Does shilajit give you energy? The evidence

“Energy” is probably the most common reason people in the UK try shilajit, and it is one of the least tested. There is no placebo-controlled trial in people that has measured energy or tiredness as its main outcome.

What exists is a short open-label study from a manufacturer, a strength trial that looked at muscle fatigue rather than feeling tired, and a rat experiment about mitochondria. Together they are enough to justify more research, not enough to tell you shilajit will make you less tired. We grade the evidence as weak.

What did the human fatigue study find?

Fatigue scores improved over 28 days, but there was nothing to compare them with. In a 2026 pilot study in India, 25 healthy, moderately active men aged 21 to 55 took 250 mg of a branded shilajit resin twice a day for 28 days (Yadav et al., 2026). At the end:

• scores on the Fatigue Severity Scale, a standard questionnaire, fell by 32.4%
• ratings of perceived exertion during exercise fell by 23.6%
• strength, endurance and aerobic fitness also improved (see exercise performance)

Three things limit what this can tell us:

1. No placebo group. Questionnaire scores like fatigue ratings are exactly the kind of outcome that improves when people know they are taking something they expect to help.
2. The manufacturer ran it. Four of the six authors work for the company that makes the resin tested, even though the paper’s conflict of interest statement declares no financial relationships.
3. It was short and small. Twenty-five men for four weeks.

The authors themselves say their findings support “further investigation” in randomised, placebo-controlled trials. We agree.

Is muscle fatigue the same as feeling tired?

No, and this is a common source of confusion. A 2019 trial is often cited as evidence that shilajit fights fatigue, but it measured how much strength muscles lost during a hard set of leg exercises, not how tired people felt day to day (Keller et al., 2019).

In that trial, 63 young men took 250 mg or 500 mg of a standardised extract (PrimaVie) or a placebo for eight weeks. Across the whole group there was no significant difference. Only among the stronger half of the men did the 500 mg group lose less strength during the test (8.9% against 16.0% on placebo). The study was funded by the extract’s maker. We cover it in detail on the exercise performance page.

Where does the “mitochondria” claim come from?

Mostly from one rat study. Researchers made rats swim for 15 minutes a day for 21 days to create a model of chronic fatigue, after giving them processed shilajit at 25, 50 or 100 mg per kilo of body weight for 21 days beforehand (Surapaneni et al., 2012). Compared with untreated rats, the shilajit groups:

• were less immobile in a swimming test, a sign researchers use for fatigue and low mood
• had stress hormone levels and adrenal gland weights closer to normal
• kept better function in the energy-producing parts of brain cells (mitochondria)

This is interesting biology, but forced swimming in rats is a crude model, and the results haven’t been tested in people.

A 2014 review stated that “animal and human data support its use as a ‘revitalizer’… with enhanced production of ATP”, the energy molecule cells use (Stohs, 2014). We found no human study that has measured ATP after taking shilajit; the support for that claim comes from laboratory and animal work. A more critical 2011 review concluded that the bioactivity of shilajit “lacks substantial evidence” (Wilson et al., 2011).

Why do some people say they feel more energetic?

We don’t know, and it would be guesswork to claim a mechanism. Expectation is a strong force with supplements, which is exactly why placebo-controlled trials exist. Some people also start shilajit at the same time as other changes, such as better sleep or more exercise.

When should tiredness be checked by a doctor?

If you’ve felt tired for a few weeks without knowing why, the NHS advises seeing a GP rather than self-treating. Persistent tiredness can be a sign of iron deficiency anaemia, an underactive or overactive thyroid, diabetes, sleep apnoea or depression, all of which have proper treatments. A supplement could mask the symptom while the cause goes unaddressed.

That is especially relevant for iron: some sellers suggest shilajit for anaemia-related tiredness, but there is no evidence it treats anaemia (see shilajit and anaemia).

If you still want to try it

The doses in these studies were 250 to 500 mg a day, for four to eight weeks. Choose a product tested for heavy metals (see the buying guide), and stop if you notice side effects. The benefits overview shows how energy compares with the better-studied claims.