Ashwagandha for Muscle Strength And Growth

Research suggests that ashwagandha may support muscle strength, endurance, and body composition when combined with resistance training, with the most directly relevant evidence coming from a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in healthy adults that reported improvements in upper and lower body strength, cardiorespiratory endurance, and muscle size compared to placebo. Additional animal studies indicate potential mechanisms involving reduced inflammatory signaling, improved muscle protein balance, and activation of pathways associated with muscle growth, including IGF-1/Akt/mTOR, though findings from rodent models cannot be directly applied to humans. A short-term safety study in healthy men found no concerning changes in organ function or other health markers at a higher dose, and a 2016 clinical review on age-related muscle loss did not highlight ashwagandha among established interventions, instead emphasizing exercise, protein intake, and a small number of other supplements with stronger evidence bases. Overall, the body of evidence is modest in size and leans supportive, but is limited by small sample sizes, short durations, and a reliance on animal data for mechanistic insights, meaning further well-powered human trials are needed before firm conclusions can be drawn.