Antioxidant but not ergogenic or altitude-protective: a meta-analysis of Rhodiola species in healthy adults.

BACKGROUND

Plants of the genus Rhodiola (including R. rosea and R. crenulata) is purported to enhance antioxidant capacity and altitude adaptation, yet clinical evidence remains conflicting. This meta-analysis evaluates its effects on systemic antioxidant markers and altitude adaptation outcomes in healthy adults.

METHODS

Nine Randomized Controlled Trials (RCTs, n=424) were identified from PubMed, Cochrane, Medline, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI). Primary outcomes included maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max), total antioxidant capacity (TAC), thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), malondialdehyde (MDA), and acute mountain sickness (AMS) incidence. Data were pooled using RevMan 5.4 with random/fixed-effects models.

RESULTS

R. rosea significantly increased TAC (P=0.02) and showed a trend toward reducing TBARS levels (P=0.06), indicating enhanced systemic antioxidant capacity. However, it showed no significant effect on VO2max (95% CI: -0.91 to 2.99; P=0.30) or MDA levels (P=0.07). Crucially, R. rosea did not prevent AMS (OR=1.02, 95% CI: 0.69-1.52) but mitigated some symptoms of high-altitude deacclimatization (P<0.05).

CONCLUSION

Extracts of Rhodiola species significantly improves systemic antioxidant status and may alleviate high-altitude de-adaptation symptoms. However, current evidence does not support its efficacy for improving VO2max, reducing MDA levels, or preventing AMS. These uncertainties likely stem from heterogeneous study designs, sample sizes, variable dosing, and inconsistent intervention durations.

SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/view/CRD420251004228, identifier CRD420251004228.