A RANDOMIZED, DOUBLE-BLIND, PLACEBO-CONTROLLED CLINICAL STUDY OF HERBO-MINERAL GUMMIES TO EVALUATE THE IMPACT ON ENERGY LEVELS, FATIGUE REDUCTION AND MUSCLE MASS IN ACTIVE MALES

Darshani Mohan, Subhashree Aparimita, Supriya H. Raut*

ABSTRACT

Background: ShilAbsorb™ gummies, containing Shilajit, Ashwagandha, Ginger, Black pepper, Mucuna pruriens, and Akarkara, intended to improve energy, reduced fatigue, and increased muscle mass in active males. This study evaluated their efficacy and safety in resistance-trained males aged 18–40 years. Methods: In a 60-day, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, 66 participants received two ShilAbsorb™ or placebo gummies daily. Outcomes included muscle strength (1RM chest/leg press), endurance (reps at 50% 1RM), hypertrophy (arm, chest, thigh circumference), body composition, testosterone, cortisol, creatine kinase, cardiorespiratory endurance, perceived exertion, delayed onset muscle soreness, and safety. Results: The ShilAbsorb™ group showed significant improvements versus placebo in skeletal muscle mass (4.47% more than placebo), leg press and chest press 1RM was significantly improved (p<0.001) compared to placebo. Endurance (repetitions at 50% 1RM) increased by 7.65% (chest) and 3.17% (leg) in ShilAbsorb™ group. ShilAbsorb™ supplementation resulted in a significant 10.33% and 9.34% increase in free and total testosterone levels compared to placebo. The cortisol levels were significantly reduced by 26.5% in the ShilAbsorb™ group. The arm, and thigh circumference were increased post supplementation of ShilAbsorb™ significantly then placebo (p<0.001 and p<0.02 respectively). ShilAbsorb™ supplementation significantly lower post-exercise CK levels along with DOMS and RPE scores. Fitness Index assessed using Harvard step test showed significant improvement, reflecting enhanced cardiorespiratory endurance in the ShilAbsorb™ group.
Conclusion: ShilAbsorb™ gummies may support muscle performance and recovery through enhanced protein utilization and metabolic efficiency. The findings suggest modulation of key pathways like mTOR and hormonal balance, highlighting the need for further research.

Keywords: Shilajit, Muscle Endurance, Testosterone, Cardiorespiratory Fitness.