failure.
A variety of adaptogens.
So the effect isn’t a big jump in stored energy; it’s more like shaving off some of the feeling of effort. This can help you push through long or hard sessions, but results vary depending on dose, extract quality, and your baseline training level.
Panax ginseng
Panax ginseng is often sold as an “energy” booster, but the evidence is inconsistent. The most repeatable finding is a slight reduction in fatigue. People sometimes feel a little less drained during exercise, rather than having any significant improvements in VO₂ max or endurance.
Different species and extracts of ginseng make the research messy, and so it’s hard to say whether its cardiovascular benefits are universal. If it does help, it’s usually subtle and not a game-changer for performance.
Cordyceps
Cordyceps show the most promise in people at the start of their fitness journey or in older adults. Several trials and reviews report improvements in aerobic capacity and oxygen use in those groups, while highly trained athletes see more minor or inconsistent changes.
So for beginners or older exercisers, adding this fungus to their diet may help them avoid getting winded as quickly on a brisk walk, bike ride, or hill climb. Scientists think it works by helping the body move oxygen around more efficiently and by supporting mitochondria — the “power plants” in your cells. The cordyceps would help the mitochondria generate energy more smoothly. In people who are already near their aerobic ceiling and have already been working their bodies hard, any gains would be harder to notice.
Don’t Fall for the Hype
For all the buzz around adaptogens, they don’t work like shortcuts to gains. No study has shown they build muscle directly, the way resistance training and protein intake do. They don’t deliver the sharp, instant performance spike you get from stimulants like caffeine, either. And despite marketing claims, there’s no convincing evidence that they melt fat in any meaningful way on their own.
Where they do seem useful is in the margins. Steadier energy during fatigue, better tolerance for higher training volumes or repeated intervals, and small but real improvements in recovery or endurance, especially when physical or psychological stress is high.
Even though there are some benefits from these natural supplements, “natural” doesn’t equal risk-free. Botanical products, such as adaptogens, vary widely in purity. Contaminants or underdosing are common without third-party testing.
And like any supplement, adaptogens can interact with medications, so speak with your doctor before adding them to your stack.
Who Should Actually Try Them
The people most likely to benefit from adaptogens are those dealing with a lot of stress. This could be someone training for an Ironman and undergoing an intense block of training or high-volume endurance work, or someone whose sleep and recovery are being disturbed by stressful life situations. In both these cases, the stress-buffering effects can make the difference between grinding through fatigue and staying more consistent across sessions.
On the other hand, if you’re newer to training and not dealing with much stress, or already recovering smoothly, you’re less likely to notice much change.
If you do plan to include adaptogens in your diet, start with products that are standardized and third-party tested. Labels with NSF Certified for Sport or USP Verified are a good sign that the formula is what it claims.
But also be cautious of how much you take. Adaptogens are only supposed to make training a bit easier for a set period of time, creating a routine you can stick to, and relying on rest and recovery is the best way to have a long and healthy fitness journey.