Landkind Pure Salidroside, an ingredient by Gnosis by Lesaffre, was associated with significant improvements in markers of aerobic endurance in a randomized, controlled trial published in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition.

Salidroside is an active compound in Rhodiola rosea, and, when sourced from the botanical, requires a large amount of raw material. Rhodiola rosea has been listed by CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species).

Gnosis and teams from the Lesaffre Institute of Science and Technology created a fermentation process that isolates pure salidroside, ensuring long-term stability of the ingredient without depleting Rhodiola rosea resources. The ingredient was launched earlier this year.

In the first investigation into the ingredient, researchers sought to determine whether the salidroside ingredient would have an impact on markers of exercise performance, muscle damage, and mood state in healthy, active young adults.

Study Results

The study recruited 50 healthy men and women who were supplemented with 30 mg of Landkind or a placebo, and each group participated 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). They also participated 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 (POMS), and blood samples were analyzed for erythropoietin, myoglobin, and creatine kinase-MM.

“Several dimensions of sports performance were positively influenced by dietary supplementation with salidroside, from cardiovascular fitness and aerobic endurance to recovery,” said Florian Mourey, co-author of the study and substantiation plan manager of Gnosis’ R&D unit. Mourey said that there was an acute effect observed during the first multi-day testing session, involving enhanced oxygen uptake experienced by the treatment group during HIIE. “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,” as told by a time-to-exhaustion (TTE) test results.

The authors of the study noted that while the placebo group experienced a significant increase in serum myoglobin post-exercise, those in the treatment group didn’t experience an increase that reached clinical significance. Additionally, while the salidroside group experienced stable POMS test results, those in the placebo group saw decreases in friendliness and increases in fatigue-inertia.

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

“What we have with Landkind Pure Salidroside is truly unique in the industry,” said Nicole Lemus, director Americas at Gnosis. “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 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.”