Testosterone Boosters - A Natural Way to Boost Testosterone Part 2

Posted by at 11:49 02/12/11

Readers should read Testosterone Boosters Part 1 before reading this article

Maca Extract – Maca, also known as Lepidium meyenii, is a plant widely used as a herbal tonic in South America, which was said to be fed to Inca warriors before battle to make them ferocious and made them very virile, to such an extent that women had to be protected from them![i]

Doubtless that story is overblown, and given the fact that these tribes also frequently indulged in the use of cocoa leaf (used to make cocaine), perhaps other factors were more important in this story. Trials conducted in the modern day have shown that Maca can increase libido as well as improve seminal volume in men[ii][iii]

Widely eaten to this day in modern day Peru, Maca has not been shown to increase testosterone levels in any research to date. Indeed, one small trial showed that while it increased libido in most men, it actually decreased testosterone levels in more men than it increased testosterone. [iv]

Instead, it is often regarded as a superfood, containing a high level of a number of nutrients which makes it useful as a general food staple. Although Maca cannot hurt, and it is cheap enough, its ability to do more than increase libido is in doubt, hence it is mainly found nowadays in products that promote themselves as sexual enhancers rather than testosterone boosters.

Fadogia Stem Extract– Fadogia is a very new product to the testosterone boosting scene, and there are not that many reports from users on this compound although it has attracted a significant degree of interest. It has proven difficult to source for some time but products containing Fadogia are starting to appear on the bodybuilding supplement market now.

There is some research supporting its ability to increase testosterone levels[v]however this research was with Fadogia stem extract NOT Fadogia plant extract, or the Fadogia plant material itself. This is very important, since in the same way Tribulus plant material will do nothing for users, Fadogia stem extract is what is needed to enhance testosterone activity. Users should look for a Fadgoia stem extract with at least 10% active steroidal sapogenins.

Fenugreek– Fenugreek is cultivated worldwide and frequently found as an ingredient in currys. It has been shown to stimulate appetite, which is not surprising to anyone who has eaten too many curries but there is no research showing it does anything useful for athletes, beyond some supplement company sponsored trials . With so many effective testosterone boosters out there we would leave Fenugreek on the shelf for now, until further research supports its usage.

DHEA– Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) is a steroid hormone which can undergo conversion to both testosterone and estrogen – essentially it is a prohormone. Widely sold in the United States as a supplement, it is usually of benefit only to older people whose DHEA levels decline with age (around the age of 30 onwards), but even there, its estrogenic effects make many baulk at taking this compound. DHEA is a controlled substance in most countries outside the US and banned by the IOC and IAAF.

D-Aspartic Acid - A recent innovation in the supplement industry, D-Aspartic Acid has been shown in a twelve day clinical study to elevate testosterone by 42%, increasing luteinizing hormone at the same time. As such, I expect it will become a standard in many testosterone boosters in the coming years. For now, Primordial Performance's Testosterone Conversion Factor-1 is the one to go with if you are looking for a product containing D-Aspartic Acid. Another option would be E-Pharm's Testforce product.

6-Bromoandrostenedione – Commonly known as 6-bromodione in the supplement industry, this is found as either 6-alpha-bromodione, or 6-beta-bromodione. 6 alpha-Bromodione is a competitive inhibitor of aromatase enzymes [vi]. Basically this means it works by way of binding to the active binding site of the aromatase enzyme resulting in prevention of interaction with androgens. This is good for rapid binding and short term aromatase control, but unfortunately a competitive inhibitor will eventually let go of the enzyme and allow it to do feminizing things to male hormones. 6 beta-Bromodioneis a suicide inhibitor of the aromatase enzyme.

Together the two will provide for a powerful one-two punch to reduce estrogen and increase test as well but there is some concern over 6-bromodione owing to the fact that in the words of supplement guru Patrick Arnold, (who probably has more experience with these types of products than anyone else)

“other 6alpha halogenated androstenes (6alpha fluoro, 6alpha chloro) have anabolic androgenic activity. I strongly suspect the 6alpha bromo would too, since in the the 4-halo series of testosterones all 3 halogen substitutions are effective...so you would want to stay away from 6-alpha-bromoandrostenedione if your goal is HPTA recover” .

This basically suggests the possibility that rather than being a natural testosterone booster working with your body to elevate testosterone, 6-Bromodione has the potential to lower your body’s natural testosterone levels after the product is discontinued.

This covers most of the popular ingredients found in testosterone boosters today, although supplement companies are always looking to add anything that sounds new to help their latest products sell, often stacking testosterone boosting compounds with others designed to reduce estrogen, or offer some synergistic activity to enhance overall product effectiveness. We therefore now examine some of the best of current crop of testosterone boosting products on the market and offer readers practical advice on how to best take them.

Popular Products Available Today

Activate Xtreme- Driven Sports’s Activate Xtreme is a popular testosterone boosting product with a significant following in the United States. Containing Divanil, Basella Alba, and Icariin, it is dosed at 4 capsules a day for a month’s supply. Users frequently report improved muscle gain, enhanced recovery, heightened libido, as well as reduced bodyfat so this makes it a very popular product. Typically, users take this for 4-6 weeks followed by 2-4 weeks off.

Vitrix–Vitrix is the best selling testosterone booster from Nutrex Research and has proven to be a best seller for many years. Containing high grade Tribulus Terrestris, Avena Sativa, Vitex and Longjack it is most frequently used as a libido enhancer by users. The dosage is 6 capsules a day, making a 180 capsule bottle last 30 days.

ZMA– Basically this product is a combination of Zinc, which we have discussed previously, and magnesium. The combination of both together should meet an athlete’s nutritional needs for these essential nutrients, ensuring testosterone levels are optimised, as well as promoting restful sleeping patterns. At 3 capsules daily, a bottle of 90 capsules will last 30 days.

Animal Stak– Developed by Universal’s Animal division, it complements the rest of the Animal range, being a product designed for the hardcore lifter. Containing Longjack, Avena Sativa, and Tribulus, this is more of a complete health product rather than a pure testosterone booster. Dosage is one pack a day, making a 44 pack bottle last 44 days.

Tribuloid– Tribuloid by Goliath Labs contains a slew of ingredients including Tribulus, Longjack, Zinc and Avena Sativa, making it a good choice for someone wanting to try multiple testosterone boosting ingredients at once. Dosage is 2 capsules a day, making a 30 day supply.

Anabol-5– Another product by Nutrex, this has Dicyclopentanone at its core, which is difficult to find so makes for a good choice for athletes wanting to try it out. In addition, it has a number of other ingredients which should enhance its functions as a lean mass gaining product. The recommended dose is 4 capsules daily, meaning a bottle lasts 30 days.

Bioforge and Bioforge Promax – The manufacturers, Biotivia, are a relative newcomer to the field of testosterone enhancement, being better known for their resveratrol products, but Bioforge is a research driven formula combining Forskolin, Icariin, Zinc, and Indole-3-Carbinol to produce a product designed to enhance testosterone and amplify fat burning. One bottle last 30 days, taking 3 capsules daily.

Testosterone Conversion Factor-1 - Testosterone Conversion Factor-1 contains D-Aspartic acid, possibly the most exciting new innovation in the field of testosterone boosting nutrients that there is.

Max Out– Iforce Nutrition’s Max Out contains, at its core, Arachidonic acid, and is one of the few products out there containing this ingredient, stacked here with a variety of others to try to enhance testosterone and prostaglandin activity. Users can expect steady increases in muscle and strength using this product.

We hope readers now have an idea about the uses and applications of testosterone boosters as well as an understanding about how they work, and which product is best suited for them. With so many on the market, it is wise to try them one at a time and the user can then assess for themselves how well they respond to them. Compared to the products available even ten years ago, this field has advanced significantly and today a number of products offer valid alternatives to the natural bodybuilder wishing to avoid the use of illegal drugs but still wanting something to enhance muscle size, strength, and libido in a natural manner.

[i]Downie, Andrew. "On a Remote Path to Cures" New York Times. January 1, 2008.

[ii]Gonzales, GF.; Cordova A., Vega K., Chung A., Villena A., Gonez C. & Castillo S. (2002)."Effect of Lepidium meyenii (maca) on sexual desire and its absent relationship with serum testosterone levels in adult healthy men

[iii]Gonzales, GF; Cordova A., Gonzales C., Chung A., Vega K. & Villena A. (2001). "Lepidium meyenii (maca) improved semen parameters in adult men"

[iv]http://www.prostateawarenessfoundation.org/MacaResults.shtml

[v]Yakubu MT, Akanji MA, Oladiji AT. Aphrodisiac potentials of the aqueous extract of Fadogia agrestis (Schweinf. Ex Hiern) stem in male albino rats.

[vi]Osawa Y, Osawa Y, Coon MJ. Stereochemistry of the functional group determines the mechanism of aromatase inhibition by 6-bromoandrostenedione.