Supplement

Eleuthero

Eleuthero is the root of a shrubby Asian plant, often called Siberian ginseng, traditionally used as an adaptogen to help the body cope with physical strain. Research is limited, but in athletic performance a small trial found anaerobic capacity improved. That trial had just six people, and another in 31 people found no clear difference in heart rate, so the picture is far from settled.

Sources: PMID 3749339; PMID 10641044

Updated 30 September 2026
How we grade
6 studies cited

Best evidence: Grade C
Conditions studied: 7
Outcomes: 39
Graded outcomes: 0071

Evidence by condition

Strong
Moderate
Limited
Very limited

7 conditions

General Athletic Performance

General Athletic Performance: outcomes studied for Eleuthero
Grade	Outcome	Effect	Size	Studies	People
	Anaerobic Capacity Small Improvement	Improves (the measure goes up)	Small effect	1 study	6 people
Studies that measured anaerobic capacity Effect of Eleutherococcus senticosus extract on human physical working capacityPlanta Med · PMID 3749339
	Rating of Perceived Exertion	Improves (the measure goes up)		1 study	9 people
Studies that measured rating of perceived exertion The effect of eight weeks of supplementation with Eleutherococcus senticosus on endurance capacity and metabolism in humanChin J Physiol · PMID 21793317
	Blood glucose	Improves (the measure goes down)			9 people
	Fat Oxidation	Improves (the measure goes up)			9 people
	Fatigue Resistance	Improves (the measure goes down)			15 people
	Liver Enzymes	Changes; see studies			9 people
	Oxygen Uptake	Improves (the measure goes up)			6 people

Anaerobic Exercise Performance

Anaerobic Exercise Performance: outcomes studied for Eleuthero
Grade	Outcome	Effect	Size	Studies	People
	Anaerobic Capacity Small Improvement	Improves (the measure goes up)	Small effect	1 study	6 people
Studies that measured anaerobic capacity Effect of Eleutherococcus senticosus extract on human physical working capacityPlanta Med · PMID 3749339
	Fatigue Resistance	Improves (the measure goes down)			6 people
	Oxygen Uptake	Improves (the measure goes up)			6 people

Immune Health

Fat Oxidation: improves
Heart Rate
Natural Killer Cell Content: improves

Immune Health: outcomes studied for Eleuthero
Grade	Outcome	Effect	Size	Studies	People
	Fat Oxidation Small Increase	Improves (the measure goes up)	Small effect		31 people
	Heart Rate No effect		NoneNo effect	1 study	31 people
Studies that measured heart rate The influence of active components of Eleutherococcus senticosus on cellular defence and physical fitness in manPhytother Res · PMID 10641044
	Natural Killer Cell Content	Improves (the measure goes up)		1 study	31 people
Studies that measured natural killer cell content Flow-cytometric studies with eleutherococcus senticosus extract as an immunomodulatory agentArzneimittelforschung · PMID 2963645
	Immunity	Improves (the measure goes up)			62 people
	Oxygen Uptake	Improves (the measure goes up)			31 people

Metabolic Health

DNA Damage: improves
Heart Rate: improves
Total cholesterol: improves

Metabolic Health: outcomes studied for Eleuthero
Grade	Outcome	Effect	Size	Studies	People
	DNA Damage Small Improvement	Improves (the measure goes down)	Small effect		40 people
	Heart Rate	Improves (the measure goes down)		1 study	31 people
Studies that measured heart rate The influence of active components of Eleutherococcus senticosus on cellular defence and physical fitness in manPhytother Res · PMID 10641044
	Total cholesterol	Improves (the measure goes down)		1 study	40 people
Studies that measured total cholesterol The effects of A. senticosus supplementation on serum lipid profiles, biomarkers of oxidative stress, and lymphocyte DNA damage in postmenopausal womenBiochem Biophys Res Commun · PMID 18671947
	Fat Oxidation	Improves (the measure goes up)			31 people
	High-density lipoprotein (HDL)	Improves (the measure goes up)			40 people
	Immunity	Improves (the measure goes up)			31 people
	Liver Enzymes	Changes; see studies			40 people
	Low-density lipoprotein (LDL)	Improves (the measure goes down)			40 people
	Oxidative Stress Biomarkers	Improves (the measure goes down)			40 people
	Oxygen Uptake	Improves (the measure goes up)			31 people
	Triglycerides	Improves (the measure goes down)			40 people

High Blood Pressure

Cognitive Decline: improves
Social Functioning in Elderly: improves

High Blood Pressure: outcomes studied for Eleuthero
Grade	Outcome	Effect	Size	Studies	People
	Cognitive Decline Small Improvement	Improves (the measure goes down)	Small effect		20 people
	Social Functioning in Elderly	Improves (the measure goes up)		1 study	20 people
Studies that measured social functioning in elderly Effects of Siberian ginseng (Eleutherococcus senticosus maxim.) on elderly quality of life: a randomized clinical trialArch Gerontol Geriatr Suppl · PMID 15207399

Aerobic Exercise Performance

Blood glucose: improves
Rating of Perceived Exertion: improves
Fat Oxidation: improves

Aerobic Exercise Performance: outcomes studied for Eleuthero
Grade	Outcome	Effect	Size	Studies	People
	Blood glucose Small Improvement	Improves (the measure goes down)	Small effect		9 people
	Rating of Perceived Exertion	Improves (the measure goes up)		1 study	9 people
Studies that measured rating of perceived exertion The effect of eight weeks of supplementation with Eleutherococcus senticosus on endurance capacity and metabolism in humanChin J Physiol · PMID 21793317
	Fat Oxidation	Improves (the measure goes up)			9 people
	Fatigue Resistance	Improves (the measure goes down)			9 people

General Cardiovascular Health

DNA Damage: improves
Total cholesterol: improves
High-density lipoprotein (HDL): improves

General Cardiovascular Health: outcomes studied for Eleuthero
Grade	Outcome	Effect	Size	Studies	People
	DNA Damage Small Improvement	Improves (the measure goes down)	Small effect		40 people
	Total cholesterol	Improves (the measure goes down)		1 study	40 people
Studies that measured total cholesterol The effects of A. senticosus supplementation on serum lipid profiles, biomarkers of oxidative stress, and lymphocyte DNA damage in postmenopausal womenBiochem Biophys Res Commun · PMID 18671947
	High-density lipoprotein (HDL)	Improves (the measure goes up)			40 people
	Liver Enzymes	Changes; see studies			40 people
	Low-density lipoprotein (LDL)	Improves (the measure goes down)			40 people
	Oxidative Stress Biomarkers	Improves (the measure goes down)			40 people
	Triglycerides	Improves (the measure goes down)			40 people

Key findings

Anaerobic CapacityGeneral Athletic PerformanceImproves (the measure goes up)
Fat OxidationImmune HealthImproves (the measure goes up)
DNA DamageMetabolic HealthImproves (the measure goes down)

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Grade C

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Studies cited

6 studies from PubMed

The effects of A. senticosus supplementation on serum lipid profiles, biomarkers of oxidative stress, and lymphocyte DNA damage in postmenopausal womenBiochem Biophys Res Commun · PMID 18671947
The influence of active components of Eleutherococcus senticosus on cellular defence and physical fitness in manPhytother Res · PMID 10641044
The effect of eight weeks of supplementation with Eleutherococcus senticosus on endurance capacity and metabolism in humanChin J Physiol · PMID 21793317
Effect of Eleutherococcus senticosus extract on human physical working capacityPlanta Med · PMID 3749339
Flow-cytometric studies with eleutherococcus senticosus extract as an immunomodulatory agentArzneimittelforschung · PMID 2963645
Effects of Siberian ginseng (Eleutherococcus senticosus maxim.) on elderly quality of life: a randomized clinical trialArch Gerontol Geriatr Suppl · PMID 15207399