As a child, it was my dream to be a Badminton Player and I always thought I was better than most kids in my school, especially when it came to fast reflexes. Until, of course, I played in an inter-school competition. I couldn’t stop heaving at the end of the game because the player opposite me was faster than I had imagined.

I lost the game that day and all the motivation to continue with it. But before leaving, I asked her, what was the secret behind her agility, stamina, and rocketed reflexes?

Ofcourse, the expected answer was practice, healthy diet, and exercise routine but what struck me the most was the word Ashwagandha .

What is Ashwagandha? Why do athletes and sportspersons emphasise its use?

The world of traditional medicine and the athletic community are coming together—and there’s no other relevant example than athletes and adventurers taking ashwagandha to improve their stamina and performance.

The term Ashwangandha itself translates into ‘like a Horse’ that symbolises its stamina, agility, strength and resilience.

The reason why so many athletes promote and incorporate Ashwagandha in their lifestyle is because of its adaptogen properties that helps regulate stress hormones such as Adrenaline and Noradrenaline and promotes preservation of energy.

It also provides numerous other benefits for the body and brain.

This Ayurvedic supplement offers the benefits of antioxidants, iron and amino acids, which is safe to be consumed and can be found on Goodlife Nutrition.

Let’s go ahead and read more about the benefits of Ashwagandha.

5 ways Ashwagandha can help Athletes

Used as an Ancient medicinal herb

Ashwagandha is a natural herb that has been used by ancients in India for 3000 years to reduce stress, blood pressure and improve attention and stamina.

If an athlete faces any kind of injury in his field, they can consume this herb as it has healing and pain relieving properties that allows body cells to rejuvenate.

Dual capacity to energise and calm simultaneously.

It's not uncommon for a performer to face a bit of anxiety before the game due to pressure, consequently leading to increased stress, utilisation of extra energy, reduction in strength and weakened immune system.

It reduces cortisol, a testosterone stealer. Ashwagandha has calming effects that help regulate the body’s natural stress response and pull their attention towards their performance.

Increase in Muscle Strength and Reduce Fatigue

According to research, those who took ashwagandha had significantly greater gains in muscle strength as it allowed more calorie burn and fat reduction. It enhances the activity of cells that absorb oxygen in the body during workout and supports muscle mass and strength. It was found that athletes or gym going people had seen an increase in muscle size after 8 weeks of combined supplement and resistance training.

Can boost testosterone and increase fertility in men

Level Testosterone in men reduces with age, but it can also be affected by various psychosocial stressors such as work pressure, sexual anxiety, depression, loss of libido, etc.

Ashwagandha is a traditional medicine that helps improve sexual drive, balances testosterone and treats male sexual dysfunction and infertility. Studies have found that the Ayurvedic medicine improves muscle strength that increases testosterone level and helps improve chances of reproduction.

Not only is testosterone required for reproduction, but also for athletic activities as it boosts a person's stamina and speed during their performance.

Sharpens Focus and Memory

Dr. Burkhart enlisted the most important cognitive skills for athletes which are focus, visual attention, visual tracking and fast decision-making. Scientific research has also shown a significant difference in cognitive functioning such as memory, reasoning, motor response, etc. amongst athletes who consumed Ashwagandha than those who don’t.

Word from Goodlife Nutrition-

Being an athlete isn’t easy- one needs to put in the hours and hard work that is required, in order to get the physique they are looking for.  GoodLifeNutrition promotes only plant-based heath supplements that have been studied as to their effectiveness. Therefore, the consumer can be assured of the benefits of these products that they are taking. For those who need more information, feel free to search more about it.