Rhodiola Rosea

    Written by:
    Bill Willis, Megan Michaux

    Fact-checked

    by:

    Nick Milazzo
    Last Updated: August 10, 2023

    Rhodiola rosea, often called “rhodiola” for short, is a plant in the genus Rhodiola that’s used as an herbal supplement with adaptogenic properties that help to provide general resistance to stress. Although its mechanisms of action are not completely understood, it is clear that rhodiola increases resilience to stress at both the cellular and systemic levels.

    21 references on this page
    5,447 participants in 24 trials and 2 meta-analyses

    Overview

    Dosage information

    Supplementation of Rhodiola rosea tends to refer to either the SHR-5 extract (standardized to 4 mg of salidroside (rhodioloside) per 144 mg tablet) or an equivalent extract.

    Usage of rhodiola as a daily preventative against fatigue has been reported to be effective in doses as low as 50 mg.

    Acute usage of rhodiola for fatigue and anti-stress has been noted to be taken in the 288-680 mg range.

    As rhodiola has been shown to have a bell-curve response before, it is recommended to not exceed the aforementioned 680 mg dosage, as higher doses may be ineffective.

    Examine Database: Rhodiola Rosea

    Aerobic Exercise Performance
    Mental Resilience
    General Athletic Performance
    Stress
    Cognitive Improvement
    Muscle Recovery
    Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
    Fatigue
    Cycling Performance
    Runners' Health
    Metabolic Health
    Rowing Performance
    Depression
    Anxiety
    General Cardiovascular Health
    Myalgic Encephalomyelitis
    Focus & Attention
    Mood Improvement

    Research FeedRead all studies

    Frequently asked questions

    Update History

    Research Breakdown

    Examine Database References

    1. Cortisol - Jówko E, Sadowski J, Długołęcka B, Gierczuk D, Opaszowski B, Cieśliński IEffects of Rhodiola rosea supplementation on mental performance, physical capacity, and oxidative stress biomarkers in healthy menJ Sport Health Sci.(2018 Oct)
    2. Cognition - Shevtsov VA, Zholus BI, Shervarly VI, Vol'skij VB, Korovin YP, Khristich MP, Roslyakova NA, Wikman GA randomized trial of two different doses of a SHR-5 Rhodiola rosea extract versus placebo and control of capacity for mental workPhytomedicine.(2003 Mar)
    3. Cognition - Spasov AA, Wikman GK, Mandrikov VB, Mironova IA, Neumoin VVA double-blind, placebo-controlled pilot study of the stimulating and adaptogenic effect of Rhodiola rosea SHR-5 extract on the fatigue of students caused by stress during an examination period with a repeated low-dose regimenPhytomedicine.(2000 Apr)
    4. Cognition - Darbinyan V, Kteyan A, Panossian A, Gabrielian E, Wikman G, Wagner HRhodiola 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 dutyPhytomedicine.(2000 Oct)
    5. Cortisol - Olsson EM, von Schéele B, Panossian AGA randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group study of the standardised extract shr-5 of the roots of Rhodiola rosea in the treatment of subjects with stress-related fatiguePlanta Med.(2009 Feb)
    6. Fatigue Symptoms - Schutgens FW, Neogi P, van Wijk EP, van Wijk R, Wikman G, Wiegant FAThe influence of adaptogens on ultraweak biophoton emission: a pilot-experimentPhytother Res.(2009 Aug)
    7. Weight - De Bock K, Eijnde BO, Ramaekers M, Hespel PAcute Rhodiola rosea intake can improve endurance exercise performanceInt J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab.(2004 Jun)
    8. Cortisol - Noreen EE, Buckley JG, Lewis SL, Brandauer J, Stuempfle KJThe effects of an acute dose of Rhodiola rosea on endurance exercise performanceJ Strength Cond Res.(2013 Mar)
    9. Depression Symptoms - Cropley M, Banks AP, Boyle JThe Effects of Rhodiola rosea L. Extract on Anxiety, Stress, Cognition and Other Mood SymptomsPhytother Res.(2015 Dec)
    10. Fatigue Symptoms - Siegfried Kasper, Angelika DienelMulticenter, open-label, exploratory clinical trial with Rhodiola rosea extract in patients suffering from burnout symptomsNeuropsychiatr Dis Treat.(2017 Mar 22)
    11. Social Functioning - Lekomtseva Y, Zhukova I, Wacker ARhodiola rosea in Subjects with Prolonged or Chronic Fatigue Symptoms: Results of an Open-Label Clinical TrialComplement Med Res.(2017)
    12. Carbohydrate Oxidation - Duncan MJ, Clarke NDThe Effect of Acute Rhodiola rosea Ingestion on Exercise Heart Rate, Substrate Utilisation, Mood State, and Perceptions of Exertion, Arousal, and Pleasure/Displeasure in Active MenJ Sports Med (Hindawi Publ Corp).(2014)
    13. Monocyte Chemoattractant Protein-1 - Shanely RA, Nieman DC, Zwetsloot KA, Knab AM, Imagita H, Luo B, Davis B, Zubeldia JMEvaluation of Rhodiola rosea supplementation on skeletal muscle damage and inflammation in runners following a competitive marathonBrain Behav Immun.(2014 Jul)
    14. Creatine Kinase - Lin C, et alRhodiola rosea does not reduce in vivo inflammatory activity after continuous endurance exerciseSCI SPORT.()
    15. C-Reactive Protein (CRP) - Abidov M, Grachev S, Seifulla RD, Ziegenfuss TNExtract of Rhodiola rosea radix reduces the level of C-reactive protein and creatinine kinase in the bloodBull Exp Biol Med.(2004 Jul)
    16. Oxygen Uptake - Parisi A, Tranchita E, Duranti G, Ciminelli E, Quaranta F, Ceci R, Cerulli C, Borrione P, Sabatini SEffects of chronic Rhodiola Rosea supplementation on sport performance and antioxidant capacity in trained male: preliminary resultsJ Sports Med Phys Fitness.(2010 Mar)
    17. Blood Pressure - Wing SL, Askew EW, Luetkemeier MJ, Ryujin DT, Kamimori GH, Grissom CKLack of effect of Rhodiola or oxygenated water supplementation on hypoxemia and oxidative stressWilderness Environ Med.(2003 Spring)
    18. Fatigue Symptoms - Ross SMRhodiola rosea (SHR-5), Part I: a proprietary root extract of Rhodiola rosea is found to be effective in the treatment of stress-related fatigueHolist Nurs Pract.(2014 Mar-Apr)
    19. Fatigue Symptoms - Salima Punja, Larissa Shamseer, Karin Olson, Sunita VohraRhodiola Rosea for Mental and Physical Fatigue in Nursing Students: A Randomized Controlled TrialPLoS.()
    20. Fatigue Symptoms - Punja S, Shamseer L, Olson K, Vohra SRhodiola rosea for mental and physical fatigue in nursing students: a randomized controlled trialPLoS One.(2014 Sep 30)
    21. Insomnia Signs and Symptoms - Ross SMRhodiola rosea (SHR-5), Part 2: A standardized extract of Rhodiola rosea is shown to be effective in the treatment of mild to moderate depressionHolist Nurs Pract.(2014 May-Jun)
    22. Depression Symptoms - Mao JJ, Xie SX, Zee J, Soeller I, Li QS, Rockwell K, Amsterdam JDRhodiola rosea versus sertraline for major depressive disorder: A randomized placebo-controlled trialPhytomedicine.(2015 Mar 15)
    23. Depression Symptoms - Darbinyan V, Aslanyan G, Amroyan E, Gabrielyan E, Malmström C, Panossian AClinical trial of Rhodiola rosea L. extract SHR-5 in the treatment of mild to moderate depressionNord J Psychiatry.(2007)
    24. Lung Function - Yu H, Lei T, Su X, Zhang L, Feng Z, Dong M, Hou Z, Guo H, Liu JEfficacy and safety of three species of L. in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: A systematic review and meta-analysis.Front Pharmacol.(2023)