Supplement Godfather

Q: I was reading a supplement article online, and it kept referring to certain ingredients such as rhodiola as an adaptogen. What’s an adaptogen and what do they do?


A: Adaptogens have become quite popular over the past few years. Many elite athletes and trainers are using them, and their popularity is definitely growing. Essentially, an adaptogen is an ingredient that works to increase the body’s resistance to physical and mental stress. Stress is widely regarded as the most detrimental health issue to affect human beings. It’s been linked to increased cancer, obesity, and depression rates, to name a few things. In fact, the complex mechanisms of stress can adversely affect many different systems in the body. Even the physical stress of working out can add to these adverse effects. Although working out helps with overall health, when the body is pushed too hard or for too long, the negative aspects of stress can take over. When a stressful event occurs, a cascade of biochemical reactions take place that eventually result in the release of cortisol.

Cortisol is the body’s major stress related hormone, and it possesses catabolic properties that are detrimental to muscle growth, performance, and overall health. Adaptogens work to decrease cortisol and take stress (no pun intended) away from the adrenal glands. Simply put, adaptogens work to keep the effects of acute and chronic stressors under control. People generally find that they feel better when supplementing with adaptogens. Adaptogens can improve focus, mood, attention span, endurance, and resistance to various physical, chemical, and biological stressors. The end result is a much healthier and more anabolic body! Much research is now being done to use adaptogens as a means of increasing athletic performance. Many adaptogenic ingredients are being studied, but rhodiola and Siberian ginseng stand out as two of the best. Siberian ginseng has been shown to increase the body’s ability to accommodate to adverse physical conditions, improve mental performance, and enhance the quality of work under stress. In one study, endurance athletes who supplemented with Siberian ginseng even experienced better regulation of the testosterone:cortisol ratio during exercise. 

In the same study, the cyclists who supplemented with Siberian ginseng were able to cycle longer and at a higher intensity without fatigue. In Asia, Siberian ginseng is used as a substitute for anti-anxiety stress medications and has an almost equal treatment success rate compared to other pharmaceutical drug options. Rhodiola rosea is unquestionably
one of the most well-researched and potent adaptogenic ingredients known to man. It’s proven itself as offering protective benefits to the adrenal glands by preventing the depletion of beneficial catecholamines. In addition, many studies show that rhodiola can improve exercise endurance. In one study, subjects were asked to test endurance on a bicycle ergometer. Those who were given rhodiola (around 200 milligrams) before exercise experienced significantly lower cortisol levels, decreased heart rate, and greater endurance than those taking a placebo. Other adaptogenic benefits of rhodiola include a reduction in mental fatigue, improved sleep patterns, better mood stability, and increased motivation. Adaptogens will not only deliver a major benefit to sports supplements but also become used more and more as an effective means of preventative medicine in this stressful world we live in.

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