Saturday, November 2, 2013

Rhodiola Rosea

This was first brought to my attention by an Anon on /fit/ as part of a list of supplements he took for recovery.  I looked into it a bit, and it seemed interesting, with good bang for your buck.
I found that seven double blind clinical studies, Rhodiola Rosea dosing was found to definitely decrease fatigue with a notable potency. 4 studies show that it raises cognition and subjective level of well being. It can lower depression and the rate of perceived exertion. Also lowers lactate production, stress, and muscle damage.


Usually the anecdote I give along with this is how I felt so good after my heavy day on bench that I did a speed set and managed 225x12 at the end.  Its a feelgood supplement and is incredibly cheap, especially considering the effect.  Besides muscle endurance under strain, there is also a notable increase to attention and focus endurance under strain.  As long as my motivation stays high, I can continue focusing on one topic for extended periods of time, regardless of lack of sleep or interest level.

I'm planning to test its effectiveness soon (a study measuring the increase in number of pushups to failure from trial to trial). Even though the sample size will be small, something quantifiable is useful.  If you have it yourself and want to contribute, please do so: there is a contact form at the bottom of the page for this sort of thing.


Final Verdict

Social Effects:  Not much is noticeable here, besides longer attention span and greater interest in other people.
Learning effect: Most of its benefit towards learning is produced buy its anti-fatigue effects and ability to extend attention span.
Cost Factor: Can be gotten as cheap as $3 per ounce, though there is no guarantee of potency.  what you buy in precapsulated for will be standardized for rosavins and other helpful chemicals.  The raw powder works well as a small part of an herb rub for grilled chicken.
Effective Time: Not specifically known or that noticeable. It tends to come on steadily rather than "hit," but the effects are actively noticeable. Sort of an energizing effect.
Best Features: works like a +5% buff to most of your body and psyche

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