Ashwagandha Fails in New Study

Brad uses this approach in his clinic: he walks patients through the research (the 2009 trial, the 2024 meta-analysis) and the limitations. Because many supplements fail for underdosed actives, he insists on ConsumerLab-vetted brands to ensure the product actually contains what it claims. He notes that the athletic performance evidence is weaker, but the anxiety benefit appears more solid, making ashwagandha a reasonable option for those seeking non-pharmaceutical anxiety relief.

Brad presents creatine as the supplement with much stronger evidence for performance compared to ashwagandha. He focuses on brain benefits: the brain’s high energy demand makes creatine’s role as a quick ATP recycler crucial for memory and thinking. The 2022 meta-analysis highlighted memory improvements in older adults; the 2024 meta-analysis of 16 trials confirmed significant positive impact on memory, attention, and processing speed, with a subgroup analysis finding particular benefit for females. This evidence counters the gym-bro stigma and makes creatine suitable for a broad audience. He gives the personal example of his grandmother starting creatine.

The new study put 41 non-athletic men through 8 weeks of supervised HIIT on a rowing machine, directly measuring VO2 max and multiple blood parameters. Both supplement and placebo groups improved similarly — HIIT worked, but ashwagandha added nothing. The authors concluded no benefit for aerobic capacity. Brad contextualizes this against the earlier literature: the 2020 meta-analysis pooled only five small studies with high heterogeneity and mostly indirect VO2 measures, rated low quality; the 2021 analysis found a large effect but was likely inflated by those same weak studies. Overall he says the evidence is small, poor quality, and mixed. Given this higher-quality negative trial, Brad now errs toward caution and does not believe ashwagandha clearly demonstrates an effect on athletic performance.

Brad explains that ashwagandha impacts the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, the body’s stress response system. When the hypothalamus senses stress, it triggers a cascade leading to adrenal cortisol release. Small studies indicate ashwagandha may lower cortisol, effectively turning down the stress volume. A 2009 study using 300mg ashwagandha plus breathing exercises vs. therapy plus placebo found anxiety score drops of 56.5% vs. 30.5%. A 2024 meta-analysis of 9 RCTs confirmed significant positive effects on perceived stress, anxiety, and blood cortisol. In his clinic, for patients with anxiety who reject medication and want a supplement, he discusses these data and limitations; if they proceed, he insists on brands vetted by ConsumerLab because many products fail testing for active compounds.

Brad emphasizes that for ashwagandha to have any chance of working, the product must contain adequate active compounds. When advising patients, he directs them to ConsumerLab’s approved list because the majority of brands fail. The failure rate (8 of 13) suggests many bottles don’t deliver what they claim. This practical screening step is crucial for anyone considering ashwagandha for anxiety to avoid wasting money on ineffective products.

Brad explains the brain requires enormous energy. Creatine, sourced from red meat and seafood, helps produce ATP quickly, acting like a backup battery. Supplements can increase brain creatine stores. The 2022 meta-analysis showed creatine improved memory, especially in older adults. A 2024 meta-analysis of 16 trials confirmed significant positive impacts on memory, attention time, and processing speed, with a subgroup analysis revealing particular benefit for females. He uses this to counter the misconception that creatine is only for men. He personally takes creatine in his Microvitamin Plus Powder, and his grandmother started after hearing the evidence. Creatine thus becomes his preferred evidence-backed supplement for performance.