Abstract
Introduction: Since antiquity, humans have used plants for various purposes, including improving physical performance. However, in recent years, the search for herbal medicines aimed at mimicking the anabolic effect, with lower health risks and without being detected in doping control, has sparked the interest of athletes and gym users. Objective: To evaluate which herbal drugs with possible androgenic activity are prescribed as magistral formulations in the city of Rio de Janeiro. Method: Data from 10,276 prescriptions recorded in the database of a network of compounding pharmacies located in the city of Rio de Janeiro between January and December 2020 were collected and analyzed. The prescribed and dispensed formulations contained Ajuga turkestanica, Cyanotis vaga, Eurycoma longifolia, Lepidium meyenii, Mucuna pruriens, Tribulus terrestris, Trigonella foenum-graecum, and Withania somnifera. Results: Most prescriptions (57.0%) were for women, prescribed by specialists in orthomolecular medicine (38.0%), and only 4.0% of prescriptions were prescribed by nutritionists. Regarding the types of medications, 8,116 prescriptions (79.0%) were formulations of combinations of one or more anabolic herbal drugs with pharmaceuticals. M. pruriens was the most prescribed herbal drug (29.0%), with or without combination. Conclusions: Most of the prescribed plants still do not have proven efficacy and safety regarding anabolic action; therefore more clinical studies are necessary to determine the possible drug interactions and adverse effects of these herbal drugs.
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