Functional Foods in Health and Disease 2019; 9(11): 706 -718 Page 706 of 718 The impact of dietary supplement NT-020 with Rhodiola rosea on energy, fatigue, and perceived exertion Priscila Lamadrid 1 , Danielle K. Williams 1 , Marcus W. Kilpatrick 1 , Paula C. Bickford 3 , and Cyndy D. Sanberg 2 1 College of Education 1 , University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, USA; 3 Muma College of Business, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, USA; 3 Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, USA Corresponding Author: Marcus Kilpatrick, PhD, Exercise Science Program, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, USA Submission Date: August 23 rd , 2019, Acceptance Date: November 30 th , 2019. Publication Date: November 30 th , 2019 Citation: Lamadrid P, Williams DK, Kilpatrick MW, Bickford PC, Sanberg CD: The Impact of Dietary Supplement NT-020 with Rhodiola rosea on Energy, Fatigue, and Perceived Exertion. Functional Foods in Health and Disease 2019; 9(11): 706 -718. DOI: https:/doi.org/10.31989/ffhd.v9i11.656 ABSTRACT Purpose: Evaluate the effectiveness of a commercially available nutraceutical product on levels of exercise-related energy, fatigue, and exertion before and after 4 weeks of supplementation. Primary ingredients within the product include a proprietary blend of blueberry extract, green tea extract, L-carnosine, Vitamin D3 (NT-020; 920mg), and Rhodiola rosea, a plant that purports to boost energy and hold antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Methods: Twenty-seven participants (13 females, 14 males, mean BMI = 23, mean age ± SD = 24 + 6 years) completed a baseline assessment of aerobic fitness (mean VO2 peak = 40 mL x kg -1 x min -1 ) before being randomized into a placebo or supplement group for four weeks. All participants were involved in regular physical activity three or more days per week. Assessment of energy, fatigue, and perceived exertion responses during and immediately following moderately intense cycle ergometry exercise was conducted before and after the 4-week ingestion period during which participants were instructed to maintain existing exercise activities. Results: Data were analyzed by way of repeated measures ANOVA and dependent t-tests to determine the presence of significant differences across time and between the supplement and placebo conditions. Participants receiving the supplement reported: greater levels of energy and lower levels of fatigue during the initial moments after completing the exercise trial (p < 0.05), greater levels of energy at the midpoint of the exercise trial (p < 0.05) but not at the end of the exercise session (p > 0.05), and lower perceived exertion at four of the six measurement points