Fermentation-based sustainable salidroside boosts sports performance, study finds

Supplementing with salidroside, an active compound in the adaptogen Rhodiola rosea, exerts positive impacts on exercise performance, according to a new study in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition. 

The study used Gnosis by Lesaffre’s Landkind Pure Salidroside — marketed as the first salidroside from fermentation — and shows the ingredient enhances performance, protects muscle and supports moods.

“Several dimensions of sports performance were positively influenced by dietary supplementation with salidroside, from cardiovascular fitness and aerobic endurance to recovery,” says Florian Mourey, co-author of the study and Gnosis by Lesaffre’s substantiation plan manager, R&D.

He notes an acute effect of salidroside supplementation was observed during the first multi-day testing session. Oxygen uptake was enhanced in the group supplemented with salidroside during high-intensity intermittent exercise.

“In addition, the results of this clinical study suggest a positive effect of salidroside in reducing muscle damage following resistance exercise and inhibiting a decline in high-intensity exercise performance,” Mourey notes.

Fermentation for conservation

Salidroside is the most studied compound in Rhodiola rosea. Still, it is only found in limited quantities naturally occurring in the plant, requiring large amounts of plant material to obtain sufficient salidroside.

Further, as its popularity as an adaptogen soars, R. rosea is becoming severely depleted. These factors resulted in CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species) listing the plant as an endangered species.

Gnosis by Lesaffre and teams from the Lesaffre Institute of Science and Technology innovated a proprietary fermentation process that isolates pure salidroside, ensuring long-term, stable supply without depleting R. rosea resources. The company launched Landkind Pure Salidroside in 2024 while awaiting the publication of the first human clinical study on the ingredient.

Through a fermentation process, Gnosis by Lesaffre isolates pure salidroside, ensuring long-term, stable supply without depleting R. rosea resources (Image credit: Gnosis by Lesaffre).Landkind for sports nutrition

The goal of the “first-of-its-kind” exploratory investigation was to determine the acute and short-term effects of supplementation with pure, salidroside from fermentation on exercise performance, muscle damage and mood state in healthy, active young adults — the audience who is likely to consume sports nutrition for enhanced achievement.

In the 16-day study, 50 healthy men and women supplemented with 30 mg two times daily of Landkind Pure Salidroside or placebo engaged in two multi-day testing sessions separated by 14 days.

Participants performed a graded exercise test on a treadmill to determine their peak oxygen consumption (VO2 peak). Participants also engaged in a high-intensity intermittent exercise (HIIE) protocol depending on their VO2 peak.

Maximal strength and muscular endurance were also assessed. Mood state evaluations were also conducted using the Profile of Mood States. Blood samples were analyzed for erythropoietin, myoglobin and creatine kinase-MM.

Further, while mood disturbances were observed in the placebo group, the group supplemented with salidroside showed a more stable mood state. In particular, higher levels of fatigue inertia were reported in the placebo group during the study.

Salidroside was safe and well-tolerated, making it a promising supplement for athletes.

“After extensive peer review, we received extremely positive reviewer comments. One stated that the study provides ‘extremely novel insights’ into several potential health and performance benefits of the synthesized salidroside,” says Neil Schwarz, Ph.D., associate professor at the University of South Alabama, US, and first author of the study.

New era for sports nutrition

Gnosis by Lesaffre and its exclusive US distributor for Landkind Pure Salidroside, Gencor, support the published study, hailing an “anticipated shift” this could mark for the sports nutrition category.

“What we have with Landkind Pure Salidroside is truly unique in the industry,” says Nicole Lemus, Gnosis by Lesaffre director Americas. “Our precision, proprietary fermentation process creates a sustainable, ethically sourced bioactive of rhodiola with consistent purity and stability.”

“Most importantly, it offers brand owners unmatched convenience and versatility for cutting-edge product development: with a lower dose requirement versus rhodiola extracts, Landkind Pure Salidroside offers a proven base for innovative natural energy products with room for other targeted bioactives.”

“It can also be a powerful but small-dose natural energy component that can be easily added to existing products. In either case, its pure format avoids the bulk and taste challenges of large rhodiola doses.”

Landkind Pure Salidroside is self-affirmed GRAS (Generally Recognized as Safe) and third-party certified for kosher, halal, vegan, gluten-free and non-GMO.

Last week, Gnosis by Lesaffre drew to attention a new commentary in The Lancet Global Health asserting that folate inadequacy is widespread throughout the globe. The nutrient deficiency impacts more than half the world’s population — more than four billion people — disproportionately impacting many women and their offspring.