Shilajit Dosage: What Clinical Trials Actually Used
Last reviewed September 2026 · 8 min read
Dosing recommendations for shilajit range from 100 mg to 1,000 mg per day across different brands and sources. Much of this range is manufacturer preference rather than clinical data. This article reviews the actual doses used in published human trials — what was studied, in whom, for how long, and what was found.
Every human study, by dose
Ten published studies have given shilajit to people. Their daily doses, next to what a typical resin serving and a single gummy provide:
Bars run from 0 to 1,000 mg. Where a dose is a range, the lighter part runs to the upper figure.
- Resin, pea-sized serving · per serving300–500 mg
- One gummy · per gummy50–200 mg
- Sadeghi 2020 · controlled trial, per day1,000 mg
- Patil 2023 · controlled trial, per day1,000 mg
- Neltner 2024 · controlled trial, per day500–1,000 mg
- Pandit 2016 · controlled trial, per day500 mg
- Das 2016 · no control group, per day500 mg
- Keller 2019 · controlled trial, per day250–500 mg
- Das 2019 · controlled trial, per day250–500 mg
- Yadav 2026 · no control group, per day500 mg
- Biswas 2010 · no control group, per day200 mg
- Martinez 2025 · controlled trial, per day6–12 mg
The same ten studies in full — design, who took part, dose, duration, what each found and what it does not show. For how much weight each can bear, see the clinical trials, explained.
Biswas 2010 · Andrologia · 28 completed
Open-label, single arm, no placebo. 60 infertile men assessed, 35 oligospermic enrolled, 28 completed.
Dose: 100 mg twice daily, 90 days
Against each man's own baseline: total sperm count +61.4%, motility +12.4–17.4%, normal forms +18.9%, semen MDA −18.7%, serum testosterone +23.5%, FSH +9.4%. Liver and kidney markers unchanged.
Limits: No placebo group and no blinding. Often misdescribed as a randomised trial or as 60 men treated.
Pandit 2016 · Andrologia
Randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled. Healthy men aged 45–55.
Dose: 250 mg twice daily, 90 days
Total testosterone, free testosterone and DHEAS rose significantly compared with placebo (P < 0.05); LH and FSH stayed where they were.
Limits: The abstract gives no sample size and no effect sizes.
Das 2016 · J Med Food
Open-label, single arm, no placebo. Overweight and class I obese US adults (NCT02026414).
Dose: 250 mg twice daily, 8 weeks, then 4 more weeks with exercise
17 extracellular-matrix gene probes (collagen, elastin, fibronectin, decorin and others) were upregulated in muscle biopsies. Glucose, lipids, creatine kinase and myoglobin did not change; well tolerated.
Limits: Gene expression against baseline, with no placebo group and no strength or performance outcome.
Keller 2019 · J Int Soc Sports Nutr · n=63
Randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled. 63 recreationally active men, 21 per group.
Dose: 250 or 500 mg/day, 8 weeks
At 500 mg/day, men lost less strength across a fatiguing leg-extension protocol (8.9% decline vs 16.0% on placebo) and had lower baseline serum hydroxyproline (1.5 vs 2.4 µg/mL).
Limits: Both results held only in the upper half of the sample by baseline strength and hydroxyproline — not in the groups as a whole. 250 mg/day did no better than placebo. Hydroxyproline went down, not up.
Das 2019 · J Am Coll Nutr · n=45
Randomised, placebo-controlled (blinding not stated). 45 healthy women aged 30–65, 15 per group (NCT02762032).
Dose: 125 or 250 mg twice daily, 14 weeks
At 250 mg twice daily, skin microperfusion improved against baseline and placebo, and genes for endothelial cell migration, blood-vessel growth and extracellular matrix were induced. No adverse effects reported.
Limits: The full text reports no difference from placebo in skin hydration, elasticity or barrier function — the effects were in gene expression and blood flow.
Sadeghi 2020 · J Altern Complement Med · n=160
Randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled. 160 adults aged 18–60 after tibia fracture surgery, three Tehran hospitals.
Dose: Two 500 mg capsules daily, 28 days
Mean time to bone union was 129 days on momiai (shilajit) versus 153 on placebo (p < 0.049). Adverse effects did not differ between groups.
Limits: The largest shilajit trial published, and a single trial; the p-value sits just under the threshold.
Patil 2023 · Indian J Physiol Pharmacol · n=60
Randomised, open-label, no placebo. 60 elderly patients with hypertension.
Dose: 500 mg twice daily, on top of antihypertensives, 30 days
Oxidative-stress markers improved against controls (MDA and oxidised LDL down; total antioxidant capacity, SOD and glutathione up). No change in arterial stiffness or endothelial function.
Limits: Open-label: controls took their medication alone, with no placebo. It measured no blood-pressure benefit, and the vascular outcomes did not move. Not indexed in PubMed.
Neltner 2024 · J Diet Suppl · n=35
Randomised, placebo-controlled. 35 recreationally trained men.
Dose: 500 or 1,000 mg/day, 8 weeks
Serum pro-c1α1, a marker of type 1 collagen synthesis, rose from about 42 to 82 ng/mL (500 mg) and 113 ng/mL (1,000 mg); placebo did not change.
Limits: A blood biomarker, not tendon, skin or joint outcomes. The share of people clearing the clinically important threshold beat placebo only at 1,000 mg (75% vs 30%); at 500 mg the difference was not significant.
Martinez 2025 · Nutrients · 109 completed
Randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled. 166 sedentary adults with metabolic syndrome risk factors (109 completed), on diet and exercise.
Dose: 6 or 12 mg shilajit, with chromium and Phyllanthus emblica, 12 weeks
Some evidence (p < 0.05 or approaching it) of better vascular function, platelet aggregation, insulin sensitivity and lipids than placebo, more consistently at 6 weeks than 12.
Limits: A three-ingredient combination at roughly one-fortieth of the shilajit dose used in other trials. It cannot separate any effect of shilajit from chromium or P. emblica — one arm got P. emblica alone.
Yadav 2026 · Cureus · n=25
Open-label, single arm, no placebo. 25 healthy, moderately active men aged 21–55.
Dose: 500 mg/day resin (250 mg twice daily), 28 days
Within-group changes: leg press +12.9%, muscle endurance +12.3%, grip +5.7%, VO₂ max +1.4%, Fatigue Severity Scale −32.4%, CRP −25.4%. No serious adverse events; safety labs stayed normal.
Limits: No placebo, no blinding, 25 people, 28 days. The only human study of resin rather than a standardised extract, and the weakest design on this page.
| Study | Design | Dose & duration | What it found |
|---|---|---|---|
| Biswas 2010 Andrologia · 28 completed | Open-label, single arm, no placebo. 60 infertile men assessed, 35 oligospermic enrolled, 28 completed. | 100 mg twice daily, 90 days | Against each man's own baseline: total sperm count +61.4%, motility +12.4–17.4%, normal forms +18.9%, semen MDA −18.7%, serum testosterone +23.5%, FSH +9.4%. Liver and kidney markers unchanged.Limits: No placebo group and no blinding. Often misdescribed as a randomised trial or as 60 men treated. |
| Pandit 2016 Andrologia | Randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled. Healthy men aged 45–55. | 250 mg twice daily, 90 days | Total testosterone, free testosterone and DHEAS rose significantly compared with placebo (P < 0.05); LH and FSH stayed where they were.Limits: The abstract gives no sample size and no effect sizes. |
| Das 2016 J Med Food | Open-label, single arm, no placebo. Overweight and class I obese US adults (NCT02026414). | 250 mg twice daily, 8 weeks, then 4 more weeks with exercise | 17 extracellular-matrix gene probes (collagen, elastin, fibronectin, decorin and others) were upregulated in muscle biopsies. Glucose, lipids, creatine kinase and myoglobin did not change; well tolerated.Limits: Gene expression against baseline, with no placebo group and no strength or performance outcome. |
| Keller 2019 J Int Soc Sports Nutr · n=63 | Randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled. 63 recreationally active men, 21 per group. | 250 or 500 mg/day, 8 weeks | At 500 mg/day, men lost less strength across a fatiguing leg-extension protocol (8.9% decline vs 16.0% on placebo) and had lower baseline serum hydroxyproline (1.5 vs 2.4 µg/mL).Limits: Both results held only in the upper half of the sample by baseline strength and hydroxyproline — not in the groups as a whole. 250 mg/day did no better than placebo. Hydroxyproline went down, not up. |
| Das 2019 J Am Coll Nutr · n=45 | Randomised, placebo-controlled (blinding not stated). 45 healthy women aged 30–65, 15 per group (NCT02762032). | 125 or 250 mg twice daily, 14 weeks | At 250 mg twice daily, skin microperfusion improved against baseline and placebo, and genes for endothelial cell migration, blood-vessel growth and extracellular matrix were induced. No adverse effects reported.Limits: The full text reports no difference from placebo in skin hydration, elasticity or barrier function — the effects were in gene expression and blood flow. |
| Sadeghi 2020 J Altern Complement Med · n=160 | Randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled. 160 adults aged 18–60 after tibia fracture surgery, three Tehran hospitals. | Two 500 mg capsules daily, 28 days | Mean time to bone union was 129 days on momiai (shilajit) versus 153 on placebo (p < 0.049). Adverse effects did not differ between groups.Limits: The largest shilajit trial published, and a single trial; the p-value sits just under the threshold. |
| Patil 2023 Indian J Physiol Pharmacol · n=60 | Randomised, open-label, no placebo. 60 elderly patients with hypertension. | 500 mg twice daily, on top of antihypertensives, 30 days | Oxidative-stress markers improved against controls (MDA and oxidised LDL down; total antioxidant capacity, SOD and glutathione up). No change in arterial stiffness or endothelial function.Limits: Open-label: controls took their medication alone, with no placebo. It measured no blood-pressure benefit, and the vascular outcomes did not move. Not indexed in PubMed. |
| Neltner 2024 J Diet Suppl · n=35 | Randomised, placebo-controlled. 35 recreationally trained men. | 500 or 1,000 mg/day, 8 weeks | Serum pro-c1α1, a marker of type 1 collagen synthesis, rose from about 42 to 82 ng/mL (500 mg) and 113 ng/mL (1,000 mg); placebo did not change.Limits: A blood biomarker, not tendon, skin or joint outcomes. The share of people clearing the clinically important threshold beat placebo only at 1,000 mg (75% vs 30%); at 500 mg the difference was not significant. |
| Martinez 2025 Nutrients · 109 completed | Randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled. 166 sedentary adults with metabolic syndrome risk factors (109 completed), on diet and exercise. | 6 or 12 mg shilajit, with chromium and Phyllanthus emblica, 12 weeks | Some evidence (p < 0.05 or approaching it) of better vascular function, platelet aggregation, insulin sensitivity and lipids than placebo, more consistently at 6 weeks than 12.Limits: A three-ingredient combination at roughly one-fortieth of the shilajit dose used in other trials. It cannot separate any effect of shilajit from chromium or P. emblica — one arm got P. emblica alone. |
| Yadav 2026 Cureus · n=25 | Open-label, single arm, no placebo. 25 healthy, moderately active men aged 21–55. | 500 mg/day resin (250 mg twice daily), 28 days | Within-group changes: leg press +12.9%, muscle endurance +12.3%, grip +5.7%, VO₂ max +1.4%, Fatigue Severity Scale −32.4%, CRP −25.4%. No serious adverse events; safety labs stayed normal.Limits: No placebo, no blinding, 25 people, 28 days. The only human study of resin rather than a standardised extract, and the weakest design on this page. |
Two papers often listed as dosing trials are not
Surapaneni 2012 is quoted on many sites as a chronic-fatigue trial at 200–500 mg. It was a study in rats given 25–100 mg per kilogram of body weight, and it tells you nothing about a human dose. Meena 2010 is quoted as a 45-day trial at altitude. It is a short review arguing that shilajit could help at altitude; it enrolled no one and tested no dose. An earlier version of this page made both mistakes.
What the Data Shows About Dose
500 mg/day is the most-studied dose
Pandit 2016, Das 2016 and Yadav 2026 all used 500 mg a day, and it was the top dose in Keller 2019 and Das 2019. The only head-to-head comparison of 250 and 500 mg in healthy men is Keller 2019: the fatigue-resistance effect appeared at 500 mg and not at 250 mg — and even at 500 mg only in the stronger half of the sample. Das 2019 likewise reported its skin-perfusion result at the higher of its two doses.
Doses up to 1,000 mg/day have been tested — for narrow outcomes
Three trials went to 1,000 mg a day: Sadeghi 2020 in adults recovering from tibia fractures (28 days), Patil 2023 in elderly patients already on blood-pressure medication (30 days), and Neltner 2024 in recreationally trained men (8 weeks). Sadeghi found no difference in adverse effects from placebo; the other two abstracts do not report on safety. Only Neltner compared 1,000 mg with 500 mg: a collagen-synthesis marker rose at both doses, and more men cleared the clinically meaningful threshold at 1,000 mg than on placebo, which was not true at 500 mg. No trial has shown 1,000 mg beating 500 mg on strength, energy or testosterone.
Duration: 4 to 14 weeks — and no trial measured when effects begin
The studies ran from 28 days (Sadeghi, Yadav) to 14 weeks (Das 2019), most of them between 8 weeks and three months. None was designed to find how quickly an effect appears or whether a shorter course would work; most measured only at the start and the end. What can be said is that no study has tested shilajit over days, so a product promising results within a week or two is not drawing on clinical data.
Most trials split the dose in two
Pandit, Biswas, both Das studies, Patil and Yadav gave the daily amount as two doses. No study has compared split dosing with a single daily dose at the same total.
Timing: What Research Supports
No published clinical trial has studied pre-workout timing specifically — the trials used consistent daily dosing without specifying timing relative to exercise. The "take 45–60 minutes before training" recommendations are extrapolated from general supplement timing principles, not from shilajit-specific trial data.
Morning, empty-stomach dosing is the most common recommendation. No human study has compared it with any other timing, so it is a convention rather than a finding.
Cycling: What Research Shows and Doesn't Show
The "5-on/2-off" or "cycle off 1–2 days per week" recommendations appear in manufacturer guidance but not in clinical trial protocols. None of the published trials used cycling — all used continuous daily dosing throughout the study period.
The theoretical basis for cycling is preventing receptor downregulation or adaptation. Whether this occurs with shilajit has not been studied. Cycling may be a reasonable precaution, but it is a manufacturer recommendation rather than a research-derived protocol.
Bodyweight Adjustments
The human trials used fixed doses; none adjusted for bodyweight. The weight-based recommendations seen in marketing materials ("under 120 lbs: 250 mg, over 120 lbs: 500 mg") are manufacturer guidance, not derived from clinical data.
The range with human safety data is 200–1,000 mg a day for 4 to 14 weeks, and the trials that reported on safety found no serious adverse effects in it. Starting at the lower end and increasing is a reasonable way to assess tolerance, consistent with standard supplement practice. Longer use, and use in pregnancy, has no trial data at all.
Product Quality and Effective Dose
Most trials used purified or standardised extracts — several used the same branded extract, PrimaVie — and one used resin. "500 mg" of a poorly characterised shilajit product is not equivalent to "500 mg" of the preparation a trial tested. If a product has not been tested by an independent laboratory, what it actually delivers is unknown.
Compare products by dose and testing quality
Use the database to find products with verified serving sizes and public COAs — the minimum requirements for knowing what dose you are actually taking.
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