In this article, I’m going to go over some of my experiences on using various ashwagandha supplements. First I started with basic ashwagandha root powders, then I went for self-made alcohol extracts. I have also a lot of experience using extracts like Sensoril and KSM-66.
There’s a lot of different real-life benefits and nice experiences that I’ve noticed on a constant basis.
Well, let’s get right into my experiences with different ashwagandha benefits:
Strength increase and muscle size?
During regular ashwagandha supplementation, I have feeling that my general coping in the gym is better but I don’t feel that it would increase my strength levels.
However, lately I have started to use more KSM-66 and it seems to improve strength levels and gym motivation.
It felt like I tapped into some sort of “strength reserves” that I had and quickly increased the weight of my usual dumbbells by 10-20%, and overall with almost every movement and machine I regularly use on the gym has seen weight increase for me soon after I started getting ashwagandha in.
Of course, this all could be a placebo effect from reading ashwagandha studies where KSM-66 has improved strength levels.
Sure, it can also be a placebo effect or that I allowed myself to lift more weights since I’ve read about studies that ashwagandha increases strength. But on the other hand, I’ve also been long periods without using ashwagandha and seen strength levels drop after that – and come back up after starting using again.
It can be a coincidence or placebo, but what can I say? In that case, it’s a great coincidence if this indeed is one of the most consistent ashwagandha benefits.
Does ashwagandha supplementation really increase MUSCLE SIZE?
One of the things that motivated me to start supplementing KSM-66 ashwagandha was this study indicating that KSM-66 boosts muscle size.1Wankhede S, Langade D, Joshi K, Sinha SR, Bhattacharyya S. Examining the effect of Withania somnifera supplementation on muscle strength and recovery: a randomized controlled trial. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2015;12:43. Published 2015 Nov 25. doi:10.1186/s12970-015-0104-9 (Pubmed) And honestly, it might be true for me, while on ashwagandha I’ve seen a noticeable increase in arm and chest size.
Apparently. it happens by some sort of “cell swelling”, giving a similar effect like creatine supplementation when it comes to boosting muscle size.
As a guy who loves to exercise at the gym, I love this ashwagandha benefit that it seems to swell muscles up. Especially noticeable with the biceps.
At first, I thought that this was just in my own head, but there are actually studies to back this up. So, in the end, the ashwagandha’s swelling of muscles and especially biceps wasn’t just in my own head.
For the gym goers who’d love to see their hands more swollen up and see HUGER pump to their arms in the gym, well for these folks ashwagandha is surely going to bring something new and unseen for them to their training sessions.
Personally, if this was the only ashwagandha benefits that there would be, then just this would be enough for me to keep supplementation constantly on.
How ashwagandha affects sex life and erection?
From my experiences, I can say that ashwagandha is really effective in this department. Every time I start supplementation, in about one week I start to experience higher sexual desire and stronger erections.
If you cycle ashwagandha with other natural viagra protocols, you have to be careful when moving on streets because sometimes even regular women in a street can trigger an erection, which can be really awkward.
More morning erections and spontaneous hard erections
Almost every time I start to use ashwagandha again, I instantly see more morning erections next days and weeks.
Also, overall more spontaneous erections and ease of getting erections, even seeing a flirtatious text message from a woman can easily make it go hard.
Definitely, have seen that ashwagandha gives some sort of ease of getting erections. For people in relationships, this is one of the greatest benefits, and in the next point, you’ll learn why.
More sex (ashwagandha reduces refractory period?)
After the last point, it surely comes as no surprise that with ashwagandha supplementation I have way more sex than usually.
I’m quite certain, that ashwagandha might even reduce refractory period. Meaning that I can recover faster from ejaculation and go straight back into the sex way faster than normal.
Also, I could almost swear that ashwagandha increases my cum volume. I’ve experienced it so many times with multiple sex sessions in a row how cum just keeps coming and filling my partner still even after a few rounds.
There is a definite distinction between the times that I don’t use ashwagandha and when I do.
Does ashwagandha reduce stress and anxiety?
When my ashwagandha cycle is on it’s really easy to notice that I generally feel more relaxed, energized, motivated and self-confident.
When using ashwagandha, I also experience better quality sleep waking up more alert and cheery. However, I don’t think that it’s as good as L-theanine is for instant relaxation.
But in the long run, it definitely works lowering general stress and anxiety and even improves sleep quality if you use Sensoril extract (more on this below).
Better deeper sleep
When it comes to sleeping better and deeper with ashwagandha. I use the Sensoril version right before bed and it seems to be constant in giving me deeper and better sleep relaxing me and giving me a more meditative state where I don’t have any thoughts.
Better deep sleep surely affects almost all these points and benefits, because when you sleep better you then more likely have morning erection and stronger erections and higher energy overall.
But just remember, if you want to see these ashwagandha sleep benefits then I recommend you use the Sensoril version.
More energy
In the morning when I take a capsule of KSM-66 ashwagandha (iHerb) with my coffee mug, it just works. I feel rush of vigor and overall more vigorous feeling.
This all translates into higher energy and gives the ability to crush in the gym even if I train fasted and often it gives the vigorous feeling that I can easily put in strong exercise for up to hours.
Boost in vigor and energy is one of the most noticeable of all the ashwagandha benefits listed here, in my experience.
How taking ashwagandha affect my blood testosterone levels?
In the last ten years, I have run multiple testosterone experiences and measured levels of total testosterone levels before starting an ashwagandha regimen. Regrettably, every single time the change has been really modest 4-12% which basically means nothing.
Please note that results are converted to ng/dL as in Europe we get the results in nmol/l.
My total testosterone went from 23.2 nmol/l (668ng/dL) to 25.2 nmol/l (727ng/dL) which is around 8.6% increase.
In the second test total testosterone went from 21.1 nmol/l (611ng/dL) to 23.6 nmol/l (681ng/dL) which is almost 12% increase.
In the last test, total T increased from 27.5 nmol/l (793ng/dL) to 28.7 nmol/l (827ng/dL) which is only a 4.3% increase.
However, it’s good to note that these experiments aren’t in any way scientifically done. I just took the test and started taking ashwagandha for 1 month and then took the test again. I have not controlled other factors such as going to the gym, sleeping or even diet.
I will keep adding more ashwagandha experiences later. For more ashwagandha studies and recommendation see: Ashwagandha Benefits – Depression And Erections