Intro: What is Rhodiola Rosea?

Rhodiola Rosea, also known as “golden root” or “roseroot,” is a naturally occurring plant that grows in North America, Asia, and Europe. It is particularly found in arctic mountainous regions. It’s a perennial plant meaning it typically survives more than 2 years, as opposed to annuals. There are more than 100 different species of Rhodiola. Rhodiola Rosea is a specific species of that family.

Rhodiola Rosea is classified as an adaptogen, a group of natural substances. These help your body handle stress more efficiently without disrupting normal functions. If you want to learn more about adaptogens, we made a full breakdown here.

History of Rhodiola Rosea

Rhodiola Rosea has been used for hundreds of years in traditional medicines to treat people with fatigue or issues with mood.

There is even evidence that it was used as early as 77 CE by Greek Physician Pedanios Dioscorides in Materia Medica.

What makes it effective?

There are a few key parts of Rhodiola Rosea that make it effective. They’re quite complicated though, so here’s a simple overview:

• Salidroside: The primary active compound. Most of the researched benefits point back to this fella
• Rosavins: Compounds specific to Rhodiola Rosea. Helps identify if it’s the right species (less than 3% rosavins, you’re likely getting a cheap substitute).

Research-Backed benefits of Rhodiola Rosea

Below are the top 10 research-backed benefits of Rhodiola Rosea, as found in dozens of lab studies.

1. May Increase Exercise Performance

One of the primary observed properties of Adaptogens are their ability to increase stamina. In 2023, a review published in the British Journal of Nutrition analyzed 16 human trials on Rhodiola Rosea. They confirmed it may increase stamina during exercise.

Many doses were tested in these studies. But, 200mg of Rhodiola Rosea taken 60 minutes before exercise showed the most significant stamina increase.

Evidence shows potentially a higher dose (+1,500mg) could be effective for power and strength training.

2. Lowered Perceived Effort During Exercise (RPE)

Exercise is already hard enough. There comes a point where exercise is no longer fun, it’s just exercise. It would be ideal to make exercise easier. With Rhodiola Rosea it seems that may be possible.

In 2014, a double-blind, crossover, placebo-controlled study was conducted on 18 men. This was to see the effect of Rhodiola Rosea during exercise. They controlled their diet and lifestyle 72 hours before ensure more accurate results.

During the study, they had them each take 3mg/kg of bodyweight of Rhodiola Rosea, and then instructed them to do 30 minutes on an exercise bike. While on the exercise bikes, the participants were made to go at the same pace that resulted in everyone having the same VO2 Max.

The results of the study showed the participants who took Rhodiola Rosea had much less perceived effort of exercise, despite being at the same VO2 Max level for 30 minutes.

The figures below shows the results of the study using the participant’s RPE:

I’m sure many of you have been in hard rounds on the mats before and been completely exhausted. Being able to have a mental edge on the mats where you don’t feel as tired is incredible.

What is a double-blind, crossover, placebo-controlled study

I know it’s a complicated title for that study, but it’s more simple than it appears:

• Double blind: Neither the Rhodiola Rosea group or the placebo group knew who took what. Both capsules were identical
• Crossover: Each participant actually did both conditions. They took both capsules on separate occasions and were analyzed the same
• Placebo-controlled: Just means there was a placebo in the experiment

3. More Perceived Enjoyment of Exercise

It seems we can potentially reduce perceived effort during exercise, so what if we could also enjoy it more as well? We might be able to do that too!

In the same Duncan and Clarke (2014) study, they had participants also rate their perceived enjoyment during the exercise bouts.

The participants who took Rhodiola Rosea reported significantly more enjoyment during exercise than those without it.

4. Shortened Reaction Time

In jiu-jitsu specifically, reaction time and cognitive ability is truly everything. It’s a chess match at full speed. And if you don’t have both of those dialed, you’re going to be far behind.

A study published in the Journal of Sport and Health Science and peer reviewed by Shanghai University of Sport did a double-blind trial on 26 men.

The participants were given 600mg of Rhodiola Rosea for 4 weeks, and then were given various cognitive tests.

The results showed that the group who took Rhodiola Rosea had a shorter reaction time and total response time to the tests.

5. Greater Accuracy in Answering Questions

Not only is reaction time important, but you have to react the correct way as well. If you’re getting double legged and you instantly go to turtle instead of sprawling, it doesn’t matter if you were fast.

The study from above, Jówko et al., also measured the accuracy of answers from the cognitive tests. And not only did the Rhodiola Rosea group respond faster, they were correct more often!

6. Clinically Studied Natural Antioxidant

You’ve probably heard one time or another that something someone was eating “had lots of antioxidants.” They likely also insinuated that it was very healthy because of the antioxidants. Rhodiola Rosea is one of those things as well.

An active compound within Rhodiola Rosea, Salidroside, has shown to be a natural antioxidant. According to a study by Ju et al, they tested diabetic mice and found Rhodiola Rosea to reduce oxidative stress.

This claim is also supported by the review from the British Journal of Nutrition, showing increased capacity of antioxidants over the course of 28 days taking Rhodiola Rosea.

7. Research-backed Anti-inflammatory Properties

Like antioxidants, anti-inflammatory compounds reduce stress on your cells. Rhodiola Rosea has also shown to have these properties.

A review by Pu et al. confirmed that Rhodiola Rosea possess protective effects against inflammatory events such as cardiovascular diseases, neurodegenerative diseases, diabetes, and more.

This confirmation is also aligned with the review published by the British Journal of Nutrition.

8. May Help Reduce Stress

Stress can get brutal sometimes. Especially acute stress. And most of the time, we can’t really control it no matter how many deep breathing techniques we do. It gets overwhelming, tires you out, and effects everything around you.

Rhodiola Rosea may help reducing not only stress, but also stress induced fatigue.

A review by Ivanova Stojcheva & Quintela examined multiple different RCT’s to study Rhodiola Rosea’s effectiveness for stress reduction and mood stabilization.

One of which included a double-blind crossover study on night shift physicians who showed significant improvement in mental fatigue.

On top of the review, the EMA (European Medicines Agency) has officially approved Rhodiola Rosea for relieving stress-related fatigue.

9. May Help Reduce Symptoms of Depression

Similarly to chronic stress, depression is something that so many people struggle with that also is very hard to mitigate. And for those who do not want to use prescription drugs, the road to recovery may seem bleak.

Rhodiola Rosea is by no means a cure for depression, but it may help improve mental health in bouts of mild to moderate depression.

A randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial (Darbinyan et al.) tested 91 patients with mild to moderate depression. They were placed in 3 groups:

• Group 1: 340mg per day (2 tablets of Rhodiola extract daily)
• Group 2: 680mg per day (2 tablets twice per day)
• Group 3: Placebo

For both Rhodiola Rosea groups, the patients showed significant improvement in depression, insomnia, and emotional instability.

10. May Improve Memory

Your brain is arguably the most important muscle you have (even though it's not technically a muscle). Whether you're studying film of your next opponent, learning a new submission chain, or just trying to stay sharp at work, memory matters.

Rhodiola Rosea may be able to help with that too, though the research here is earlier stage than the other benefits on this list.

A systematic review by Ma et al. evaluated 36 animal studies, 836 subjects total. They observed significant positive effects on learning and memory across different test types and animal models.

However, this systematic review was on animal studies only. More testing must be done on humans to determine the efficacy of Rhodiola Rosea for memory improvement.

Side Effects and Safety

Across the clinical studies referenced in this article, Rhodiola Rosea was well-tolerated at doses ranging from 200mg to 1,500mg per day. No significant adverse effects were reported.

Some participants in various trials reported mild effects such as dizziness or dry mouth, but these were rare and not consistently observed across studies.

Dosage Guide for Rhodiola Rosea

Rhodiola studies have used a lot of different doses, which is one reason results can vary. But based on the research, there are some guidelines you can follow.

For stress, fatigue and mood, most studies used between 170–600mg per day. These were taken about 60 minutes before exercise or first thing in the morning on an empty stomach.

For exercise performance, a large 2023 review looked at 16 human studies and found that taking around 200mg about an hour before exercise worked best for endurance activities.

For strength and power, studies that showed the best results used around 1,500mg per day, with an extra 500mg taken 30 minutes before training.

One important thing to know, taking more doesn't always mean better results. The research on long-term daily use is more mixed than the research on taking it before a single session.

What to Look for in a Rhodiola Rosea Supplement

Not all Rhodiola supplements are the same. The quality of what's inside the capsule matters a lot.

Check the label for standardization: A good Rhodiola supplement should say it contains at least 3% rosavins and 1% salidroside. These are the main active ingredients found in Rhodiola rosea and the amounts used in most studies that showed positive results.

Make sure it says Rhodiola rosea: There are other types of Rhodiola out there. Only Rhodiola rosea has the research behind it, so make sure the full name is on the label.

Look for third-party testing: Independent testing organizations like NSF, Informed Sport or USP check that the product actually contains what it says on the label. This matters especially if you compete in any sport with drug testing.

Avoid proprietary blends: Some products hide Rhodiola inside a "blend" without telling you how much is actually in there. If you can't see the exact amount, skip it.

Important Safety Information

The information in this article is for educational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice. Nothing here should be taken as a recommendation to treat, cure or prevent any health condition.

While we have referenced real scientific studies throughout this article, it is important to understand that research does not always mean something is proven. Many of the studies mentioned used small groups of people, and some findings have not been repeated in larger trials. Science is always evolving, and what research suggests today may be updated as new studies emerge.

Always speak with a qualified healthcare professional before starting any new supplement, especially if you have an existing health condition, take medication or are pregnant or breastfeeding.

Individual results may vary. What works for one person may not work for another.

Conclusion/TL;DR

Rhodiola Rosea is an herb used in many traditional medicines dating as far back as 77 CE. Across hundreds of studies and reviews, it has shown solid evidence for these benefits:

1. May Increase exercise performance
2. Lowered RPE
3. May increase muscle recovery
4. Shortened reaction time
5. Greater accuracy in answering questions
6. Clinically studied natural antioxidant
7. Research-backed anti-inflammatory properties
8. Helps improve stress tolerance
9. Could help reduce symptoms of depression
10. May improve memory

We encourage you to read through this and do your own research and see if taking Rhodiola Rosea would be right for you. The research is promising, we’re very excited to see new studies that come out on the topic!

References:

• Duncan MJ, Clarke ND. (2014) — The Effect of Acute Rhodiola rosea Ingestion on Exercise Heart Rate, Substrate Utilisation, Mood State, and Perceptions of Exertion, Arousal, and Pleasure/Displeasure in Active Men. Journal of Sports Medicine. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26464892/
• Jówko E, et al. (2018) — Effects of Rhodiola rosea supplementation on mental performance, physical capacity, and oxidative stress biomarkers in healthy men. Journal of Sport and Health Science. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30450257/
• Ju L, et al. (2017) — Salidroside, A Natural Antioxidant, Improves β-Cell Survival and Function via Activating AMPK Pathway. Frontiers in Pharmacology. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29093682/
• Pu WL, et al. (2020) — Anti-inflammatory effects of Rhodiola rosea L.: A review. Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0753332219329671
• Ivanova Stojcheva E, Quintela JC. (2022) — The Effectiveness of Rhodiola rosea L. Preparations in Alleviating Various Aspects of Life-Stress Symptoms and Stress-Induced Conditions. Molecules. https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules27123902
• Darbinyan V, et al. — Clinical trial with Rhodiola rosea extract in patients with mild to moderate depression. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17990195/
• Ma GP, et al. (2018) — Rhodiola rosea L. Improves Learning and Memory Function: Preclinical Evidence and Possible Mechanisms. Frontiers in Pharmacology. https://doi.org/10.3389/fphar.2018.01415
• Todorova V, et al. (2021) — Plant Adaptogens—History and Future Perspectives. Nutrients. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34445021/
• Li Y, et al. (2017) — Rhodiola rosea L.: an herb with anti-stress, anti-aging, and immunostimulating properties for cancer chemoprevention. Current Pharmacology Reports. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30393593/
• Kasper S, Dienel A. (2017) — Multicenter, open-label, exploratory clinical trial with Rhodiola rosea extract in patients suffering from burnout symptoms. Neuropsychiatric Disease and Treatment. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28367055/