Sports Research Ashwagandha with Shoden Review
#6 of 8 · Shoden in a softgel✓ Label verified · Supplement Facts read Oct 14, 2026Real retailer photo, cut out. Label unedited.
Consider it. A Shoden product with a bigger number on the front than it needs. The 120 mg of Shoden in two softgels matches the sleep trial, and the panel honestly prints the withanolide content of each part.
$34.95 · 120 softgels (Amazon US, Oct 14, 2026)$0.58 per 2-softgel serving
Why It Scores 8.2 — And The Label Line Behind Each Number
Standardisation
30% of scoreThe panel splits the 500 mg blend: 120 mg Shoden extract at 35% withanolides (42 mg) and 380 mg powder at 1.5% (5.7 mg). Clear and printed, but most of the weight is a weak powder.
Clinical source
25% of scoreThe active part is Shoden, the extract used in Deshpande 2020 (sleep, 120 mg) and Lopresti 2019 (stress, 240 mg). The powder part has no trials of its own.
- Extract
- Shoden root and leaf extract, 35% withanolides, plus root and leaf powder, 1.5% withanolides
Lab transparency
20% of scoreThe label shows Non-GMO Project Verified and NSF Certified Gluten-Free, which test for GMOs and gluten, not for content or contaminants. "Third party tested" is printed without naming the lab.
- Testing
- Non-GMO Project Verified, NSF Certified Gluten-Free; content testing lab not named
Trial-dose alignment
15% of scoreTwo softgels give 120 mg of Shoden, exactly the sleep dose from Deshpande 2020. The 240 mg stress dose would take four softgels.
Price per active mg
10% of score$34.95 for 120 softgels (60 servings) on Oct 14, 2026: $0.58 per serving with 120 mg of Shoden.
- Servings
- 60 per jar (120 softgels)
- Price
- $34.95 for 120 softgels (Amazon US, Oct 14, 2026)
- Cost per serving
- $0.58
- More Specs
- Per 2 softgels
- 500 mg blend: 120 mg Shoden (42 mg withanolides) + 380 mg powder (5.7 mg withanolides)
- Other ingredients
- Coconut MCT oil, Plantgel capsule (tapioca starch, vegetable glycerin, water, chlorophyll), sunflower lecithin, rice bran wax
- Allergen
- Tree nuts (coconut)
Label verified. Every figure read from the Supplement Facts photo, Oct 14, 2026.
Marketing Claims Vs. Reality
500 mg of ashwagandha per serving.
True as a blend weight, but 380 mg of it is powder at 1.5% withanolides. The trial-backed part is the 120 mg of Shoden.
Featuring Shoden with 35% withanolides.
The panel lists 120 mg Shoden extract standardized to 35% withanolides, 42 mg.
Third party tested.
The label does not name the lab or the test. The NSF seal on the label is for gluten-free status only.
What Our Test Actually Found
Read the blend, not the front
Of the withanolides per serving, 42 mg come from the 120 mg of Shoden and only 5.7 mg from the 380 mg of powder. The product works because of the extract, not because of the 500 mg.
Sleep is the fit
Two softgels match the 120 mg dose that improved sleep quality and sleep time in Deshpande 2020. For the 240 mg stress dose of Lopresti 2019 you would need four, which doubles the cost.
The NSF seal is for gluten
The round NSF logo on the label is NSF Certified Gluten-Free. It is a different program from NSF Certified for Sport and does not test for content or contaminants.
Full analysis: all pros & cons (8), buy if / skip if
- 120 mg Shoden per serving, the sleep-trial dose
- Withanolide amounts printed for both parts
- $0.58 per serving
- Vegan softgel
- 380 mg of the 500 mg is low-strength powder
- Contains coconut (tree nut allergen)
- Testing lab not named
- Two softgels per serving
- You want Shoden for sleep at the trial dose
- You prefer softgels to capsules
- You want the withanolide amounts printed on the panel
- You are allergic to coconut
- You want one small capsule instead of two softgels: Thorne has the same 120 mg in one
- You want the lowest price per day: KSM-66 capsules cost less
The 120 mg of Shoden in two softgels matches the sleep trial, and the panel honestly prints the withanolide content of each part. The other 380 mg is low-strength powder. Fair price at $0.58 a day.
The front says 500 mg per serving, but the panel is more interesting than that number. The 500 mg is a blend: 120 mg of Shoden extract at 35% withanolides (42 mg) and 380 mg of root and leaf powder at only 1.5% (5.7 mg). Almost all of the active compounds come from the 120 mg of Shoden, which happens to be exactly the dose that improved sleep in Deshpande 2020. So the product works as a Shoden product; the powder mostly fills the softgel. It comes in MCT oil, and the label lists coconut as a tree nut allergen.
A fair Shoden buy if you like softgels
Take two softgels in the evening for sleep and give it six weeks. If you would rather take one small capsule, Thorne has the same 120 mg of Shoden; if you want the lowest daily cost, a KSM-66 capsule is cheaper. Rare cases of liver injury have been reported with ashwagandha; stop and see a doctor if you notice yellow skin or dark urine. Skip it in pregnancy, and ask your doctor first if you take thyroid, sedative or immune-suppressing medication.
If This Doesn’t Fit — Try These
04Thorne Ashwagandha
The cleanest way to copy the Shoden sleep trial: one capsule in the evening for six weeks.
03Nutricost KSM-66 600 mg
The value play for sleep, and a genuinely good one — the cheapest legitimate KSM-66 at the exact Langade 2019 dose, which you simply take in the evening.
07Nature Made KSM-66 Gummies
If your hesitation about gummies is the additive list — the dyes, the artificial sweeteners — Nature Made answers it.
Quick Answers
Is Sports Research Ashwagandha good for sleep?
Yes. Two softgels give 120 mg of Shoden, the dose that improved sleep in Deshpande 2020.
Why does it say 500 mg if the trial used 120 mg?
The 500 mg is a blend of 120 mg Shoden extract and 380 mg plain powder. The extract supplies almost all of the withanolides.
Is Sports Research Ashwagandha third-party tested?
The label says so but does not name the lab. The NSF logo is for gluten-free certification only.
Does it contain coconut?
Yes. The softgels contain coconut MCT oil, and the label lists tree nuts (coconut) as an allergen.
Sources & Further Reading
2 peer-reviewed sources, each linked to PubMed
- [1] Deshpande 2020 PMID 32540634 — A randomized, double blind, placebo controlled study to evaluate the effects of ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) extract on sleep quality in healthy adults. 150 healthy adults with non-restorative sleep took 120 mg of Shoden or placebo for six weeks. Self-rated sleep quality rose 72% vs 29%; sleep efficiency, total sleep time and time to fall asleep improved on actigraphy.
- [2] Lopresti 2019 PMID 31517876 — An investigation into the stress-relieving and pharmacological actions of an ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) extract: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study. 60 stressed adults took 240 mg of Shoden or placebo for 60 days. Anxiety scores and morning cortisol fell more than on placebo.
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