TruBlk TM Shilajit Resin Supplementation Improves Muscle Strength, Endurance, and Exercise Recovery in Males Undertaking Resistance Train…

Verdict. Prior controlled trials have demonstrated increases in testosterone and retention of muscular strength with purified shilajit, though large trials in resistance-trained populations have been absent. It intersects mitochondrial stress/dysfunction themes (organelle damage).

What the authors report

Shilajit is a naturally occurring resinous exudate with centuries of documented use in Ayurvedic medicine. Its principal bioactive constituents — fulvic acid and a proprietary aromatic compound complex termed shilarathenes™, comprising urolithin metabolites, phenolic acids, and flavonoids — are proposed to enhance mitochondrial ATP synthesis, attenuate exercise-induced muscle damage, and modulate androgen biosynthesis.

Key results stated in the abstract include the following. Prior controlled trials have demonstrated increases in testosterone and retention of muscular strength with purified shilajit, though large trials in resistance-trained populations have been absent. Secondary endpoints included VO₂max, testosterone, creatine kinase, lactate dehydrogenase, handgrip strength, and global improvement ratings. All primary outcomes showed significantly steeper improvement in the active group, assessed by treatment × time interaction: 1RM leg press (+26.0% vs +18.4%; p=0.0003, d=0.74), muscle endurance (+110.8% vs +80.5%; p=0.0017, d=0.60), RPE (p=0.002), and DOMS (p=0.036).

Why it matters for mitochondrial biology

Within mitochondrial research, this work maps primarily to redox biology, metabolism, therapeutics. It is relevant to mitochondrial dysfunction discourse because the abstract invokes organelle damage. That does not by itself establish a validated disease mechanism; it indicates thematic proximity. Because a therapeutic or interventional angle is present, the piece is of interest for mitochondrial-targeted drug hypothesis generation—subject to full-text validation of endpoints and safety context. Server: medrxiv. Posted 2026-07-31. Synthesis confidence is bounded by abstract completeness.

Study design (abstract-level)

In this randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicenter trial (CTRI/2025/07/091323), 100 healthy males aged 21–50 years (BMI <30 kg/m²; ≥1 year of resistance training) were enrolled across four sites.

Principal findings

1. Prior controlled trials have demonstrated increases in testosterone and retention of muscular strength with purified shilajit, though large trials in resistance-trained populations have been absent.
2. Secondary endpoints included VO₂max, testosterone, creatine kinase, lactate dehydrogenase, handgrip strength, and global improvement ratings.
3. All primary outcomes showed significantly steeper improvement in the active group, assessed by treatment × time interaction: 1RM leg press (+26.0% vs +18.4%; p=0.0003, d=0.74), muscle endurance (+110.8% vs +80.5%; p=0.0017, d=0.60), RPE (p=0.002), and DOMS (p=0.036).
4. The active group also demonstrated greater reductions in creatine kinase (−33.6% vs −6.9%; p=0.030, δ=−0.26) and lactate dehydrogenase (−17.8% vs −4.2%; p=0.039, δ=−0.24), greater increases in free testosterone (+21.8% vs −2.9%; p=0.030, d=0.45) and total testosterone (+15.6% vs −3.8%; p=0.038, d=0.43), and a modest improvement in VO₂max (+3.8% vs +2.9%; p=0.032, d=0.41) compared with placebo.
5. Ninety days of TruBlk™ Shilajit resin supplementation produced robust improvements in muscle strength and endurance in resistance-trained males, with moderate effect sizes for the strength outcomes.

Limitations of this brief

• This Mitos brief is an abstract-level synthesis of a preprint; it is not peer review and not a substitute for reading the full paper.
• Preprint status: findings may change with revision or journal review.
• Effect sizes, n numbers, statistics, and full experimental controls are typically incomplete at abstract resolution.
• Primary source: medrxiv DOI 10.64898/2026.07.27.26358996 (posted 2026-07-31).

Open scientific questions

• Which specific experimental panels in the full paper establish the strongest causal claim, and how robust are the controls?
• Are OXPHOS defects primary drivers or secondary consequences of broader cellular stress?
• What dose, timing, and off-target profile would be required to take the intervention seriously as a therapeutic hypothesis?
• How do these findings sit relative to prior literature on the same pathway—replication, contradiction, or incremental extension?

Bottom line

For mitochondrial biologists focused on redox biology, metabolism, therapeutics, this preprint is worth full-text review if the topic matches your program. Abstract-level takeaway: Prior controlled trials have demonstrated increases in testosterone and retention of muscular strength with purified shilajit, though large trials in resistance-trained populations have been absent. Confirm methods, effect sizes, and controls in the full PDF before citing the result as established.

Bibliographic record

Abstract-based editorial synthesis by Mitos. Not peer review.