Rhodiola Rosea
Evidence Fact Sheet
Rhodiola rosea (golden/arctic root) is an adaptogenic botanical studied for HPA-axis/cortisol-response modulation and anti-fatigue effects. Human research spans stress-related fatigue, burnout, mental work capacity, endurance performance, and depression (with an honest non-significant signal vs placebo). Typical research dose 200-600 mg/day standardized root extract. US DSHEA structure/function only; EU traditional-use; no FDA/EFSA disease claim.
Also known as: Rhodiola rosea · Rosenroot · Golden root · Arctic root · Salidroside · Rosavin · SHR-5
Overview
Rhodiola rosea (rosenroot, golden root, arctic root) is a botanical adaptogen standardized to rosavins and salidroside. Proposed research mechanisms include HPA-axis / cortisol-response normalization, AMPK energy-sensing activation, monoamine (MAO) modulation, and NRF2 antioxidant-response signaling — the last three characterized mainly in preclinical models. It is studied in research contexts for stress-related fatigue, burnout symptom scores, mental work capacity, and endurance/exercise performance, typically at 200-600 mg/day of standardized root extract (the SHR-5 clinical extract was used around 288-576 mg/day). Regulatory status: in the US it is a botanical dietary supplement under DSHEA limited to structure/function claims; the EU offers a traditional-use herbal route with no authorized Reg 432/2012 health claim; China lists it as medicine-food homology with a registered "relieves physical fatigue" function. Note R. rosea differs chemically from R. crenulata, which lacks rosavin.
Mechanism of Action
HPA-axis modulation / cortisol-response normalization (adaptogen research model) · AMPK pathway activation (preclinical anti-fatigue hypothesis) · Monoamine oxidase modulation (preclinical) · NRF2 / antioxidant-response activation (preclinical)
Body systems: Mood & Stress Response · Neurological & Cognitive · Musculoskeletal · Endocrine & Metabolic
Evidence-Based Benefits
Each benefit below is anchored to a specific PubMed-indexed study. Effect sizes, sample sizes, and p-values are reported as published; no values are inferred. Honest negatives and null results are kept alongside the positive findings, and disease-research populations are described as such — Rhodiola Rosea is not characterized as a treatment for any disease.
Endurance / Exercise Performance
Meta-analysis supported- ES = 0.32, p < 0.01VO2max · 11 studies
- ES = 0.38, p < 0.05time to exhaustion · 7 studies
- 26 RCTs · 668trials · participants
A 2025 meta-analysis pooling 26 randomized trials in 668 healthy participants found small but statistically significant improvements in endurance markers with Rhodiola rosea: VO2max (ES = 0.32) and time to exhaustion (ES = 0.38). Oxidative-stress and muscle-damage biomarkers also moved favorably, while inflammatory markers (IL-6, C-reactive protein) showed no significant effect — an honest limit on the inflammation claim.
Reported effect: VO2max: ES = 0.32, p < 0.01 (11 studies); time to exhaustion: ES = 0.38, p < 0.05 (7 studies); 26 RCTs, 668 healthy participants; no significant effects on IL-6 or C-reactive protein
“VO2max: ES = 0.32, p < 0.01 (11 studies); Time to exhaustion: ES = 0.38, p < 0.05 (7 studies). No significant effects on IL-6 or C-reactive protein. 26 randomized controlled trials; 668 healthy participants.”
Source: PMID 41080184 · Wang 2025 · Front Nutr
Mental Work Capacity / Anti-Fatigue
RCT supported- AFI 1.0385 vs 0.9046verum vs placebo · p<0.001
- 161cadets randomized
In a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of 161 cadets, standardized SHR-5 Rhodiola rosea extract produced a pronounced anti-fatigue effect on a composite anti-fatigue index (AFI) during demanding mental work, with no meaningful difference between the standard and 50%-higher dose. The result was highly significant for both doses.
Reported effect: AFI mean 1.0385 (2 capsules) and 1.0195 (3 capsules) vs placebo 0.9046; p < 0.001 for both doses; n = 161 cadets
“The verum groups had AFI mean values of 1.0385 and 1.0195, 2 and 3 capsules respectively, whilst the figure for the placebo group was 0.9046. This was statistically highly significant (p < 0.001) for both doses (verum groups), whilst no significant difference between the two dosage groups was observed.”
Source: PMID 12725561 · Shevtsov 2003 · Phytomedicine
Depression (vs Sertraline / Placebo)
Null / no benefit RCT supported- HAM-D −5.1 vs −4.6rhodiola vs placebo · p = 0.79
- OR 1.39 (0.38–5.04)improvement vs placebo
- 30.0% vs 63.2%adverse events · p = 0.012
In a randomized placebo-controlled trial in major depressive disorder, Rhodiola rosea reduced HAM-D scores by −5.1 versus −4.6 for placebo and −8.2 for sertraline, but the between-group difference was not statistically significant (p = 0.79) — an honest negative for an antidepressant effect. Notably, Rhodiola caused significantly fewer adverse events than sertraline (30.0% vs 63.2%, p = 0.012) and was better tolerated.
Reported effect: HAM-D change: Rhodiola −5.1 (95% CI −8.8 to −1.3) vs placebo −4.6 (95% CI −8.6 to −0.6) vs sertraline −8.2; between-group p = 0.79 (non-significant); odds of improvement vs placebo 1.39 (95% CI 0.38–5.04); adverse events 30.0% vs sertraline 63.2% (p = 0.012); N = 57
“HAM-D: Sertraline −8.2 (−12.7 to −3.6); Rhodiola rosea −5.1 (−8.8 to −1.3); Placebo −4.6 (−8.6 to −0.6); p = 0.79 (non-significant between groups). Adverse events: Sertraline 63.2%; Rhodiola rosea 30.0%; Placebo 16.7%; p = 0.012. Although R. rosea produced less antidepressant effect versus sertraline, it also resulted in significantly fewer adverse events and was better tolerated.”
Source: PMID 25837277 · Mao 2015 · Phytomedicine
Stress-Related Fatigue / Cortisol-Awakening Response
RCT supportedA randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group trial of SHR-5 extract (576 mg/day) in 60 subjects with stress-related fatigue reported significant between-group benefits on Pines' burnout scale, several attention indices, and the cortisol response to awakening stress. The abstract describes the direction of effect but does not report extractable effect-size numbers, so no quantitative result is reported here.
Effect size: this study reports the direction of the finding but does not state a specific numeric effect size, so none is given here rather than estimated.
“Significant effects of the SHR-5 extract in comparison with the placebo were observed in Pines' burnout scale. Pre- versus post-treatment cortisol responses to awakening stress were significantly different in the treatment group compared with the control group.”
Source: PMID 19016404 · Olsson 2009 · Planta Med
Burnout Symptoms (Exploratory)
Emerging / indexed- 118outpatients · open-label
- 400 mg/day · 12 wkextract dose · duration
An exploratory open-label, single-arm multicenter trial gave 118 burnout outpatients 400 mg/day Rhodiola rosea extract for 12 weeks; the majority of burnout outcome measures improved over time, with some changes visible after 1 week and a low adverse-event rate. Because it is open-label and single-arm with no placebo comparator, the findings are hypothesis-generating rather than confirmatory.
Effect size: this study reports the direction of the finding but does not state a specific numeric effect size, so none is given here rather than estimated.
“A total of 118 outpatients were enrolled. A daily dose of 400 mg R. rosea extract (WS 1375, Rosalin) was administered over 12 weeks. The majority of the outcome measures showed clear improvement over time. Several parameters had already improved after 1 week of treatment and continued to improve further up to the end of the study. The incidence of adverse events was low with 0.015 events per observation day.”
Source: PMID 28367055 · Kasper 2017 · Neuropsychiatr Dis Treat
Dosage (research context · not a recommendation)
200-600 mg/day standardized root extract (typ. >=3% rosavins + >=1% salidroside; SHR-5 clinical extract at 288-576 mg/day; acute exercise studies used 200 mg ~1 h pre-exercise). Educational reference, not a dosing instruction.
Regulatory Status · 4 Markets
- US · FDA
- Botanical dietary supplement under DSHEA (Rhodiola rosea root extract); structure/function claims only (adaptogen/stress/energy support); no FDA-approved disease/health claim
- EU · EFSA
- No authorized Reg 432/2012 Art.13 health claim; an EMA/HMPC traditional-use herbal monograph exists; marketable in the EU via Traditional Herbal Registration (traditional-use wording only)
- CN · China
- Listed on China medicine-food homology list; usable in common and health food. Registered SAMR blue-hat function 'relieves physical fatigue' (R. crenulata predominant CN species).
- BR · ANVISA
- Not listed on ANVISA approved-plant / IN 28/2018 constituent lists; no authorized functional claim; would require case-by-case new-ingredient assessment
Safety
Generally well tolerated in clinical trials at typical doses (200-600 mg/day) with no serious adverse events in studied populations. Not pregnancy/lactation safety-established; theoretical caution with antidepressant/MAO-active or stimulant medications. Note R. rosea differs chemically from R. crenulata (crenulata lacks rosavin), and some cited preclinical work used crenulata.
Related
Goals: cognitive-support
Lifestyles: high-stress · athletic-performance
References
PubMed-indexed citations anchoring the benefit findings above. Effect sizes are reported as published.
- PMID 41080184 · Wang 2025 · Front Nutr — Endurance / Exercise Performance
- PMID 12725561 · Shevtsov 2003 · Phytomedicine — Mental Work Capacity / Anti-Fatigue
- PMID 25837277 · Mao 2015 · Phytomedicine — Depression (vs Sertraline / Placebo)
- PMID 19016404 · Olsson 2009 · Planta Med — Stress-Related Fatigue / Cortisol-Awakening Response
- PMID 28367055 · Kasper 2017 · Neuropsychiatr Dis Treat — Burnout Symptoms (Exploratory)
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What does the strongest evidence say Rhodiola rosea actually does?
The most pooled evidence is a 2025 meta-analysis of 26 randomized trials (668 healthy participants) that found small but significant improvements in endurance markers — VO2max (ES = 0.32) and time to exhaustion (ES = 0.38) — with no significant effect on inflammatory markers (IL-6, C-reactive protein). In studied populations, single trials also report anti-fatigue and stress-related benefits. These are research findings, not evidence that Rhodiola treats any disease.
2. Does Rhodiola work as well as an antidepressant?
No — and the evidence is an honest negative here. In a randomized placebo-controlled trial in major depressive disorder, Rhodiola reduced HAM-D scores by −5.1 versus −4.6 for placebo, a difference that was not statistically significant (p = 0.79), while sertraline reached −8.2. Rhodiola did, however, cause significantly fewer adverse events than sertraline (30.0% vs 63.2%, p = 0.012). It should not be treated as a substitute for medical care.
3. What dose was used in the research?
Human trials generally used 200-600 mg/day of standardized root extract. The SHR-5 clinical extract was studied around 288-576 mg/day, and the burnout exploratory trial used 400 mg/day for 12 weeks. This is an educational summary of doses used in studies, not a dosing recommendation.
4. Is the evidence consistent across studies?
Not entirely. Some anti-fatigue and stress-fatigue RCTs (e.g., the cadet mental-work-capacity trial with AFI 1.0385 vs placebo 0.9046, p < 0.001) show clear signals, while the depression trial was non-significant versus placebo and the burnout trial was open-label without a placebo arm. The supplement's own evidence tier reflects this mixed, methodologically limited picture rather than a settled conclusion.
Last evidence review: 2026-06-13