Mostly no, not at scoop doses. Several greens and reds ingredients do have performance research behind them, including beetroot nitrate, spirulina, tart cherry, ashwagandha, rhodiola and cordyceps, but the doses that worked were large: at least 372 mg of nitrate a day, 6 g of spirulina, 500 to 600 mg of ashwagandha, 4 g of a cordyceps blend. Even at those doses the effects were small to moderate, so check any label against those numbers before you believe the tub.
The tub says “performance”; the research says “depends on the dose”. A good heist crew cases the vault before the job, and here the vault is the label, so we checked each ingredient’s study dose against what a scoop of ours holds.
The Short Version
- Nitrate works, a little, at a dose: an umbrella review of 180 studies (2,672 people) found longer time to exhaustion, more clearly at 6 mmol (372 mg) a day or more for over 3 days (Sports Medicine, 2025).
- Algae help endurance, not races: 22 trials (822 people) found longer time to exhaustion but no time-trial gain (Nutrients, 2026).
- Tart cherry helps recovery: 14 studies found less soreness and faster return of strength after hard exercise (International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism, 2021).
- Ninja Guardian holds 4000 mg of spirulina, 300 mg of KSM-66 ashwagandha, 300 mg of rhodiola and 500 mg of a cordyceps mushroom blend a scoop, and no beetroot (label).
Do Greens and Reds Powders Actually Boost Performance?
The myth, in its own words: “a daily scoop of greens and reds makes you stronger, faster and harder to tire.” The verdict: mostly myth at scoop doses, with a few real ingredients inside. Here is the whole case on one screen, using our own tub as the test subject.
| Ingredient and claim | What the studies used | What they found | One scoop of Ninja Guardian |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beetroot nitrate: more stamina | At least 6 mmol (372 mg) of nitrate a day, for more than 3 days | Longer time to exhaustion and small gains in a few other measures; the rest unchanged | No beetroot, so no nitrate claim |
| Spirulina: last longer | 6 g a day for 4 weeks | About 39 seconds longer to exhaustion after a 2 hour run (9 men) | 4000 mg, two thirds of that dose |
| Tart cherry: faster recovery | Tart cherry supplements; polyphenol research points to more than 1000 mg of polyphenols a day | Less soreness, faster strength recovery (14 studies) | 250 mg of cherry powder; polyphenols not stated |
| Ashwagandha: more endurance | 500 to 600 mg a day was the best-supported range | A small to moderate gain, clearest for aerobic endurance (13 trials) | 300 mg of KSM-66, about half |
| Rhodiola: more endurance | Bigger VO2max gains above 600 mg a day | Better VO2max, time to exhaustion and time trials (26 trials) | 300 mg, half of 600 mg |
| Cordyceps blend: more oxygen | 4 g a day of the same branded mushroom blend | No clear change after 1 week; VO2max and time to exhaustion up after 3 weeks in a 10-person follow-up | 500 mg, one eighth |
Read the last column and you have our honest position: Ninja Guardian is a daily greens and reds, not a performance supplement, and we would rather show you the maths than sell you a myth.
Does Beetroot in a Reds Powder Boost Performance?
Yes, a little, but only if there is enough nitrate in it. A 2025 umbrella review in Sports Medicine pulled together 20 meta-analyses covering 180 studies and 2,672 people. Nitrate improved time to exhaustion, muscular endurance and peak power by small amounts, and the time-to-exhaustion gain was clearer at 6 mmol (372 mg) of nitrate a day or more, taken for more than 3 days. The other performance outcomes did not move, and the reviewers rated most of the underlying reviews low to critically low in quality.
The catch for powders is the label. A reds powder that lists “beetroot powder” without a nitrate figure gives you no way to know whether you are anywhere near 372 mg. Guardian holds no beetroot at all, so it makes no nitrate claim. The difference between the two colour families is laid out in Greens vs Reds Powder: What’s the Difference?
Does Spirulina Make You Last Longer?
A little, in endurance work, after weeks. The classic 2010 trial gave nine moderately trained men 6 g of spirulina a day or a placebo for four weeks; after a two-hour run they lasted 2.70 minutes at a hard pace against 2.05 minutes, about 39 seconds more. A 2026 meta-analysis of 22 algae trials (822 people) backed the direction: longer time to exhaustion and a lower muscle damage marker, with bigger effects at higher doses, but no improvement in time trials, the test closest to an actual race.
Guardian’s 4000 mg of spirulina is two thirds of the 6 g in that trial, plus 500 mg of chlorella. That is a real amount of algae, but it is below the dose in the trial everyone quotes, so do not buy it for your training numbers. For what a daily scoop does for energy and recovery, read Does Greens Powder Help Workout Energy and Recovery?
Do Tart Cherry and Berry Polyphenols Speed Recovery?
Tart cherry does, at supplement doses. A 2021 meta-analysis of 14 studies found a small drop in muscle soreness, a moderate benefit for recovering strength and power, and a large effect on recovering jump height, though no effect on creatine kinase. A 2019 Sports Medicine review of fruit polyphenols put the recovery dose at more than 1000 mg of polyphenols a day, for 3 or more days before and after the hard session.
Here the scoop falls well short. Guardian’s 250 mg of cherry powder, 500 mg of pomegranate and 1000 mg berry blend are powder weights, not polyphenol doses, and the label does not state polyphenols. Think of the berries as part of the daily top-up, not a recovery protocol.
Do Ashwagandha, Rhodiola and Cordyceps Help in the Gym?
All three have trials behind them, and in our scoop all three sit below the study doses.
- Ashwagandha. A 2026 meta-analysis of 13 trials (599 people) found a small to moderate average gain in exercise performance, clearest for aerobic endurance, with uncertain effects on strength and benefits that were not uniform across settings. The best-supported extract dose was 500 to 600 mg a day. Guardian holds 300 mg of KSM-66.
- Rhodiola. A 2025 meta-analysis of 26 trials (668 healthy, mostly young people, about 33 days on average) found better VO2max, time to exhaustion and time-trial results, with bigger VO2max gains above 600 mg a day; the authors flagged mixed studies. Guardian holds 300 mg.
- Cordyceps. A 2017 trial gave 28 people 4 g a day of the PeakO2 mushroom blend or a placebo. After one week there was no significant difference from placebo on the main tests; ten volunteers carried on to three weeks, and the six on the blend improved VO2max and lasted 69.8 seconds longer. Guardian holds 500 mg of the same branded blend.
So What Actually Moves Gym Performance?
Training, protein and consistency, long before any powder. The ISSN’s protein position stand puts lifters at 1.4 to 2.0 g of protein per kg a day, in doses of 20 to 40 g every 3 to 4 hours, with a dose before or after training. Get those right and the ingredients above are the last few percent, not the plan.
A greens and reds powder earns its place as the daily top-up when produce runs short, which is the honest pitch for ours.
Coach’s Corner: The Engine Builder (4 x 4 Intervals)
- Warm-up: 10 minutes on a bike or rower, easy building to moderate, no rest. Finish with three 10-second pickups.
- Hard intervals: 4 rounds of 4 minutes hard, 3 minutes easy spinning between. Hard means you can say a few words but not a sentence.
- Cool-down: 5 minutes easy, no rest. Let your breathing come all the way down before you stop.
- Hip flexor stretch: 45 seconds a side, no rest. Squeeze the glute on the back leg and keep the ribs down.
- Calf stretch against a wall: 45 seconds a side. Back heel stays down, knee straight.
Healthy adults: if you have an injury, pain, a heart condition, or you are new to training, check with your doctor before you start. Stop if it hurts.
The Fuel Plan
| Performance basics | 80 kg lifter | 100 kg lifter |
|---|---|---|
| Protein a day (ISSN: 1.4 to 2.0 g per kg) | 112 to 160 g | 140 to 200 g |
| Per feeding (ISSN: 20 to 40 g, every 3 to 4 hours) | 4 feedings of 30 to 40 g | 5 feedings of 30 to 40 g |
| Around training | One of those feedings before or after the session | The same |
| The scoop | 1 scoop Ninja Guardian (14 g) with breakfast, as the daily top-up, not as a pre-workout | The same single scoop |
These are general numbers for healthy adults. With kidney disease, diabetes or any medical diet, ask your doctor or a registered dietitian.
Where Ninja Guardian Fits
Every dose in that table comes off our own label, and that is the point: you can check the maths yourself. Ninja Guardian is our daily greens and reds, built for the produce gap: 4000 mg of spirulina, a 2000 mg greens blend and 500 mg of chlorella, a 1000 mg berry blend with pomegranate and cherry, plus KSM-66 ashwagandha, rhodiola and a cordyceps mushroom blend, all in one 14 g scoop. If you want a daily greens and reds that shows its work, this is the tub.
Who it’s for: lifters who want a daily greens and reds with every dose printed on the label. Who it’s not for: anyone buying a scoop to add reps or shave a time trial. For that, training and protein come first, and a pre-workout such as Ninja Swole or Ninja Up is a separate tub.
Ninja Guardian: The Doses This Article Is About
Per serving, straight from the label. The full label is on the product page.
| Spirulina Powder | 4000mg |
| Chlorella Powder | 500mg |
| Cherry Fruit Powder | 250mg |
| Pomegranate Powder | 500mg |
| KSM-66® Ashwagandha Extract (Std. to 5% Withanolides) | 300mg |
| RhodioMind® Rhodiola Rosea Extract (Std.to 6% Salidroside) | 300mg |
| Peak02® Cordyceps (Cordyceps Reishi (Ganoderma lucidum), King Trumpet (Pleurotus eryngil), Shiitake (Lentinula edodus), Lion’s Mane (Hericum erinaceus), Turkey Tail (Trametes versicolor) | 500mg |
At $54.99 for 30 scoops, Ninja Guardian is $1.83 a scoop, or $1.56 a scoop on Subscribe and Save (15% off). Berry Blast, Citrus Splash and Mango Crush are all in stock.
Most people who buy Ninja Guardian also add Ninja Immortal, our daily multivitamin and collagen, to the same order.
Awesome product to get my fruits and vegetables-Love the taste and on par with all the other great product lines they offer. Will definitely keep ordering….
Most greens have a weird greens taste to them. This has a slight greens taste with a nice little kick of Mango. Mixed with Immortal and it was AMAZING!
Amazing taste and mixes well! No weird aftertaste at all!
Ninja Guardian holds ashwagandha, rhodiola and a green tea extract. If you take prescription medication, check with your doctor first. Skip it if you are pregnant or breastfeeding.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do greens powders make you faster?
Not in the trials that tested it. A 2026 meta-analysis of 22 algae trials found people lasted longer before exhaustion, but time-trial performance, the closest test to a race, did not improve. Training and protein do far more for speed.
What are the benefits of super reds powder?
Reds powders bring berry polyphenols and, when they contain beetroot, nitrate. Nitrate improved time to exhaustion, more clearly at 372 mg a day or more, and tart cherry supplements helped recovery in a meta-analysis of 14 studies, so check the label for the actual doses.
How much nitrate do you need for performance?
A 2025 umbrella review found clearer benefits at 6 mmol, or 372 mg, of nitrate a day or more, taken for more than 3 days. Check whether a reds powder states its nitrate content; if it only lists beetroot powder, you cannot tell.
Are super greens worth it for lifters?
As a daily top-up on days your vegetables run short, yes; as a performance supplement, no. The ingredients with performance research were studied at large doses, so check the label against them. Buy one for the produce gap and keep your expectations there.
Next read: Does Greens Powder Help Workout Energy and Recovery? And for the daily scoop with every dose on the label, Ninja Guardian is the one we make.
Sources
- Poon ET, et al. Dietary Nitrate Supplementation and Exercise Performance: An Umbrella Review of 20 Published Systematic Reviews with Meta-analyses. Sports Medicine, 2025.
- Wei Y, et al. The Effects of Seaweed and Microalgae Supplementation on Exercise Performance and Recovery: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Nutrients, 2026.
- Kalafati M, et al. Ergogenic and antioxidant effects of spirulina supplementation in humans. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, 2010.
- Hill JA, et al. Tart Cherry Supplementation and Recovery From Strenuous Exercise: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism, 2021.
- Bowtell J, Kelly V. Fruit-Derived Polyphenol Supplementation for Athlete Recovery and Performance. Sports Medicine, 2019.
- Li X, et al. Effects of Withania somnifera (Ashwagandha) Supplementation on Exercise Performance: A Systematic Review and Three-Level Meta-Analysis. Nutrients, 2026.
- Wang X, et al. The effect of Rhodiola rosea supplementation on endurance performance and related biomarkers: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Frontiers in Nutrition, 2025.
- Hirsch KR, et al. Cordyceps militaris Improves Tolerance to High-Intensity Exercise After Acute and Chronic Supplementation. Journal of Dietary Supplements, 2017.
- Jäger R, et al. International Society of Sports Nutrition Position Stand: protein and exercise. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 2017.
How we wrote this: we rewrote this page because people search whether greens and reds powders improve performance (“do reds powders improve performance” is the search we read Google’s first page for); we read the meta-analyses and trials above for each ingredient, noted the dose each one used, and checked every Ninja Guardian dose against the product label. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
