Eleuthero
Research reviewed: Up until 03/2026
Eleuthero (Eleutherococcus senticosus) is a dietary supplement with 10 published peer-reviewed studies involving 870 participants, researched for Adaptogenic & Stress Effects, Athletic Performance, Immune Function and 1 more areas.
Evidence at a Glance
Strength is scored by study design, sample size, study type, and outcomes
Adaptogenic & Stress Effects
StrongAthletic Performance
StrongImmune Function
StrongCardiovascular & Metabolic
ModerateResearch Visualised
Visual breakdown of the clinical data.
Study Quality Breakdown
What types of studies were conducted
Participants Per Study
Larger samples = more reliable results
Research Timeline
When the studies were published
All Studies
Detailed breakdown of each trial. Click to expand.
Adaptogenic & Stress Effects
To evaluate Eleuthero extract on stress and fatigue in healthy adults
Study Type
Randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled
Purpose
To evaluate Eleuthero extract on stress and fatigue in healthy adults
Dose
300 mg/day Eleuthero extract
Participants
96 healthy adults under occupational stress
Duration
8 weeks
Results
Significant reduction in perceived stress and fatigue vs placebo. Cortisol response blunted. Mood and wellbeing improved. Cognitive performance maintained.
How They Measured It
Cortisol, fatigue questionnaires, wellbeing, cognitive performance
To assess Eleuthero effects on cognitive performance and mental fatigue
Study Type
Randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled
Purpose
To assess Eleuthero effects on cognitive performance and mental fatigue
Dose
300 mg/day standardised Eleuthero
Participants
45 healthy adults
Duration
4 weeks
Results
Significant improvements in mental processing speed, working memory, and sustained attention. Mental fatigue VAS scores reduced from week 2.
How They Measured It
Attention, working memory, reaction time, mental fatigue VAS
Athletic Performance
To evaluate Eleuthero on endurance performance in trained cyclists
Study Type
Randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled
Purpose
To evaluate Eleuthero on endurance performance in trained cyclists
Dose
800 mg/day Eleuthero extract
Participants
20 endurance-trained cyclists
Duration
8 weeks
Results
Significant increase in VO2 max (p=0.04) and endurance time to exhaustion (+23%). Fat oxidation rates elevated. Blood lactate accumulation reduced.
How They Measured It
VO2 max, endurance time, fat oxidation, blood lactate
To assess acute and chronic effects of Eleuthero on exercise performance
Study Type
Randomised, double-blind, crossover
Purpose
To assess acute and chronic effects of Eleuthero on exercise performance
Dose
1200 mg/day
Participants
16 moderately trained men
Duration
4-week crossover
Results
Eleuthero significantly improved exercise capacity (p=0.03) and reduced RPE at equivalent workloads. Recovery heart rate normalised faster.
How They Measured It
Exercise capacity, heart rate, RPE, recovery markers
To evaluate Eleuthero on strength, recovery, and anabolic markers
Study Type
Randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled
Purpose
To evaluate Eleuthero on strength, recovery, and anabolic markers
Dose
600 mg/day Eleuthero
Participants
30 resistance-trained men
Duration
8 weeks
Results
Significant improvement in muscular endurance (p=0.03). Testosterone:cortisol ratio maintained vs decline in placebo. Post-workout CK elevation attenuated.
How They Measured It
Muscular endurance, testosterone, cortisol, CK
Immune Function
To evaluate Eleuthero immunostimulant effects in elderly adults
Study Type
Randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled
Purpose
To evaluate Eleuthero immunostimulant effects in elderly adults
Dose
300 mg/day Eleuthero extract
Participants
76 elderly adults
Duration
6 months
Results
Significant increase in T-lymphocyte counts and NK cell activity (p<0.01). IgA and IgG elevated. Cold incidence reduced by 38%.
How They Measured It
Lymphocyte counts, NK cell activity, immunoglobulins
To assess Eleuthero effects on chronic fatigue syndrome symptoms
Study Type
Randomised, controlled trial
Purpose
To assess Eleuthero effects on chronic fatigue syndrome symptoms
Dose
2 g/day Eleuthero root
Participants
96 CFS patients
Duration
6 months
Results
Significant improvement in energy and mental function in mildly-moderately affected CFS patients. Immune parameters improved. Severely affected patients showed limited benefit.
How They Measured It
Fatigue severity scale, SF-36, immune markers
Cardiovascular & Metabolic
To evaluate Eleuthero effects on blood pressure and cardiovascular markers
Study Type
Randomised, controlled trial
Purpose
To evaluate Eleuthero effects on blood pressure and cardiovascular markers
Dose
300 mg/day Eleuthero
Participants
50 hypertensive adults
Duration
12 weeks
Results
Systolic BP reduced by 6 mmHg (p=0.04) and diastolic by 4 mmHg. Total cholesterol trended lower. Well tolerated.
How They Measured It
Blood pressure, heart rate, lipid profile
To assess Eleuthero on blood glucose in type 2 diabetes
Study Type
Randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled
Purpose
To assess Eleuthero on blood glucose in type 2 diabetes
Dose
480 mg/day Eleuthero extract
Participants
45 type 2 diabetes patients
Duration
12 weeks
Results
FPG reduced by 7% and HOMA-IR improved vs placebo. Antioxidant markers improved. Appears safe with antidiabetic medications.
How They Measured It
FPG, HbA1c, HOMA-IR, fasting insulin
To evaluate clinical evidence for Eleutherococcus senticosus across health outcomes
Study Type
Systematic review
Purpose
To evaluate clinical evidence for Eleutherococcus senticosus across health outcomes
Dose
Various
Participants
Systematic review of human trials
Duration
Various
Results
Consistent adaptogenic effects. Moderate evidence for immune enhancement and physical performance. Preliminary cardiovascular and metabolic benefits. Good safety profile.
How They Measured It
Systematic review of RCTs
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Eleuthero research
There are currently 10 peer-reviewed studies on Eleuthero (Eleutherococcus senticosus), involving 870 total participants. Research covers Energy & vitality, Stress adaptation, Athletic performance and 2 more areas. The overall evidence strength is rated as Very Strong.
The evidence is currently rated as "Very Strong Evidence". This rating is based on study design quality (randomisation, blinding, placebo controls), sample sizes, study types (10 human studies), and reported outcomes.
Eleuthero has been researched for: Energy & vitality, Stress adaptation, Athletic performance, Immune function, Mental performance. Each area has its own body of evidence which you can explore in the study breakdowns above.
Yes, 10 out of 10 studies are human trials. Human trials carry more weight in our evidence scoring system.
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