Understanding bone and muscle health in women as they age is important as the risk of sarcopenia and osteoporosis increases. This is the first of two studies looking at the herb shatavari in the context of bone and muscle health in women. Shatavari is an Ayurvedic herb widely used for women’s health and contains steroidal saponins, primarily shatavarins I–IV, alongside other constituents including racemosides and asparargamine A.

This study demonstated that 1g shatavari supplementation per day for six weeks could significantly improve handgrip strength and elevate muscle pMLC, a major protein involved in muscle contractility. The authors cite research that shows that pMLC decreases with age, particularly in women.

This response may have been regulated by the phosphorylation of AktS473 which controls muscle protein synthesis and growth. Other markers of protein synthesis and bone turnover were not affected.

It was interesting that knee extensor muscle strength did not also improve. The authors suggested that the knee extensor test is more difficult to perform than the handgrip test, and possibly in an older cohort, more familiarity with the test before the start of the study could produce more consistent results.

In a follow-up set of tests, the same research group at Exeter University looked at muscle biopsy proteomics and used different statistical approaches to assess gene expression and cell pathways (2). Shatavari supplementation caused the upregulation of genes involved in integrin/MAPK signalling and energy metabolism, and downregulation of genes involved in muscle contraction, amongst others. Understanding the gene responses is a ground-breaking step. Whilst the downregulation of genes involved in muscle contraction seems contradictory, the authors suggest that the overall net effect is still an enhancement of muscle protein synthesis and contractile activity. They require further research to understand the status of these genes in an older population, and also to hone the knee extensor test to ensure it is rigorous and a good model for acute resistance exercise.

Another study revealed shatavari (500 mg per day) enhanced strength gains in young men following eight weeks of bench press training (3). Further research is required to understand the effects of shatavari in both younger and older, male and female demographics. The activity of different shatavari compounds may also be further elucidated, as the research is suggesting a non-phytoestrogenic effect in these cases.