Testosterone Boosters Intake in Athletes: Current Evidence and Further Directions

Artemii Lazarev,Eduard Bezuglov

doi:10.3390/endocrines2020011

Abstract

“Testosterone boosters” (TB)—are supplements that are claimed to increase testosterone levels in the human body. While the consumption of TB may be popular among athletes, there is insufficient evidence both about the safety and the real efficacy of TB. In our review, we searched MEDLINE/PubMed and Cochrane Library for studies on the effects of 15 substances that are claimed to increase testosterone levels Anacyclus pyrethrum; Bulbine natalensis; Epimedium (horny goat weed); L-arginine; L-carnitine; magnesium; Mucuna pruriens; pantothenic acid; selenium; shilajit Eurycoma longifolia (Tongkat Ali); Serenoa repens (saw palmetto); boron; Withania somnifera (ashwagandha); and Trigonella foenum-graecum (fenugreek) in athletes and healthy adults under 55 years of age. We found such studies regarding 10 out of 15 substances: L-arginine (3 studies); L-carnitine (2); magnesium (1); selenium (2); shilajit (1); Tongkat Ali (2); Serenoa repens (1); boron (3); ashwagandha root (2); and fenugreek (7). Many of them fail to prove the efficacy of these substances to increase testosterone levels. Tongkat Ali, ashwagandha, and fenugreek were the substances with the strongest evidence. The positive effect of magnesium and shilajit on testosterone concentration was shown in single studies. Conflicting data found that L-arginine, L-carnitine, Serenoa repens, selenium and boron do not appear to increase testosterone levels. There are almost no data on the safety profile of various TB components; however, certain TB components may be linked to coagulation, and pancreatic and hepatic disorders. Based on the review, the authors conclude that at present TB cannot be recommended for use by athletes due to insufficient data on their efficacy and safety.

Highlights

At the moment, there is a wide variety of supplements that, according to manufacturers, “increase serum testosterone level”—these supplements are called “testosterone boosters” (TB)
We used the following methodology for our narrative review: (1) the configuration of a working group: two operators skilled in sports supplementation; (2) formulation of the revision question based on considerations made in the abstract: “for the vast majority of TB components, there is currently no high-quality evidence of efficacy in increasing testosterone levels in a group of healthy adults or athletes”; (3) identification of relevant studies on PUBMED and Cochrane Library; and, (4) analysis and presentation of the outcomes: the data extrapolated from the revised studies were carried out in the form of a narrative review
There are only three studies available that have examined the effect of isolated L-arginine intake on serum testosterone level in healthy, physically active adults

Summary

Introduction

There is a wide variety of supplements that, according to manufacturers, “increase serum testosterone level”—these supplements are called “testosterone boosters” (TB). The consumption of TB may be popular among athletes due to understanding the importance of testosterone in various aspects of sports performance, especially strength [1,2], and with the ever-improving detection of anabolic agents, which are on the WADA Prohibited List [3]. There is insufficient evidence, both about the safety and the real effectiveness of TB as agents of increasing testosterone levels in the body. In this regard, the study of data on the effectiveness of various components of TB is of great interest

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Discussion

Conclusion