Effects of Ashwagandha (Withania Somnifera) Supplementation on Body Composition and Blood Health Indices in Professional Wrestlers

Abstract

Abstract Introduction. The purpose of this randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study was to evaluate the effect of ashwagandha supplementation on the body composition, blood health and recovery indices, as well as the safety of ashwagandha supplementation in wrestling. Material and Methods. To investigate this, body composition (using dual energy X-ray absorptiometry; DEXA) and blood parameters as indicators of athletes’ health status (i.e., hematology, liver, kidney and muscle tissue function, lipid profile) were measured before and after 8-week supplementation with ashwagandha extract (600 mg/day) in professional national team wrestlers following an intensive training plan (as part of an annual training cycle). Results. At the end of the study, there was a significant increase in fat-free mass and muscle mass, with a significant decrease in fat mass (both in absolute and relative terms) in both ashwagandha and placebo groups (main effect of time, p < 0.05). However, ashwagandha supplementation did not affect any of the body composition parameters (main effect of group or interaction of time and group, p > 0.05). Moreover, intense wrestling training induced an increase in blood creatine kinase activity as an indicator of muscle tissue damage (main effect of time, p < 0.05). Ashwagandha supplementation did not significantly affect any hematological or biochemical blood parameters (p > 0.05 for main effect of group and interaction of time and group). However, the increase in creatine kinase activity during the study seemed to be more pronounced in the placebo group (post-hoc; p < 0.05) than in the ashwagandha group (post-hoc; p > 0.05). Conclusions. In conclusion, ashwagandha supplementation at 600 mg daily for 8 weeks is well tolerated and safe for professional wrestlers. This strategy does not appear to offer additional body composition benefits beyond the effect of intense wrestling training. On the other hand, our results indicate some potential for ashwagandha in improving muscle tissue recovery, which needs to be confirmed on a larger population of athletes.