Testosterone Boosters - A Natural Way to Boost Testosterone Part 1

Posted by at 11:52 02/12/11

What are Testosterone Boosters?

Testosterone boosters, or natural anabolics, are nutritional supplements which are purported to boost endogenous production of testosterone, or else, improve the bioavailability of testosterone already produced by the body. They are distinct from prohormones, which are compounds that are designed to mimic the actions of testosterone in the body by ingestion of a prohormone with testosterone like action. Unlike prohormones which lead to decreased natural testosterone production, testosterone boosters will therefore optimise your body’s production and use of testosterone, rather than seeking to replace it.

This article will examine the role of testosterone boosting compounds in the bodybuilding market, looking at why athletes would consider taking them, as well as review a number of ingredients commonly found in testosterone boosters and examining their efficacy with respect to increasing testosterone levels. Finally, we will look at a number of products found on the bodybuilding market and provide advice on readers to distinguish between the multitude of products so as to be better able to make an informed buying decision when purchasing dietary supplements.

Why would athletes take Testosterone Boosters?

The hormone testosterone is of prime importance for anyone seeking to increase their strength or muscle mass as it plays a very significant role in the acquisition of both. Indeed, Men’s higher testosterone levels are the main reason men are more muscular than women. Furthermore, higher testosterone levels are linked to greater burning of bodyfat, greater aggression, and increased sexual drive. Clearly then, anything which could be seen to enhance the actions of testosterone in the body would be highly prized by athletes. For natural athletes unwilling to take anabolic steroids or prohormones, testosterone boosting supplements which manage to enhance testosterone or increase the bioavailability of testosterone will be of considerable interest.

Testosterone boosters will often be stacked with similar sports supplements such as creatine, protein powders, fat burners, and fish oils, in an effort to help the natural athlete replicate some of the results achieved by drug users. A testosterone boosting supplement which works as advertised should allow for greater muscle mass and strength gains without any of the negative side effects of steroid use.

Ingredients Found in Testosterone Boosters

The number of ingredients purported to increase testosterone is longer than even an Orang-Utan’s arms. Here we go through some of the ones which have been marketed to bodybuilders over the years. Some you will have heard of, and some may well be new, largely because they are so old but a thorough review necessitates covering as many ingredients as possible.

Glandular Extracts – Extracts uch as dried bulls testicles were probably the first testosterone boosters marketed to athletes on the basis that bulls produce a vast amount of testosterone and if we could ingest their glandular extracts, we too could grow to superhuman proportions. Sadly, apart from getting strange looks from people, these extracts are worthless and better left on the bull. Thankfully (for the bulls’ sakes) they are absent from the bodybuilding market today, although still marketed to the impressionable and the uninformed. If you see anyone claiming to have made great gains from these he will undoubtedly be full of bull. The reality is that there has never been a single study conducted showing benefits with the use of glandular.

However, a number of other studies have been unable to replicate the results of the original Tribulus study. There have been criticisms made of many Tribulus products containing insufficient amounts of the potent Tribulus Terrestris extract, as opposed to the raw plant material, as well as most studies being funded by the manufacturer.

Tribulus Terrestris plant only contains trace amounts of Protodioscin (the active steroidal sapogenin responsible for stimulating LH in men), so consuming the whole plant is useless. Tribulus mustbe standardized for at least 10% protodioscin in order to be effective. Many supplement companies will sell a Tribulus product containing 2% Protodioscin or less so try to ensure when buying Tribulus you only buy a product with a high amount of protodioscin.

However, it should be noted that once optimal Zinc status has been attained, there is no evidence to show that increasing Zinc levels beyond the point at which the deficiency is corrected will do anything to increase testosterone production further. That is, taking Zinc can well allow you to go from low to normal testosterone, but not from normal to high levels. Intakes of 15-30mg should be sufficient to cover athletes’ needs.

Dicyclopentanone - Is a relatively new compound to the market with some research conducted in Russia backing its status as a legal muscle building product, showing an absence of androgenic properties and a high anabolic/androgenic ratio.[xv] Given the relative paucity of research behind it most people will have to experiment with this item to test its effectiveness.

Eorycoma Longifolia -Longjack or Tongkat Ali as it is also known, has been studied extensively and long been prescribed as an aphrodisiac in the far east where it came to prominence. Studies have demonstrated its efficacy in acting as an aphrodisiac several times [xviii][xix]. There is no peer-reviewed research on this herb on humans to date but anecdotal feedback and its widespread use in the Far East for centuries suggests it does seem to aid in improving sexual vigour and performance, although there is not much, if anything, noted about its effects on athletic performance.

Yohimbe – Or its pharmaceutical form, Yohimbine Hcl, is one of the oldest and most well known aphrodisiacs. It owes its reputation in large part to its abilities as a vasodilator, widening blood vessels and thereby increasing blood flow to sexual organs. It has also been widely touted as a novel supplement to aid with the burning of stubborn, hard to remove, bodyfat, especially lower bodyfat. It is recommended to use with a low carbohydrate diet if used as a dieting aid.[xx] As a testosterone booster though there is nothing to suggest it acts as anything more than an impotency aid.

Chrysin– Is a naturally occurring flavone, which came to prominence in a blaze of hype marketed under the tagline of Flavone X, back in the 1990’s in the magazine Musclemedia 2000. It was widely used as an anti-aromatase (estrogen lowering) product but research has failed to supports its claims to reduce estrogen or raise testosterone.[xxvi][xxvii][xxviii]

This absence of research supporting its use as a testosterone booster is disappointing for sure, and led to it falling in popularity as a supplement to enhance muscle mass. However, it has recently been promoted more in libido enhancing products and for this purpose there is some research supporting its role.[xxix] It has also been shown to demonstrate anxiety reducing effects,[xxx] and this possible role in reducing stress could also act as a libido enhancer, since stress is widely recognised as having a disastrous effect on libido.

Please also see the second part to this article: Testosterone Boosters - Part 2

[xxx]Wolfman C, Viola H, Paladini A, Dajas F, Medina JH. Possible anxiolytic effects of chrysin, a central benzodiazepine receptor ligand isolated from Passiflora coerulea. Pharmacol Biochem Behav. 1994 Jan