Rhodiola for Fatigue: Does It Really Work?
Quick Summary: A study found that Rhodiola rosea extract helped reduce fatigue and improve mental performance in healthy doctors working night shifts. This suggests it might help with stress and fatigue.
Can Rhodiola Fight Fatigue?
This research looked at how Rhodiola, a plant used in traditional medicine, affects fatigue. The study found that taking a specific Rhodiola extract helped doctors on night duty feel less tired and perform better on mental tasks.
What The Research Found
- Less Fatigue: Doctors taking Rhodiola reported feeling less tired.
- Better Mental Performance: Rhodiola helped improve focus, memory, and thinking speed.
- No Side Effects: The study found no negative side effects from taking Rhodiola.
Study Details
- Who was studied: 56 healthy doctors.
- How long: The study lasted for 6 weeks, with 2-week treatment periods.
- What they took: Doctors took either a Rhodiola extract (SHR-5) or a placebo (a sugar pill) daily.
What This Means For You
If you experience fatigue, especially during periods of high stress or demanding work, Rhodiola might be worth considering. This study suggests it could help improve mental clarity and reduce tiredness. However, it's important to note that this study focused on a specific extract (SHR-5) and a specific group of people (healthy doctors).
Study Limitations
- Specific Group: The study only involved healthy doctors, so the results might not apply to everyone.
- Short-Term: The study only looked at the effects of Rhodiola for a short period.
- Specific Extract: The study used a specific type of Rhodiola (SHR-5). Other Rhodiola products might not have the same effects.
- Small Sample Size: The study involved a relatively small number of participants.
Technical Analysis Details
Key Findings
The study demonstrated a statistically significant reduction in stress-induced fatigue among healthy physicians during night duty after repeated low-dose administration of Rhodiola rosea extract SHR-5. Mental performance, quantified via the Fatigue Index (a composite measure of cognitive function), improved significantly in the treatment group compared to placebo (p<0.01). This improvement encompassed associative thinking, short-term memory, calculation, concentration, and audio-visual perception speed. No adverse effects were reported for either SHR-5 or placebo.
Study Design
This was a double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized cross-over trial conducted in 2000. It involved 56 young, healthy physicians working night shifts. The study design included three sequential 2-week periods: (a) active treatment (SHR-5) or placebo, (b) a washout period, and (c) the alternate treatment (placebo or SHR-5). Mental performance tests were administered before and after night duty in each period. Five specific cognitive tests were used to calculate the overall Fatigue Index.
Dosage & Administration
Participants received one tablet daily of either the standardized Rhodiola rosea extract SHR-5 or a matching placebo for each 2-week treatment period. The exact milligram dosage of the extract per tablet was not specified in the provided study summary. Administration was oral and followed a repeated low-dose regimen throughout the active treatment phases.
Results & Efficacy
The primary outcome, the Fatigue Index, showed a statistically significant improvement during the SHR-5 treatment period compared to placebo (p<0.01). This significant benefit (p<0.01) was observed specifically during the first 2-week treatment period when SHR-5 was administered. The improvement reflected enhanced performance across all five cognitive tests measuring complex perceptive and cognitive functions critical during fatigue. The cross-over design confirmed the effect was attributable to SHR-5, as the benefit occurred only during its administration phase, not during placebo phases.
Limitations
Key limitations include the relatively small sample size (n=56), the exclusive focus on young, healthy physicians (limiting generalizability to other populations like older adults, chronically ill individuals, or non-medical shift workers), and the short duration of treatment periods (2 weeks). The study design label provided ("observational-study") appears inconsistent with the described double-blind cross-over methodology, which is interventional. The summary lacks specific effect sizes, confidence intervals, and detailed demographic data beyond "young, healthy physicians." Long-term efficacy and safety beyond 2 weeks were not assessed.
Clinical Relevance
This study provides evidence that a standardized Rhodiola rosea extract (SHR-5), taken as a single daily tablet, may effectively reduce mental fatigue and sustain cognitive performance during acute, high-stress periods like night shifts in healthy young adults. For supplement users in demanding, shift-based professions (e.g., healthcare, emergency services), SHR-5 could be a viable option to mitigate temporary stress-related cognitive decline. However, the results apply specifically to the context of acute stress in healthy individuals and do not support efficacy for chronic fatigue, clinical depression, or other populations without further research. Users should note the specific extract (SHR-5) and regimen used.
Original Study Reference
Rhodiola rosea in stress induced fatigue--a double blind cross-over study of a standardized extract SHR-5 with a repeated low-dose regimen on the mental performance of healthy physicians during night duty.
Source: PubMed
Published: 2000
📄 Read Full Study (PMID: 11081987)
