Ashwagandha Plant
There are a number of ingredients that have been added to testosterone boosters throughout the years and a number of these ingredients have been based on traditional remedies that have been known to increase the vitality of men who’ve used them. Ashwagandha (Withania Somnifera) is one of those ingredients that have been known and used in India as a traditional medicine for centuries, particularly the root of this flower.
Not only does Ashwagandha show signs of increasing the level of men’s testosterone in double-blind clinical trials that test the herb against a placebo, it also has a shown to provide a lot of other properties such as; increasing strength, improve the quality of sleep, decrease stress levels, increase endurance levels, encourage fat loss, control cortisol levels and improve levels of cholesterol. Given these results it is not surprising that Ashwagandha is often described as an “adaptogen”, meaning it helps the body regain psychological and hormonal balance during times of stress.
The root of Ashwagandha, or more specifically KSM-66, is used as a testosterone boosting herb often added to supplements to boost men’s virility and help them return to the healthy activity levels that they felt in their early 20s.
We shall examine the benefits of Ashwagandha on testosterone levels below by looking at the case studies involved…
Table of Contents
- 1 What Are The Ashwagandha Testosterone Benefits?
- 2 Other Benefits of Ashwagandha Consumption, That Aid in Testosterone Production
- 2.1 Studies Indicate That Ashwagandha Can Reduce Cortisol
- 2.2 There Is Evidence That Ashwagandha Reduces Stress & Anxiety
- 2.3 Can Ashwagandha Increase Muscle Mass and Strength?
- 2.4 Studies Show Ashwagandha Reduces Cholesterol and Triglycerides
- 2.5 Improved Sleep Quality with Ashwagandha Supplementation
- 2.6 Fat Loss Initiated by Ashwagandha Supplementation
- 3 Conclusion on Ashwagandha Benefits
What Are The Ashwagandha Testosterone Benefits?
Ultimate Virility – The Male Stallion
The claim from Indian doctors is that you will turn into a wild stallion horse with immense virility desperate to multiply in the world! Obviously, these claims could be considered to be quite outlandish, but there is some pretty solid evidence that does suggest supplementation with KSM-66 (the root of the herb) does bring with it some testosterone benefits.
So far there have been 3 conclusive clinical studies that show that Ashwagandha (KSM-66) will boost testosterone to men who have used the herbal ingredient against men who have not.
Case Study 1
In 2013 there was a pilot study that investigated whether the claim of Ashwagandha, a traditional Indian Ayurvedic medicine as an aphrodisiac is a true claim. 46 men with low sperm counts were used in this clinical trial, 21 were given KSM-66 to consume over 90 days, while 25 were given a placebo.
Those that took Ashwagandha showed huge increases in sperm count, sperm mobility and sperm volume at the end of the study, 157% 53% and 57% respectively.
In addition to the increases in sperm production, mobility and volume participants also a four-fold increase in Serum Testosterone against their baseline levels, this alone would suggest the need to add this herbal ingredient into any testosterone booster.
Full details of the study can be found here
Case Study 2
This case study was conducted by the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, where 57 men between the ages of 18-50 were given 600mg daily of KSM-66 Ashwagandha for a period of 8 weeks. There were 29 participants taking the treatment, while 28 were given a placebo. Both groups then took part in identical resistance training exercises for the 8-week duration.
In comparison to the placebo users, Ashwagandha users showed greater increases in strength, for bench pressing, leg-extension exercises and significantly larger muscle sizes on their arms than the control group.
There were also notable decreases in body fat for the uses of Ashwagandha when compared to the control group and a greater reduction of exercise-induced muscle damage than the control group.
Lastly, there was a 5-fold increase in testosterone levels when compared to the control group!
The Study details can be found by clicking here, for those who want to read an 11-page document!
Case Study 3
This case study was conducted by the American Society of Reproductive Medicine and they examined the impact that root of the Ashwagandha plant, KSM-66 would have on semen profiles, oxidative biomarkers and the testosterone hormone levels of men with infertile men.
The conclusion of the study was in line with the first two studies, the controlled group of men displayed increased levels of sperm production, sperm mobility and significantly increased the testosterone levels of those who took Ashwagandha (KSM-66).
Details of the 8-page study can be found by clicking here
Other Benefits of Ashwagandha Consumption, That Aid in Testosterone Production
We now know that Ashwagandha root (KSM-66) has shown to increase the level of testosterone production in men who have taken it as part of clinical studies, but what other benefits does it provide? Let’s take a look here:
Studies Indicate That Ashwagandha Can Reduce Cortisol
As anyone who has read about muscle building and weight training will have come across the word cortisol, it is our enemy and we don’t want it! When you start putting stress on your body, it produces cortisol. Cortisol is released by the adrenal glands in response to a stressful situation.
For most people, cortisol levels can become chronically elevated, which in turn may lead to high blood sugar levels and an abundance of fat storage in the mid-section. For those interested in weight training and bodybuilding, cortisol stops your body from producing testosterone and in turn reduces your body’s ability to build muscle efficiently and effectively.
Relaxed as a Labrador
Anything that stops or prevents the rise in cortisol is something we need to consume or have in our bodies (you can use insulin to block cortisol at specific times of the day and after weight training, but that’s another subject and we’ll go into that in our Carbohydrate Section).
There are two case studies, both published in the US National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health that have shown Ashwagandha help reduce cortisol, we’ll break them down here:
Case Study 1
64 subjects with a chronic history of stress were enrolled in the study, whereby half the subjects were given a placebo and half were given 300mg of Ashwagandha daily in capsules for a 60 day period.
The conclusions of the study showed statistically that Ashwagandha greatly reduced the stress levels of the control group and would indicate that Ashwagandha would be used to help treat those with higher cortisol levels created by high levels of stress and anxiety.
Reference: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23439798
Case Study 2
The second study indicated examined is stress was a causation factor when men are struggling to conceive naturally and if Ashwagandha can be shown to reduce the stress levels in men and therefore increase their fertility levels, as well as sperm counts and mobility.
The results concluded that treated with Ashwagandha reduced levels of stress in men and in turn increased their levels of sperm mobility and semen quality.
Reference: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19789214
There Is Evidence That Ashwagandha Reduces Stress & Anxiety
Not only has Ashwagandha shown to reduce cortisol levels in male test subjects, but it’s also been shown to effectively reduce symptoms of stress and anxiety disorders as well. Here we shall take a look at two studies that were conducted and were conclusive in their results:
Case Study 1
In a group of 39 patients that had suffered continuously from stress and anxiety in their lives, 20 were placed into a controlled group, while 19 were given a placebo for a period of 6 weeks. After 6 weeks, there was a reduction in stress and anxiety in the controlled group that exceeded the placebo group.
Reference: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21407960
Case Study 2
Seventy-Five participants were used for a clinical trial, whereby they were given 300mg of Ashwagandha for 8 weeks. There were baseline measurements for all those participating and then measurements taken after the 8 week period.
The Beck Anxiety Inventory scores for the group taking Ashwagandha were significantly reduced when compared to the placebo group, strongly suggesting that Ashwagandha plays a part in reducing stress and anxiety of those who supplement daily with it.
Reference: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19718255
Can Ashwagandha Increase Muscle Mass and Strength?
Testosterone Boosters will help you return to strength and muscle
Not only do most users of testosterone booster seek a booster than helps them return some of their virility that they haven’t felt in years, but also an increase in muscle mass and strength would be a bonus. So have there been case studies that were able to measure the effectiveness of Ashwagandha when considering both muscle mass and strength changes?
There have been 3 separate studies that have investigated the muscle building and strength building properties of those that have supplemented with Ashwagandha. Here is a summary of each:
Case Study 1
This study examined the effects of consuming Ashwagandha on the participant’s speed (velocity), power and VO2 Max. It concluded and showed that supplementation of Ashwagandha root increased participant’s power, velocity and VO2 Max results against a placebo.
Reference: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21170205
Case Study 2
The results of this case study showed those who took daily supplementation of Ashwagandha experienced;
- Reduction in body fat,
- Reduction in cholesterol
- Increases in strength and muscle activity
- And an improvement in sleep quality
Reference: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23125505
Case Study 3
This last study examined the specific effects of daily supplementation of Ashwagandha root (KSM-66) on muscle mass and strength in healthy young men who regularly take part in resistance training. This was an 8-week study, whereby the controlled group were given 300mg of Ashwagandha twice daily while the placebo group were given starch placebos. Each group had baseline measurements taken at day zero.
The results from this study alone should be enough to certainly make you think about adding Ashwagandha to your ingredients for strength training! The controlled group experienced increases significant increases in bench-press and leg-extension averages, as well as significant increases in muscle sizes of the arms and chest.
Reference: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26609282
Overall, Ashwagandha has been shown to increase muscle mass, reduce body fat and increase the strength in men who use it.
Studies Show Ashwagandha Reduces Cholesterol and Triglycerides
Although there have been plenty of animal-based studies looking at the effects on Ashwagandha and fat deposits, there has been one notably on humans. This study showed that there was a reduction of LDL cholesterol and a decrease of triglycerides for those who took Ashwagandha against a placebo. We can, therefore, conclude that daily supplementation of Ashwagandha may help patients who suffer from high cholesterol levels.
As for an animal-based study, for instance, a single study showed that rats who were subjected to daily consumption of Ashwagandha root showed significant reductions in lipids, cholesterol and triglycerides against a placebo.
Reference of rat study can be read here
Improved Sleep Quality with Ashwagandha Supplementation
Anyone that has been bodybuilding will know that sleep is a vital factor in determining the body’s ability in gaining muscle and keeping muscle. It would, therefore, make sense to ensure that you receive sufficient sleep to not only help build and maintain muscle mass but to also ensure that your levels of testosterone are kept at a high level.
By making sure that your body receives significant sleep you’re likely to keep your testosterone levels at least 15% higher than those men who suffer from irregular sleeping patterns and deprived sleep. (Details of this study can be read about in the Journal of American Medical Association – JAMA – Here)
There have been several human studies that have concluded that Ashwagandha has shown to improve sleeping duration and quality of those who participated in the study.
Fat Loss Initiated by Ashwagandha Supplementation
In the human case studies that we have references in this article, there have been additional observations made on the fat levels of human participants, so much so that it would be unjust to mention that Ashwagandha has minor fat reducing properties in conjunction with testosterone building properties.
By lowing your levels of fat you are improving your BMI (Body Mass Index) and this, in turn, will allow for a greater increase in natural levels of testosterone.
Conclusion on Ashwagandha Benefits
Not only have there been several clinical trials to show that Ashwagandha can raise testosterone levels in men who supplemented the herbal ingredient with at least 300mg daily but a number of other beneficial changes as well, such as enhanced sleep patterns, reduction in stress and cortisol levels.
Ashwagandha is a safe product to use; there have been no instances where a normal healthy individual has become ill from taking Ashwagandha. It is recommended that pregnant and breastfeeding women should avoid taking Ashwagandha, as well as those with autoimmune diseases which include lupus, thyroiditis, type 1 diabetes and rheumatoid arthritis.
In the numerous studies cited in this article, it was shown that the highest benefit came from users who took higher dosages of Ashwagandha daily. We would recommend that you look to consume over 500mg of the root (KSM-66) on a daily basis to maximise the benefits of this herb.
If you’re considering purchasing a testosterone booster, then we would, therefore, recommend that you look to purchase one that incorporates Ashwagandha root as one of the ingredients.
Read our Top 10 Testosterone Booster list to choose which one is right for you.
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