Ashwagandha is arguably the most popular supplement of the moment. You see it everywhere: on social media, at the gym, in talk shows. It is said to reduce stress, improve your sleep, increase your testosterone, and help you recover faster.
We make a daily recovery supplement for fighters and explosive athletes. And at SHIDO, there is one rule: every ingredient is specifically chosen because a fighter needs it. So, we are often asked: why isn't ashwagandha just in your formula?
What is ashwagandha?
Ashwagandha is not a vitamin or a mineral. It is an herb that has been used for centuries in Indian (Ayurvedic) medicine.
You often hear it called an "adaptogen." That is a complicated word for a simple idea: a substance that is said to help your body handle stress better. The most well-known effect in research is that ashwagandha can slightly lower the stress hormone cortisol. [2]
And that is where an important difference lies. Vitamins and minerals replenish a deficiency. They, in a sense, lay a healthy foundation. Ashwagandha does something different: it is an active herb that attempts to adjust your hormones and your stress system.
Does ashwagandha work for athletes?
There are real, positive signals in the research. In studies (usually with 500 to 1250 mg per day, for 8 to 12 weeks), researchers observed, among other things:
- better physical conditioning (how much oxygen your body can use during exertion);
- more strength;
- the ability to keep going longer before becoming exhausted;
- lower cortisol levels;
- in some people, a better sense of recovery and less muscle soreness. [4][8]
The most commonly used dose in sports is about 600 mg per day. [5] More recent research among team athletes also shows effects, though these vary by gender: women felt better recovered, while men gained some leg strength. [3]
How much ashwagandha is actually in a supplement?
The doses at which researchers observed an effect are usually around 600 mg per day of a standardized extract. This means an extract with a fixed, controlled strength. [14][5] That is the quantity upon which the study results are based.
But look at what is actually in many products in practice. In a composite supplement, such as a daily multivitamin or recovery formula with dozens of ingredients, there is often much less. Sometimes only 100 to 200 mg. There is limited space in a single capsule or scoop, and ashwagandha is just one of many ingredients. They often cannot go higher.
What does that mean for you? The label might say "contains ashwagandha," but the amount may be too small to truly produce the results seen in studies. In the supplement world, this is called underdosing: you get the word on the packaging, but not the effective dose. You are then paying for a promise, not an effect.
A small nuance, for the sake of completeness: there is one type of extract (Sensoril) that has been studied at a lower dose of approximately 125 to 250 mg. [14] A small number on the label does not always mean it is too little. However, you only know that if the packaging honestly states which type of extract it contains and how many milligrams.
Why isn't ashwagandha in SHIDO?
Everything in SHIDO is specifically chosen for combat athletes: it must address a genuine need of a fighter, have proven utility, be safe for daily use, and fit into a clean, doping-free list. Ashwagandha fails to meet that standard for five reasons.
1. The evidence is still young and not always conclusive
Most studies are short (a few weeks to a few months), involve small groups of participants, and are often restricted to men only. They also use different types of ashwagandha and varying doses, which makes comparison difficult. [4][5]
And the picture is not black and white. There are also good studies that found no additional effect. For instance, in some studies, ashwagandha added nothing beyond the training itself. [6][7] Strong, consistent evidence looks different.
2. No one knows what it does in the long term
This is the most important point for us. Almost all research lasts only 8 to 12 weeks. [4][5] There is almost no good information on what happens if you take ashwagandha every single day for years.
And that is exactly how you use a daily base supplement: not as an eight-week regimen, but continuously. Adding something whose long-term effects you don't know simply does not fit that concept.
3. There is a warning regarding the liver
Since 2017, an increasing number of cases of liver damage have been linked to ashwagandha. [1][13] LiverTox, an authoritative medical database from the US government (NIH), now lists ashwagandha as a likely cause of visible liver injury. [1]
Most cases are mild and resolve on their own once you stop. However, rare, serious cases have also been described, sometimes in otherwise healthy, young people. [1][11] The difficult part is that no one knows exactly why it happens. It seems unpredictable: it affects one person but not another, for no clear reason. [1]
Our target audience already puts a heavy load on the liver: hard training blocks, weight cutting for weigh-ins, and sometimes painkillers. Adding an unpredictable liver risk to that, every day, is not something we consider worth it.
4. It influences your hormones
The fact that ashwagandha can slightly increase testosterone sounds good to many athletes. However, the herb also affects your thyroid and other hormones. This is why people with thyroid disorders or hormone-sensitive conditions must be careful with it. [9][10]
Every ingredient in SHIDO Foundation is chosen because a fighter needs it and it is safe for everyone who trains. Something that can unasked-for shift your thyroid or hormones, without a doctor having looked at your specific situation, does not fit that.
5. We are building a clean, controlled product
SHIDO Foundation is for athletes who are tested for doping. That is why we are working toward a quality mark where every batch is tested.
Every herbal extract you add makes that more difficult. Herbal extracts vary greatly in quality and can be contaminated. In a large study from India, traces of lead, cadmium, and arsenic were even found in one product. [11] The cleaner and more transparent our ingredient list, the more certain we can be about what is in the jar, and the smaller the chance of a surprise during a doping test.
Can you still use ashwagandha?
Yes, this blog is not saying that ashwagandha is "bad." For some people, it can be useful, during a defined period and preferably in consultation with a doctor or pharmacist. Think of a short, busy, or stressful phase.
But that is exactly the point: ashwagandha is something for temporary, personal use. It is not a staple ingredient for everyone, every day.
SHIDO Foundation is made for fighters: every ingredient is deliberately chosen because a combat athlete needs it, in a safe daily dose, with a list we can fully explain and control. Something for which we do not know the long-term safety, and which carries a liver warning (however rare), does not belong in it.
