NCT03929575

Effects of Herbal Supplements on Endurance Exercise Performance

• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 13 (actual)
• Sponsor: California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 18 Years – 30 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Accepted

Summary

Cordyceps and Rhodiola are two common herbal supplements marketed and consumed as adaptogens to athletes with regard to enhanced performance. The effects of these supplements has been well studied in animals but whether or not the same effects translate to humans is still unclear. Thus, the primary purpose of this study is to determine whether combined supplementation of Rhodiola and Cordyceps, compared to Rhodiola alone and placebo, will demonstrate a greater improvement in oxygen consumption (ie. VO2 max).

Detailed description

Herbal supplements are consumed worldwide with surveys approximating five billion dollars spent annually by consumers in the United States alone. Herbal supplements, such as Rhodiola and Cordyceps, both of which are considered to be adaptogens, remain popular among athletes. These adaptogens act as antioxidants, which have been speculated to confer endurance performance benefits by delaying muscle fatigue via the attenuation of muscle damage accumulation and its related by-products during prolonged or exhaustive exercise. Nevertheless, previous research investigating the individual effects of Rhodiola and Cordyceps on aerobic training performance remain equivocal. Moreover, literature elucidating the potential additive effects of Rhodiola and Cordyceps in human subjects are scarce. Therefore, the purpose of the present study is to determine the acute, additive influence of oral Rhodiola and Cordyceps supplementation on VO2 max, with secondary variables of interest being plasma glucose and lactate concentration, and measures of gastrointestinal distress.

Conditions

• Exercise Performance

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
DIETARY_SUPPLEMENT	Placebo of calcium	Ingestion of 250 mg of calcium
DIETARY_SUPPLEMENT	Rhodiola	Ingestion of 250 mg of Rhodiola
DIETARY_SUPPLEMENT	Rhodiola and Cordyceps	Ingestion of 250 mg of Rhodiola and 225 mg of Cordyceps

Timeline

• Start date: 2019-05-01
• Primary completion: 2019-12-01
• Completion: 2019-12-01
• First posted: 2019-04-29
• Last updated: 2021-01-27

Locations

1 site across 1 country: United States