No benefit shown evidence. Direction: No effect.
N No benefit shown
Rubric condition met: N: adequate human RCTs and two meta-analyses found no meaningful effect
A meta-analysis of eight placebo-controlled RCTs found no effect on physical performance (SMD -0.01). A 2022 meta-analysis of 14 studies in athletes and active people found no effect on most measures, with one isolated vertical-jump result at high doses whose reported effect size is implausible. Placebo-controlled trials of 200-400 mg a day for 3-8 weeks found no change in aerobic capacity, and a review of red ginseng trials found no aerobic improvement. NCCIH (T2) agrees.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engels 1997 | 1997 | RCT | 36 | result not recorded |
| Allen 1998 | 1998 | RCT | 28 | result not recorded |
| Lee 2016 | 2016 | systematic review | not recorded | result not recorded |
| Bach 2016 | 2016 | meta-analysis | 630 | result not recorded |
| Khan 2022 | 2022 | meta-analysis | not recorded | result not recorded |
Lee NH, Jung HC, Lee S. Red Ginseng as an Ergogenic Aid: A Systematic Review of Clinical Trials J Exerc Nutrition Biochem, 2016. PMID 28150477
Engels HJ, Wirth JC. No ergogenic effects of ginseng (Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer) during graded maximal aerobic exercise J Am Diet Assoc, 1997. PMID 9336557
Allen JD, McLung J, Nelson AG. Ginseng supplementation does not enhance healthy young adults' peak aerobic exercise performance J Am Coll Nutr, 1998. PMID 9791844
Khan N, Sharma S, Dahiya I. Dose-response and temporal ergogenic effects of ginseng supplementation in athletes and active participants: A systematic review and meta-analysis J Sports Sci, 2022. PMID 36604650
Bach HV, Kim J, Myung SK. Efficacy of Ginseng Supplements on Fatigue and Physical Performance: a Meta-analysis J Korean Med Sci, 2016. PMID 27822924
Search (): ginseng[ti] AND (exercise[tiab] OR physical performance[tiab] OR ergogenic[tiab]) AND (meta-analysis[pt] OR systematic review[pt] OR review[pt])
