Does ashwagandha raise testosterone and strength?

Short answer

Not strength. Men's testosterone rose by about 9%, and the extra strength gains came from 3 industry-backed trials (161 people); removing one of them made the effect disappear.

Does ashwagandha raise testosterone and strength?
'Ashwagandha → more testosterone → more strength' — does this formula hold?
Ashwagandha is sold as a 'natural booster' that raises testosterone and builds strength and muscle. We checked this formula one step at a time.
Testosterone does go up
By 57 on average in men, about 9%
A 2026 analysis that pooled 23 trials with 1,706 people found ashwagandha raised men's testosterone by an average of 57, with no difference in women. For a man at 630, that is about 9%, like 100 becoming 109. In a crossover trial of 43 men, it rose 14.7% more than with placebo.
But end levels did not differ
727 vs 693 after 8 weeks, no difference
In a trial of 57 men doing strength training, testosterone rose by 96 with ashwagandha and by 18 with placebo. But the groups started at different levels (630 and 675), so after 8 weeks their levels, 727 and 693, did not differ.
Some trials found more strength
Bench press up 46 kg vs 26 kg
In that same 57-person trial, bench press went up 46 kg with ashwagandha and 26.4 kg with placebo over 8 weeks. In a trial of 38 people training for 12 weeks, squat also rose more: 19.1 kg vs 10.0 kg.
But that rests on 3 industry-backed trials
Remove one and the effect disappeared
A 2026 analysis of trials combined with strength training found only 3 trials with 161 people, and all 3 were funded or supplied by ashwagandha makers. Removing the 57-person trial made the bench press effect disappear. Another analysis of 13 trials with 599 people found the strength effect fell short of a clear difference.
Liver injury cases exist, though rare
Jaundice 2-12 weeks after starting
In Iceland and the US, 5 people taking ashwagandha supplements developed jaundice after 2-12 weeks, and their liver tests returned to normal in 1-5 months. In India, of 8 people with liver injury from ashwagandha alone, the 3 with existing liver disease died.
Bottom line: about 9% more testosterone, strength from just 3 industry trials
What builds strength is the training itself
Men's testosterone rose by about 9%, and the extra strength gains came from 3 industry-backed trials. What builds strength is the training itself, not ashwagandha.