Ashwagandha Boosts Size & Strength Increases, Augments Fat Loss & Recovery in 8-Week Resistance Training Study

Ashwagandha Boosts Size & Strength Increases, Augments Fat Loss & Recovery in 8-Week Resistance Training Study

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Ashwaghanda may be for gymrats, too.

Ashwaganda is one of the supplements that has been around forever. While this would suggest that it works, the relatively low number of people who actually use it suggests otherwise and scientific evidence in form of peer-reviewed, non-sponsored studies that would allow us to draw a reliable conclusion with regard to its usefulness for athletes is rare... Well, actually there are only four studies on Withania somnifera, which is also known as Indian Ginseng or Winter Cherry, of which you could say that they are at least relevant to the topic - even though none of them was conducted in resistance trained / training individuals.

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There's a study by Raut, et al. that evaluated the "tolerability, safety, and activity of Ashwagandha (Withania Somnifera) in healthy volunteers" from 2012; a study by Sandhu, et al. in which the researchers probed the "effects of Withania somnifera (Ashwagandha) and Terminalia arjuna (Arjuna) on physical performance and cardiorespiratory endurance in healthy young adults" and found an increase in velocity [+3%], relative power [+9%] and VO2 max [+7%] in response to 500mg/day for 8 weeks; a study by Choudhary et al. (2015) which found both, increases in VO2max and quality of life of 50 "athletic" individuals in response to a commercial Ashwaghanda product that goes by the cryptic acronym KSM-66 Ashwagandha; as well as a study by Shenoy, et al. (2012) which found 11%, 16% 16% and 2% increases in time to exhaustion, VO2, metabolic equivalents (METs) and respiratory exchange ratio (RER), respectively (note: the benefits were sign. lower in female study participants, see Table 1), in response to the same amount, i.e. 500 mg/day, of an aqueous root extract of Ashwagandha that has been used by Sandhu et al. two years before.

Table 1: Mean percentage (%) difference of pre-post readings of forty male and female elite (elite here refers to the participation of the athlete in at least state-level events) Indian cyclists in response to 8 weeks on 500 mg of standardized aqueous root extract, which was obtained in the form of capsules from Dabur India Limited (Sandhu. 2012).

With that being I should mention that several studies suggest that your source of Ashwaghanda may well determine its effects. So, any current and future contradictions in the literature may be related to the level of desirable and undesirable "active ingredients" in the tested extracts. Patel, et al., for example, report that 50% of the samples they analyzed in 2015 contained mercury (Hg) at levels "above the permissible limit". Reason enough for the researchers to conclude that the "consumption of drug (Ashwagandha) obtained from polluted areas may cause accumulated side effect as well as the toxic effect of the heavy metals, respectively" (Patel. 2015). In view of the fact that I assume that Wankhede et al. used an (a) heavy-metal free and (b) truly standardized extract with actual steroidal lactones (withanolides, withaferins), saponins and alkaloids like isopelletierine and anaferine in it, in their recent

"prospective, double-blind, placebo-controlled parallel group study to measure the possible effects of ashwagandha extract on muscle strength/size, muscle recovery, testosterone level and body fat percentage" (Wankhede. 2015)

in young men who participated in a standardized resistance training regimen, it is thus not totally impossible that the next best Ashwaghanda product from the internet will produce significantly different results. I guess you should keep that in mind if you plan to go shopping after reading this article. The product Wankhede, et al. used, by the way, was provided by Shri Kartikeya Pharma and Ixoreal BioMed and happened to be the same KSM-66 high-concentration root extract Choudhary et al. used in their likewise very recent study.

Figure 1: Overview of the study design as it is visualized in Wankhede et al. (2015)

I don't want to waste your precious time with speculations, though. Let's talk about Wankhede's recent study, on 57 men (18-50 years), who were randomly allocated to either the treatment group, in which the subjects consumed 300 mg of ashwagandha root extract twice daily, or the control group, which received identically looking starch placebo capsules.

BIA and CK - not the best ways to measure body fat and recovery: What should be noted about these measurements, though, is the fact that body fat levels were measured via bio impedance (BIA) and the recovery was judged based on creatine kinase (CK) values. With BIA being susceptible to variations in hydration status and other sources interference (Kyle. 2004) and the CK-values showing extreme inter-individual variability (learn more), the validity of these outcomes remains somewhat questionable.

Both, the subjects who received the active treatment in form of 2x300 mg/day Ashwagandha, as well as those who received the placebo treatment, underwent identical 8-week resistance training programs; programs, the scientists describe as follows:

"The resistance training program consisted of sets of exercises over major muscle groups in both the upper body and the lower body. [...] Each subject in both groups was asked to come to a training session every other day, with one rest day pe week, for three days per week. Every session began with a warm up consisting of five minutes of low-intensity aerobic exercise. The subjects were instructed to perform, for each set as many repetitions as they could until failure. The subjects were asked to go through the full range of motion and were demonstrated the proper technique for safe and effective weight lifting" (Wankhede. 2015).

The workouts were periodized with increasing number of sets from 1-2 to 3. More specifically, the subjects performed barbell squats, the leg extensions, seated leg curls, machine chest presses, barbell chest presses, seated machine rows, one-arm dumbbel rows, machine biceps curls, dumbbel biceps curls, cable triceps press-downs, dumbbell shoulder presses, and the straight-arm pull-downs in the first two weeks and barbell squat (3 sets) the leg extension (3 sets), the leg curl (2 sets), one chest exercise (flat, incline or decline press or fly, cable cross over, 3 sets), one back exercise (rows, pull up, pull down or seated cable row, 3 sets), another chest exercise (3 sets) another back exercise (3 sets), one biceps exercise or one triceps exercise (curls or extensions, 3 sets), and one shoulder exercise (raises or presses, 3 sets) for the rest of the 8-week study.

Figure 2: Absolute increases in thigh, arm and chest size and reduction in body fat (%) over the course of the 8-week study; the figures above the bars denote the inter-group difference in %, * denotes significant differences (Wankhede. 2015).

Significant inter-group differences were found for almost all of the measured variables: the size increases in the arms and chest, the change in body fat (remember, those are only BIA values), serum testosterone, and CK (remember, this is not a very reliable marker of exercise recovery), as well as the strength increase on the bench press and leg extension machine (1RM, each) differed significantly not just from pre- to post, but also from the supplement to the placebo group (see Figure 2, Figure 3).

Figure 3: Changes in 1RM (kg) strength and testosterone (ng/dL) over the course of the 8-week study; the figures above the bars denote the inter-group difference in %, * denotes significant differences (Wankhede. 2015).

Against that background it seems certainly warranted that Wankhede et al. postulate that their study "confirms previous data regarding the adaptogenic properties of ashwagandha" and it also clearly "suggests it [Ashwaghanda supplementation] might be a useful adjunct to strength training" (Wankhede. 2015). The authors are yet also right, when they point out that their study has...

"[...] the following limitations which should lead us to interpret the findings with some caution: the subjects are untrained and moderately young, the sample size of 50 is not large and the study period is of duration only 8 weeks" (Wankhede. 2015)

Accordingly, Wankhede et al. rightly demand that further "[r]esearch studying the possible beneficial effects of ashwagandha needs to be conducted", research that spans "longer periods of time" and includes "different populations including females and older adults of both genders" (Wankhede. 2015). In this regard, I would like to remind you that the previously discussed results Shenoy et al. published three years ago, in which the sex of the participants had a major impact on the study outcome, make studies comparing male to female resistance trainees particularly appealing - from a science perspective, obviously ;-)

Sometimes lab values are deceiving - specifically if allegedly pathological elevations of kidney, liver and (heart) muscle enzymes (CK) are nothing but a perfectly physiological reaction to exercise | learn more!

So, what's the verdict, then? Yes, this is definitely the most exciting 'Ashwaghanda study', I've seen so far. Next to the limitations Wankhede et al. already discuss in the conclusion of their recently published paper in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition one should not forget, though, that the methods they chose to determine the body composition and state of recovery of their subjects were appropriate, but not optimal. While the former would have been more reliable if they had used a DXA scan, the latter would actually have to be tested via several post-workout strength tests and auxiliary tests and questionnaires as it was done, for example, by Kraemer et al. (2010).

Enough of the complaints, though. Let's be greatful we even have a study investigating the effects of Ashwagandha on resistance training. Plus, the increases in strength, muscle size (which would be similarly thwarted by cell swelling in both groups when it was tested 'only' two days after the last workout) and testosterone, alone, warrant the authors' already carefully worded conclusion that "ashwagandha supplementation may be useful in conjunction with a resistance training program" (Wankhede. 2015) - even if the underlying mechanism is still unknown and the hypotheses the authors list in the discussion, i.e. (a) increase in testosterone (too low to have significant effects | learn why), (b) decrease in the levels of cortisol (not measured + acute cortisol elevations are associated w/ lean mass gains in strength training individuals | West. 2012), (c) beneficial effects on mitochondrial health and reduced ATP breakdown (observed only in rodents that were exposed to toxins vs. exercise), and (d) antianxiety effects and promotion of focus and concentration that "may translate to better coordination and recruitment of muscles" (Wankhede. 2015), are as the word "hypothesis" implies only hypothetical, i.e. conjectural | Comment on Facebook!

References:

• Choudhary, Bakhtiar, A. Shetty, and Deepak G. Langade. "Efficacy of Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera [L.] Dunal) in improving cardiorespiratory endurance in healthy athletic adults." AYU (An international quarterly journal of research in Ayurveda) 36.1 (2015): 63.
• Kyle, Ursula G., et al. "Bioelectrical impedance analysis—part II: utilization in clinical practice." Clinical nutrition 23.6 (2004): 1430-1453.
• Patel, Dhaval, Harisha C. Rudrappa, and Proshanta Majumder. "A comparative pharmacognostical, physicochemical, and heavy metal analysis on Ashwagandha root obtained from natural and polluted sources." International Journal of Green Pharmacy 9.1 (2015): 14.
• Raut, Ashwinikumar A., et al. "Exploratory study to evaluate tolerability, safety, and activity of Ashwagandha (Withania Somnifera) in healthy volunteers." Journal of Ayurveda and Integrative Medicine 3.3 (2012): 111.
• Sandhu, Jaspal Singh, et al. "Effects of Withania somnifera (Ashwagandha) and Terminalia arjuna (Arjuna) on physical performance and cardiorespiratory endurance in healthy young adults." International journal of Ayurveda research 1.3 (2010): 144.
• Shenoy, Shweta, et al. "Effects of eight-week supplementation of Ashwagandha on cardiorespiratory endurance in elite Indian cyclists." Journal of Ayurveda and integrative medicine 3.4 (2012): 209.
• Wankhede, Sachin, et al. "Examining the effect of Withania somnifera supplementation on muscle strength and recovery: a randomized controlled trial." Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition 12.1 (2015): 43.
• West, Daniel WD, and Stuart M. Phillips. "Associations of exercise-induced hormone profiles and gains in strength and hypertrophy in a large cohort after weight training." European journal of applied physiology 112.7 (2012): 2693-2702.

Breakfast: Eat it or Skip it? Making it High Protein Will Have Habitually Skipping Teens Lose Fat & Curbs Their Hunger

Breakfast: Eat it or Skip it? Making it High Protein Will Have Habitually Skipping Teens Lose Fat & Curbs Their Hunger

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This could have been the HP breakfast. Egg-based pancakes + ham.

It is almost like the question "to carb" or "not to carb" and the almost religiously maddish discussions between carb-eaters and ketophiles: The debate revolving around the useful- or uselessness of breakfast, when it comes to health and physique issues.

In my more recent articles about the topic I have repeatedly exposed the claim that "not having breakfast is bad for everyone" is total bogus; and while I am not going to go back on that I am about to discuss a study that demonstrates that the right breakfast, i.e. one that's high in protein, may be extremely better than having no breakfast at all.

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Said study has been conducted by scientists from the University of Missouri and the Purdue University (Leidy. 2015). It's an investigation into the effects of normal-protein (NP) vs. high-protein (HP) breakfast meals on appetite control, food intake, and body composition in “breakfast skipping” young people with overweight/obesity.

As a SuppVersity reader you'll know that previous studies suggest that as habitual breakfast skippers, the youths are actually not the ideal study object for a study to show beneficial effects of breakfast. After all, a recent study by Thomas et al. showed quite convincingly that "Whether Skipping Breakfast Increases Insulin, Hunger and Blood Lipids Depends on One's Breakfast Habits" (read the article). Is this a problem? Well, it could be if the new study yielded negative results. After all, we'd have to argue that this was to be expected if the subjects were habitual breakfast skippers.

Table 1: Subject characteristics at baseline (Leidy. 2015). As you can see the subjects were randomly assigned to the three groups at a ratio of 1:2:2 to breakfast skipping, normal protein (NP) and high protein (HP) breakfast.

Luckily, the results were positive and the study with its 12-week study period probably long enough to overcome the effects of habituation which mess with the results of all studies which test the effect of having vs. skipping breakfast on only one or two occasions.

Figure 1: Macronutrient composition (g) of the test meals used in the study (Leidy. 2015)

The study at hand, however, had its fifty-seven adolescent subjects (age: 19 +/- years; BMI: 29.7 +/- 4.6 kg/m²) complete a 12-week randomized controlled trial in which the adolescents consumed either a 1,464 kJ NP breakfast (13 g protein), an isocaloric breakfast with a high protein content (HP | 35 g protein), or continued to skip breakfast (CON). The main outcome variables were the subjects' pre- and post-study appetite, their food intake, body weight, and body composition, which was assessed assessed via DXA scans (which are as you know still the "gold standard" for measuring the body composition of subjects in scientific studies)

In Schlundt's 12-week study in which the subjects had to follow the same energy reduced diet pattern one time with, one time without breakfast the marginal differences in weight loss and fat loss (the former favors breakfast, the latter skipping it) were just as statistically non-significant as the other inter-group differences the US scientists observed (Schlundt. 1992).

In the long run, calories count. So if you are counting calories it doesn't matter if you have breakfast or don't. There are bazillions of "breakfast eating vs. skipping"-studies, but this is only study #3 to test the long-term effects. Yes, sometimes science is pathetic and stupid - and trying to elucidate the health effects of eating vs. skipping breakfast in studies on three testing days is both: pathetic and stupid.

One of the two non-pathetic studies comes from Schlundt et al. who examined the effects of consuming breakfast vs. breakfast skipping during a 12-week energy restriction weight loss diet in 52 adult women with obesity without finding significant differences.

More recently, Dhurandhar et al. completed a 16-week study in 309 adults with obesity and included a general recommendation to either "eat breakfast" or "skip breakfast". As it was to be expected when energy intake is controlled for, again, no differences in weight loss were observed in those who began eating breakfast compared to those who continued to skip breakfast.

The NP and HP groups were provided with specific breakfast meals to consume between 6:00 and 9:45am each day, while the CON group continued to skip breakfast (with nothing to eat/drink, besides water) before 10:00am - with significant consequences as the in parts significant inter-group differences in Figure 2 can tell you.

Figure 2: Comparison of the changes in fat mass, the daily food intake, hunger and fullness ratings in the subjects from the CON (=kept skipping breakfast), NP (normal protein) and HP (high protein) breakfast groups (Leidy. 2015).

The superiority of (a) having breakfast and (b) consuming a high protein breakfast are not debatable. With its 12-week study duration, the study at hand obviously allowed for a full habituation and did thus - much in contrast to many short-term studies - yield all the benefits that are usually ascribed to having breakfast. In particular, having breakfast...

• 

  "Breakfast!? An (Un-)Biased (?) Review of the Breakfast Myth" | read it!

  made the subjects magically lose (HP) or at least not gain (NP) superfluous body fat.
• significantly reduced the daily energy intake in the high protein condition and buffered the significant increase in energy intake in the no breakfast condition if the breakfast had a normal protein content,
• reduced the total time during which the subjects were hungry not just in the morning, but 24/7, and
• increased the subjects' fullness, especially in the morning.

In that it's important to highlight that the high protein breakfast outperformed the normal protein breakfast in all relevant categories, i.e. change in body fat, change in daily energy intake and change in hunger ratings, Accordingly, Leidy et al. are right when they highlight only the high protein breakfast in their conclusion which says that

"daily addition of a HP breakfast improved indices of weight management as illustrated by the prevention of body fat gain, voluntary reductions in daily intake, and reductions in daily hunger in breakfast skipping adolescents with overweight/obesity." (Leidy. 2015)

In spite of that, we should not forget that even a regular breakfast which contained 15% protein, 65% carbohydrates, and 20% fat and consisted of (you guessed it) ready-to-eat cereals with milk outperformed not having breakfast at all. That's in contrast to some previous studies, most of which used shorter study durations and didn't allow for the habituation that's necessary for breakfast to have effects on the total energy intake, for example, to take place.

The study at hand is an excellent example that shows that the previously observed effects of habitation can be overcome if you adhere to your new breakfast protocol meticulously. 

So what? If you have a teenage son or daughter, serve him / her a high protein breakfast containing 40% protein, 40% carbohydrates, and 20% fat, like an egg-based pancakes and ham; egg-based waffles with pork-sausage; egg and pork scramble; and an egg and pork burrito (all these were options the subjects in the study at hand were provided with on a weekly basis. It's going to help them manage their weight, food cravings, and hunger pangs and it's not going to take you an hour to prepare (rather 15 min - max). The scientists assertion that "it is unclear as to whether the daily consumption of a high-protein breakfast, containing 35 g of protein, is feasible in a free-living environment" (Leidy. 2015) is just more pathetic evidence that people care so little about their health that they'd rather die from eating ready-made cereals than to invest the 10-15 minutes to prepare delicious and healthy protein pancakes into their health.

If you are now contemplating to switch back to having breakfast, yourself, let me remind you that it is not possible to extrapolate study results that were generated with a specific group of subjects, in this case overweight, but still healthy adolescents to whomever you want. If you are on an energy controlled diet and skipping breakfast as a means to do intermittent fasting and reduce your overall energy intake, you won't reduce your 24h energy intake (after all, you're eating X kcal everyday, anyway).  It is thus unlikely that you'd lose more weight than you'd do without breakfast and if you are like many people you will probably even feel hungrier now that you're able to eat only 3 small vs. 1-2 large(r) meals | Comment on Facebook!

References:

• Dhurandhar, Emily J., et al. "The effectiveness of breakfast recommendations on weight loss: a randomized controlled trial." The American journal of clinical nutrition 100.2 (2014): 507-513.
• Leidy, Heather J., et al. "A high‐protein breakfast prevents body fat gain, through reductions in daily intake and hunger, in “Breakfast skipping” adolescents." Obesity (2015).
• Schlundt, David G., et al. "The role of breakfast in the treatment of obesity: a randomized clinical trial." The American journal of clinical nutrition 55.3 (1992): 645-651.
• Thomas, Elizabeth A., et al. "Usual breakfast eating habits affect response to breakfast skipping in overweight women." Obesity 23.4 (2015): 750-759.