Four Ways Saffron Can Give Your Workout a Boost!

We’ve written before about the many health benefits of daily saffron use—as well as some remarkable findings suggesting saffron may one day help treat even the most serious of diseases.

But can saffron help healthy people get fitter and stronger as well? Yes!

In this short post, we’ll look at four ways saffron can help you get more out of your time at the gym or yoga studio. So what can everyone’s favourite spice do for your workout? Read on…

1. Saffron can make you stronger

Looking for a way to break through a training plateau and lift more weight? You might want to give Saffron a try.

One study on a group of uni students showed that saffron helped improve force production on the leg press by as much as 10% compared to a control group. If you’re into biochemistry and cell biology, you can check out the full study here.

Bonus effect? The same study found that saffron improved reaction times as well—so if you play competitive sports and you’ve got a big match coming up, you might want to add some saffron to your training routine (don’t worry, it’s not classified as a PED...yet).

2. Saffron can speed recovery

No pain, no gain, right? But as anyone who’s ever worked out seriously can tell you, those aches and pains build up from one workout to the next and can cause a serious drag on performance over time. Achy joints, stressed tendons, soreness from lactic acid build-up, and inflammation all make it harder to give it your all at the gym...which means you may not see the gains you’re after.

The good news? Saffron is one of nature’s great anti-inflammatories (they’ve been using it this way for centuries in Asia). In addition, saffron can help the body flush out the lactic acid that builds up during exercise and makes us feel so sore and tired afterwards.

A daily dose of saffron can help you bounce back from tough workouts faster and keep you injury-free, allowing you to put in strenuous exercise with consistency and get those results you’re after.

3. Saffron can pump you up

Another one of saffron’s best-known uses is as a circulatory aid—meaning it will really get your blood flowing. And that’s good news for all sorts of athletes and fitness fanatics.

Bodybuilders chasing that “pump” that comes from muscle tissue swelling with blood will welcome the news that saffron can improve circulation. But it’s not just the Arnolds of the world who will benefit. Whether you’re a powerlifter, rugby player, or yogini, you need good circulation to carry micronutrients and oxygen through the body during and after workouts to increase performance and build strength.

4. Saffron can help you stick to that diet

Let’s face it—weight loss is one of the big reasons people head to the gym. But as your personal trainer will tell you, no amount of exercise can overcome a poor diet. That’s why many of us try to combine regular exercise with a healthier, more disciplined approach to eating.

Still, even the strongest-willed will face cravings from time to time. And saffron can help with these too. According to one study, supplementation with saffron was shown to increase feelings of satiety and decrease cravings for food between meals, resulting in less snacking.

So if you want a little help to stop yourself from reaching for those crisps before dinner, a glass of saffron tea might be just what the doctor ordered!

Saffron for people on the move

Saffron is a great addition to any fitness regime. And if you’re wondering how to sneak in a little saffron between the office and the gym, you may want to try our pure powdered saffron product, Red Gold Dust. Ready-to-use and packed in its own easy-to-carry protective case, Red Gold Dust is made for people on the go: the perfect way to add saffron to your busy day!

About our saffron

Our farmers grow, harvest, and process the old-fashioned way—meaning that our saffron is grown for its medicinal usage and not just for cooking rice (and we’ve got the lab tests to prove it!).