Exercise vs Rhodiola for mood
Short answer: For mood, more users report improvement with Exercise — 95% of 187 reports, versus 83% of 126 for Rhodiola.
Rhodiola has 18 meta-analyses and 45 randomized trials on PubMed; the other has not been graded.
Based on 738 reports about Exercise and 853 about Rhodiola. Not medical advice.
| Exercise Lifestyle | Rhodiola Supplement | |
|---|---|---|
| User score | 63 | 52 |
| Verdict | Mostly positive | Mostly positive |
| Positive of reports that state an outcome | 89% | 62% |
| Reports | 738 | 853 |
| Research | Research pending | AResearch: Strong |
| Meta-analyses / RCTs | — | 18 / 45 |
| Mainly used for | ||
| Weight loss % reporting improvement | 100% (10) | — |
| Appetite % reporting improvement | 100% (3) | — |
| Focus % reporting improvement | 95% (66) | 85% (71) |
| Energy % reporting improvement | 90% (88) | 86% (199) |
| Sleep % reporting improvement | 96% (51) | 38% (13) |
| Anxiety % reporting improvement | 95% (93) | 74% (117) |
| Mood % reporting improvement | 95% (187) | 83% (126) |
| Memory % reporting improvement | 100% (8) | 75% (4) |
| Performance % reporting improvement | 100% (28) | 100% (21) |
| Recovery % reporting improvement | 100% (3) | — |
| Pain & inflammation % reporting improvement | 100% (3) | — |
| Digestion % reporting improvement | 100% (2) | — |
| Libido % reporting improvement | 94% (18) | 80% (5) |
| Hormones % reporting improvement | 100% (14) | 100% (4) |
| Blood sugar % reporting improvement | 100% (2) | — |
| Heart & lipids % reporting improvement | 85% (13) | 40% (5) |
| Skin & hair % reporting improvement | 100% (3) | — |
| Immunity % reporting improvement | 100% (6) | 50% (2) |
| Longevity % reporting improvement | 100% (9) | — |
| Common side effects | fatigue, insomnia, initial fatigue | anxiety, fatigue, insomnia, jitteriness |
| Typical dose reported | multiple times a week | evenings |
“nothing has improved my mental health like daily and difficult physical exercise has.”
The data from the meta-analysis showed that plant adaptogens could provide a number of benefits in the treatment of chronic fatigue, cognitive impairment, and immune protection. In the future, there is great potential to register medicinal products that contain plant adaptogens for therapeutic purposes.
Nutrients, 2021 ↗“This one not only reduces my social anxiety but actually puts me in a good mood and makes me feel more social.”
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Percentages come from first-hand user reports and are not clinical outcomes. Talk to a doctor before starting, stopping or combining anything. How we rate