Stay calm

Muscle & Fitness, July, 2009 by Chris Lockwood

It's hell being a rat, especially one living in a lab in India. Researchers conducted a "forced swim and helplessness test" to determine if an asparagus extract has an antidepressant effect comparable to the drug Imipramine. Turns out the rats' sacrifices weren't for nothing. There was a statistically similar and significant antidepressant effect.

Practical Application: "At the minimum dose, a 180-pound guy would still need at least 8 grams of A. racemosus extract per day if the effects are comparable in humans," says M&F.

Editor in Chief Chris Lockwood, MS, CSCS.

(PHARMACOLOGY, BIOCHEMISTRY & BEHAVIOR 91(3):283-290, 2009)