Not Ready for the Needle? Boost T Naturally

The Next Best Thing to TRT

This natural combo coaxes your body into pumping out more testosterone so you’re stronger, more muscular, and have better erections.


Testosterone-boosting supplements sweet-talk your pituitary gland and testicles into making more testosterone, but regardless of how good one of these supplements may be, it’ll never be as powerful as actual testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) where you poke a needle into your keister.

But testosterone-boosting supplements can work wonders for men who are marginally deficient in testosterone because of age, poor diet, poor sleep, stress, exposure to too many testosterone-draining chemicals, or overtraining.

And, unlike actual testosterone replacement, these T-boosting supplements won’t cause your testicles to go on vacation. Instead, they’ll make them work harder so that you’re just a little bit more male, a little bit more beastly.

How T Boosters Work

Most testosterone-boosting supplements work in one of four ways:

  1. They supply vitamins and minerals that, if depleted, negatively affect testosterone production.
  2. They influence the pituitary to release more luteinizing hormone (LH), which signals the Leydig cells in the testicles to pump out more testosterone.
  3. They selectively convert DHEA and other androgens into testosterone, thus upping overall levels.
  4. They influence the production of a cellular messenger called cyclic AMP, which, among other cool things, increases testosterone levels.

Taking care of the first pathway to high testosterone is easy: just bone up on zinc and magnesium through nutrient-dense foods or take a zinc/magnesium supplement like Elitepro (on Amazon). The other three pathways require a lot more finesse, and you’ll rarely see all of these pathways addressed in the same T-boosting product.

The Alpha Male Formula

Enter Biotest’s Alpha Male (on Amazon), which contains three exotic, very effective, hard-to-find compounds, two of which are potent testosterone boosters and one of which increases the effects of the other two, in addition to being a particularly effective libido enhancer.

Here’s a hopefully not-too-torturous rundown of each of these three ingredients:

1. Eurycoma Longifolia (aka Tongkat Ali)

We’ve long known that this Malaysian herb elevated testosterone levels, but it was only recently that we learned how. It seems the herbs are rich in two particular quassinoids (members of a biochemically active group of plant chemicals).

When rats, in various studies, received daily doses of eurycoma extracts high in these quassinoids, they experienced a considerable rise in testosterone levels with a concurrent decrease in estradiol.

Spermatogenesis also increased substantially, as did the weight of the rat’s testicles, indicating more productive Leydig cells, more productive Sertoli cells, more spermatogenesis, and more productive testicles in general. And when “enhanced” rats mated (before their testicles were removed and weighed), they had a higher fecundity batting average and females gave birth to bigger, badder litters.

Chemical analysis showed that it was elevated levels of LH and FSH that caused these effects and that’s how it works in humans, too.

A South African study recruited 25 older cyclists, 13 of them male and 12 of them female. (It turns out it works in females, too. Read on.) Each cyclist received 200 mg. of eurycoma every day for five weeks.

Levels of free and total testosterone went up significantly in both men and women. While the testosterone increases in men were apparently caused by elevated luteinizing hormone (LH), along with concurrently lowered estradiol levels, the increase in women’s testosterone levels was believed to be caused by a significant decline in sex-hormone binding globulin (SHBG).

That means that the herb prevented the testosterone that women make naturally from being chemically bound up and made inaccessible to the body by SHBG.

In another study, Malaysian scientists gave a standardized water-soluble extract of eurycoma to 320 men suffering from hypogonadism. Prior to receiving the compound, only 10.5% of the men didn’t have any of the complaints listed on the AMS (aging male symptoms) scale and only 35.5% of them had normal testosterone levels.

After the study concluded, a hefty 71.7% of them stopped having complaints related to low T and a staggering 90.8% were found to have normal testosterone levels.

But eurycoma’s got other talents, too. It also selectively controls the conversion of DHEA and other androgens to testosterone. That means it also works independently of LH. As long as the substrate hormones are present (and they’re present in everyone), conversion to testosterone occurs.

2. Forskolin Carbonate

This plant polyphenol comes from the roots of the Indian coleus plant. It dramatically increases testosterone levels and does a variety of things for the body that you normally can’t accomplish without dieting and exercising.

It does all this primarily by stimulating the production of an enzyme named adenylate cyclase, which in turn increases levels of a cellular messenger called cyclic AMP, or cAMP for short.

In turn, elevated levels of cAMP can increase testosterone levels, in addition to increasing thyroid secretion of T4 (increased fat burning), breaking down triglycerides, increasing protein synthesis in skeletal muscles, and increasing activation of brown adipose tissue, or BAT (which causes more fat burning, although through a different mechanism).

These effects aren’t just hearsay or conjecture, either. Many of those effects have been validated through various studies:

  • Male subjects in a 12-week trial experienced a 16.77 +/-33.77% increase in total testosterone compared with a 1.08 +/- 18.35% decrease in the placebo group.
  • Female subjects in an 8-week study lost a mean of 9.17 pounds weight while experiencing gains in lean body mass (without weight training).
  • The total body weight of a mixed group of men and women in a 12-week study decreased from 74.7 kilograms to 73.5 kilograms while experiencing increases in lean body mass (without weight training).
  • The forskolin users in a mixed-sex group of 50 test subjects experienced a 1.78 percent increase in lean body mass (compared with a 0.20 decrease in the placebo group) and a decrease in mean body fat from 35.8 to 34.0 percent (while the placebo group showed an increase in body fat from 38.8 to 39.0 percent).

This stuff works so well that it should be the first thing you look for in the ingredients list of any alleged T-boosting supplement.

3. Tribulus Terrestris

Tribulus, also called puncture vine, is a small, leafy plant that grows in parts of Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Middle East. It’s long been a part of Chinese and Indian medicine, used mainly as a libido enhancer.

Of the three active ingredients in Alpha Male, tribulus is the most controversial. While it’s long been thought to work by increasing testosterone levels, the research has been somewhat inconclusive. While it’s definitely been shown to increase androgen levels in laboratory animals, researchers haven’t always been able to replicate the results with humans.

It may well be a question of dosage or, more likely, the ill-advised use of unpurified, inactive, or inferior batches of the herb. Many suppliers simply take a mélange of tribulus plant parts (leaves, stems, branches) and add the presumably active ingredient, protodioscin, to the end product, but that sure as heck doesn’t work.

Instead, efficacy is highly likely to depend on some complex, yet-to-be figured out interaction between protodioscin and the numerous other phytochemicals in the plant.

Regardless, what has been proven over and over again in the lab is that tribulus enhances androgen receptor density in the brain (and possibly muscle tissue, too). That means that any testosterone churned out courtesy of eurycoma or forskolin has a lot more roomy places for it to park and do its stuff. It also explains the proven libido-enhancing effects of tribulus.

Alpha Male: The CliffsNotes

Okay, maybe you skipped all that sometimes-boring dissection of the science behind the three main active ingredients in Alpha Male (on Amazon). I don’t necessarily blame you. But do at least absorb the following:

  • Eurycoma Longifolia: This Malaysian herb ramps up LH to coax the testes into producing more testosterone. The herb also selectively controls the conversion of DHEA and other androgens to testosterone.
  • Forskolin Carbonate: This coleus plant root derivative stimulates production of a cellular messenger called cyclic AMP, or cAMP for short. cAMP then triggers testosterone production in the Leydig cells of the testicles.
  • Tribulus Terrestris: This medicinal herb increases the density of androgen receptors in the brain (and possibly muscle), which gives all that eurycoma and forskolin-induced testosterone more places to attach to and do its magic, including amping up the libido.

Each serving of Alpha Male contains 500 mg. of a full-spectrum extraction of Bulgarian tribulus terrestris; 100 mg. of genuine Malaysian eurycoma longifolia; and 20 mg. of purified forskolin that was chemically altered (to form forskolin 1,9 carbonate) to extend its bioavailability from 4 hours to about 12 hours.

These dosages are all based on the best available scientific literature as to which amounts would produce the optimal results in human males.

How Do I Use Alpha Male?

On non-workout days, take 1-2 tablets in the morning and 1-2 tablets 6-8 hours later, each time on an empty, or pretty much empty, stomach. Don’t take more than four a day.

On workout days, take 1-2 tablets 60 to 90 minutes before training and a second dose right after your workout. This method takes advantage of the increased androgen receptor sensitivity that happens as a result of intense exercise, and the more testosterone you can “throw” at those newly sensitized androgen receptors, the better your results, muscle-wise.

In general, though, try to use Alpha Male (on Amazon) in cycles of 5 days on and 2 days off. Give it up to 4 weeks before judging its efficacy (which is about the same time you’d want to give actual testosterone replacement therapy before deciding if it did what you expected).

You may, however, because of advancing age or declining health, reach a point where Alpha Male is no longer working as well as you like. At that point, you may want to explore pharmaceutical testosterone replacement.

MD-Buy-on-Amazon

References

REFERENCES

  1. Akhtari E et al. Tribulus terrestris for treatment of sexual dysfunction in women: randomized double-blind placebo - controlled study. Daru. 2014 Apr 28;22(1):40.
  2. Gauthaman K et al. The hormonal effects of Tribulus terrestris and its role in the management of male erectile dysfunction – an evaluation using primates, rabbit and rat. Phytomedicine, Volume 15, Issues 1-2, January 2008.
  3. Godard MP et al. Body composition and hormonal adaptations associated with forskolin consumption in overweight and obese men. Obes Res. 2005 Aug;13(8):1335-43.
  4. Henkel RR et al. Tongkat Ali as a potential herbal supplement for physically active male and female seniors–a pilot study. Phytother Res. 2014 Apr;28(4):544-50.
  5. Kamath MS. **Efficacy and Safety of Forslean in Increasing Lean Body Mass.**Department of Ayurvedic Medicine, Kasturba Medical College, Manipal, India, 2005.
  6. Low BS et al. Standardized quassinoid-rich Eurycoma longifolia extract improved spermatogenesis and fertility in male rats via the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis. J Ethnopharmacol. 2013 Feb 13;145(3):706-14.
  7. Majeed M et al. Diterpene forskolin: A possible new compound for reduction of body weight by increasing lean body mass. Nutraceuticals, March/April 2002, pp. 6 - 7.
  8. Neychev V et al. Pro-sexual and androgen enhancing effects of Tribulus terrestris L.: Fact or Fiction. 2016 Feb 17;179:345-55. Epub 2015 Dec 28.
  9. Scarpace PJ et al. Thermogenesis in brown adipose tissue with age: post-receptor activation by forskolin. Pflugers Arch. 1996 Jan;431(3):388-94.
  10. Henderson S et al. Effects of Coleus Forskohlii Supplementation on Body Composition and Hematological Profiles in Mildly Overweight Women. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2005;2(2):54-62.
  11. Solomon MC et al. In vivo effects of Eurycoma longifolia Jack (Tongkat Ali) extract on reproductive functions in the rat. Andrologia. 2014 May;46(4):339-48.
  12. Tambi M et al. **Standardised water-soluble extract of Eurycoma longifolia, Tongkat ali, as testosterone booster for managing men with late-onset hypogonadism?**Andrologia, 15 June, 2011.
  13. Tsuguyoshi A. Clinical report on root extract of Perilla Plant (coleus forskholii) in reducing body fat. Asanto Institute, Tokyo, Japan, 2001.
2 Likes

Huh, I like this new guidance. It will be pretty convenient for me. I may end up taking it with my middle of the night shake instead, and then post workout.

A question here: if someone were on TRT but still used Alpha Male for the majority of the benefits it provides, would the cycling be necessary, or, since they’re no longer concerned about maintaining natural production cycles, would they still need to go 5 on/2 off, or could they just use it 7 days a week straight?

You know, I don’t THINK you’d need to continue cycling it, but it’s possible there’s some angle I’m missing.

1 Like

Any advantage to using ElitePro vs. ZMA for women?

Was looking at get ZMA for the wife and ElitePro for myself, but if we can both benefit from ElitePro I’ll double order for streamlining sake.

Thanks!

Sure, women suffer from magnesium deficiencies just like men, but in addition to the mag, she would likely experience improved insulin sensitivity and more efficient protein metabolism, not to mention the billion other things that the minerals contained in ElitePro do.

I’ve been taking Clomid for years and it has worked well. Sometimes the numbers fluctuate and I have to adjust the dose — whether up or down. But I’ve had to start taking Anstrozole to keep the estrogen down. Any advice? Have definitely had a harder time losing stomach fat.

Taking anastrozole with clomid isn’t radical and is in fact a fairly standard treatment; they work well together. Combination therapy with clomiphene citrate and anastrozole is a safe and effective alternative for hypoandrogenic subfertile men - PubMed

Is this product WADA compliant and do I have to worry about failing a doping test if I take it?

What you have watch for with clomid is vision problems. When you experience vision issues, its common to get a script for anastozol to correct it.
And just an FYI, if it appens on clomid, it will still happen if you go on trt as well.

1 Like

None of the ingredients are on WADA’s prohibited list. Now, taking Alpha Male should only enhance the ability of your body to produce testosterone. Therefore, it shouldn’t affect the testosterone/epitestosterone ratio. So, no suspicious blood levels. HOWEVER, WADA is known for overkill, and I wouldn’t want to take responsibility for you failing a blood test. You never know what can happen in the lab.

For women, particularly the compound mentioned as #1, are there any safety risks for women of child bearing age? This sounds like it could be a good supplement for females but curious about long term human effects for women.

Too much testosterone (or too little) can affect fertility, so I’d take that into consideration. Other than that, I don’t see any problems with women taking it. HOWEVER, I think I’d rather see women take Carbolin by itself Carbolin 19® – T Nation Biotest because they probably don’t have any use for the tribulus in the current Alpha Male formula.

1 Like

I started first taking Tongkat about 15 years ago before it was all over the place. While I have no idea if it raises T levels because I never got bloodwork done until recently, it made my sex drive and aggression go through the roof. I took fairly high doses of 1g per day of 100:1 extract. Most people that I hear complain that it “does nothing” are taking either too small of a dose or got bunk stuff. The good stuff is so pungent that even putting 1 small grain on your tongue is so bitter that it’ll make you tear up.
I still have a bit of it but I take it sparingly now because it’ll make you puke if you take it with too little or too much food in your stomach - at least if you take high levels of it.
I may add a little dose in just to see how it interacts with TRT. I’ve only been on TRT about 3 months.

Sure, some companies claim 200:1 or even 500:1 extracts, but that’s horribly deceptive. They’re saying that they use 200 kilograms or 500 kilograms of Eurycoma plant/tree to make 1 kilogram of extract. Nice try, but that means they’re using the whole damn tree – leaves, branches, bark, etc. instead of just the roots where the vast majority of the extract exists. The gold standard is the patented LJ100 extract of eurycoma that’s used in Biotest’s Alpha Male.

1 Like

Yes, the LJ100 is the one I purchased. I’ve tried some cheaper ones but you could tell they were not as good.

  1. Take Omega-3 Fish Oil
    make sure you get a high-quality omega-3 in the triglyceride form and that is molecularly distilled, but I recommend just eating sardines.

  2. Avoid vegetable oils, sunflower oils, and seed oils - ESPECIALLY the last two. For fat meals use ghee butter or full-fat grass-fed butter.
    Do not confuse the real butter with some margarine or some other stuff.

  3. Use salt more often, or at least remember that salt is healthier than sugar.

  4. Avoid soy and flaxseed (they have very big amounts of estrogen)

  5. Lose your body fat (estrogen is “stored” (by simplifying) in your body fat)

  6. Go into a sauna (by sweating you are getting rid of estrogen from your body)

  7. Avoid plastic (that means not only drinking water from plastic bottles but also just touching a plastic material)

  8. Avoid food in plastic if possible

  9. Use metal water bottles (buy a 100% stainless steel bottle)

  10. Avoid polyester and nylon material in things like clothes. The good alternatives are for example 100% cotton or wool things.

  11. Support companies that are helping us with avoiding estrogens, like the ones that are making plastic-free material.

  12. Don’t take a receipt in a shop.

  13. Don’t use hand sanitizer, it’s making estrogen 100 times worse and it also dries out your skin. Use soap, as simple as that.

  14. Don’t keep a wallet full of receipts next to your balls.

  15. Avoid modern food. Just eat meat, vegetables, fruits, and nuts (and stuff like eggs, brown bread, or rice occasionally).
    Remember that if you want to change your diet do it by small steps, not by going on a full no-modern-food mode in 100% in one day.

  16. Eat grass-fed meat, not grain-fed.

  17. Don’t eat too many things like pasta and bread.

  18. Don’t use bathroom chemical stuff in plastic bottles, instead use some natural ingredients and products.

  19. Keep your phone on airplane mode and bluetooth turned off when it is in your pocket and when you sleep.

  20. If you are going to get fish oil, make sure you get a high-quality omega-3 in the triglyceride form that is molecularly distilled, but I recommend just eating sardines.

  21. Get organic sources of everything to avoid all the chemicals.

  22. Remove gluten and get rid of all grains, cook vegetables to remove anti-nutrients, and don’t eat too many nuts, this will lower chronic inflammation and ease digestion.

  23. Don’t be afraid of red meat, saturated fat is good for you contrary to popular belief, is crucial for testosterone, and is shown to combat BPA effects in the body.

  24. Get a full 4-5 stage reverse osmosis filter that filters out everything(including the hormones) and remineralizes the water.

  25. Lastly, eat beef liver from a 100% grass-fed source, the most nutritious food in the world.

1 Like

Whoa, you iz my estrogen-fighting hero!