Endurance
Adhatoda vasica extract
Adhatoda vasica is an Ayurvedic airway herb with no human exercise or pre-workout evidence.
How it counts: Not part of the score
We show it on the label and count it as disclosed, but it never affects Dose, any sub-score or the grade. The basis below explains why.
- Clinical dose
- No established clinical dose
- Safety ceiling
- —
- Evidence
- weak
- Category
- Endurance
Evidence summary
Research confidence: low
No reference dose. Adhatoda vasica (vasaka, Malabar nut) is an Ayurvedic herb used for coughs and asthma; its alkaloid vasicine relaxes airways in lab and animal studies, which is why pre-workouts add it for easier breathing during training. No human study has tested it for exercise, breathing during exercise, or any pre-workout effect, at 50 mg or any other dose. Vasicine also makes the uterus contract, so it is not for anyone who is pregnant (Claeson 2000).
Research sources
- Adhatoda vasica: a critical review of ethnopharmacological and toxicological data (Claeson et al., Journal of Ethnopharmacology 2000)(opens in new window)
- Ethnopharmacological uses, phytochemistry, pharmacological activities and toxicity of Justicia adhatoda L.: a review (Jayaweera et al., Discover Plants 2024)(opens in new window)
Vasicine is the plant's most-studied alkaloid; its bronchodilator and uterine-contracting (oxytocic, abortifacient) effects come mostly from cell, tissue and animal studies, plus an injected-vasicine study in women.