Tribulus Terrestris for Resistance Training?
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Does tribulus terrestris extract work?
Though tribulus terrestris has long been a constituent in tonics in Indian ayurveda practice, it is now a popular herbal nutritional supplement that is marketed as an ingredient to produce large gains in strength and lean muscle mass in people who engage in resistance training or weight lifting.
Commonly sold in dietary supplements as tribulus terrestris extract, many people ask themselves whether or not tribulus terrestris actually work to help athletes to promote gains in strength or lean muscle mass?
A recent study, published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, studied the effects of Tribulus terrestris extract on muscular strength, body composition, and urinary T/E (testosterone/epitestosterone) ratio in elite Australian male rugby players.
Dosage of tribulus terrestris used in study:
Tribulus terrestris extract – 450 mg/d or placebo capsules were consumed once daily for 5 weeks.
Note: All subjects performed structured heavy resistance training as part of the club’s preseason preparations.
Is Tribulus Terrestris a waste of money?
“It was concluded that T. terrestris did not produce the large gains in strength or lean muscle mass that many manufacturers claim can be experienced within 5-28 days. Furthermore, T. terrestris did not alter the urinary T/E (testosterone/epitestosterone) ratio and would not place an athlete at risk of testing positive based on the World Anti-Doping Agency’s urinary T/E ratio limit of 4:1.”
From the previously cited study, the authors basically concluded that supplementation with tribulus terestris extract had no effects on testosterone levels, increasing strength, or improving lean muscle mass.
Tribulus Terrestris Side Effects:
Though most sources suggest that side effects from tribulus terrestris supplementation are mild and include possible upset stomach along with gynecomastia, there have been serious reports in the literature of nephrotoxicity or kidney toxicity in males using the supplement [3]
Bottom line about tribulus:
The results of this study are consistent with the results of a previous study which was published in the International Journal of Sports Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism (Antonio et al, 2001), which concluded, “supplementation with tribulus does not enhance body composition or exercise performance in resistance-trained males.”
[box]On that note, much like ZMA, tribulus terrestris appears to be another sports supplement that’s basically a waste or money for those who’re looking for performance benefits.[/box]
References:
- Rogerson S, Riches CJ, Jennings C, Weatherby RP, Meir RA, Marshall-Gradisnik SM. The effect of five weeks of Tribulus terrestris supplementation on muscle strength and body composition during preseason training in elite rugby league players. J Strength Cond Res. 2007 May;21(2):348-53.
- Antonio J, Uelmen J, Rodriguez R, Earnest C. The effects of Tribulus terrestris on body composition and exercise performance in resistance-trained males. Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab. 2000 Jun;10(2):208-15.
- alasaz AH, Abbasi MR, Abkhiz S, Dashti-Khavidaki S. Nephrol Dial Transplant. 2010 Nov;25(11):3792-3. Epub 2010 Jul 28.
RichT
November 5, 2011 at 8:24 am
I have never tried any type of Tribulus supplement before, so I was browsing around and found Dr Max Powers Testosterone Booster. Taking just one capsule on an empty stomach morning and afternoon I seemed to feel much better all around on the 3rd to 4th day and forward. My workouts went better, I felt more like a “beast” while lifting, if that makes any sense. Recovery seemed to not be as painfully sore after lifting the next couple of days, especially when I pushed myself too far, so I’m going to chalk that one up to ‘boosted’ or ‘leveled’ test levels. All around, I don’t have any negatives to report back, and for the price, you really can’t complain.
PaulD
August 23, 2011 at 1:04 pm
I used Tribulus Raw Power and I am a 19 year old male that lifts hard everyday. Bought this due to the positive reviews on here, have been talking for 2 weeks and haven’t noticed anything… no improvements in workouts or libido. Then I switched to using the Dr max Powers Testosterone Boost (it was recommended by a College Football Coach I am working with). The Dr Max Powers brand is a very good testosteron booster. I use it before going to the gym and it does give you extra power (has an effect on libido as well).
Did not experience any side effects so far (6th week of use). Recovery seemed to not be as painfully sore after lifting the next couple of days,
Mark P
January 19, 2010 at 9:27 pm
I am a 65 year old male and let me tell you the Dr Max Powers Testosterone Booster works because I feel allot more energy and stamina,I recomend it for active men that do some exercises and workout,it makes allot of difference in your all around energy levels,it’s great.
I am on my 4th bottle; I use it for about a month, and then not use it for 3 months (really because I dont need it).
I have made it a hobby to study natural herbs and their effect on the human body. The Dr Max Testosterone Booster is an excellent buy. I have found cheaper brands to be inferior. It is a great product for increasing muscles, male enhancement, repairing damaged muscle, and providing energy and vigor.
Jarret Morrow, M.D.
September 19, 2010 at 4:39 pm
Hi Mark,
I’ve never heard of that particular product. I would be wary of products that purport to elevate testosterone levels.
Yelax
August 25, 2009 at 8:23 am
Came across your post as I was looking for whey protein related info. Very nice post. Hope to learn more from you.
Jarret Morrow, M.D.
September 19, 2010 at 4:40 pm
Yelax thanks for sharing your thoughts on this ZMA post.
Jarret Morrow
September 24, 2008 at 3:46 am
Chris, thank you for your recent comment. Overall, there is no currently available published research which suggest that tribulis terrestris (tt) increases testosterone levels in humans. How closely elite rugby players approximate a random sample of people may be debatable. However, I can assure you that a group of rugby players is a closer approximation to a random sample of people than the research you refer to regarding primates, rabbits and rats.
To be certain, the study by Gauthaman K el al (2008), which I assume that you are referring to involved primates given an intravenous bolus injections of tt, castrated rats, and rabbits. The rabbits did not have a statistically significant elevation in testosterone levels. Only the castrated rats and the primates which were given i.v. bolus injections of tt experienced statistically significant increases in testosterone levels.
Generalizing data from this study has several problems including the assumption that an effect on one species will be the same on humans. Further, the rats studied were additionally castrated which also complicates things. The primates, as mentioned, were given a I.V. bolus injection which is an entirely different route of administration than tt supplements.
Here’s an additional study on tt in 21, young (20-36 year old men):
“The findings in the current study anticipate that Tribulus terrestris steroid saponins possess neither direct nor indirect androgen-increasing properties (Neychev et al, 2005).”
Neychev VK, Mitev VI. The aphrodisiac herb Tribulus terrestris does not influence the androgen production in young men. J Ethnopharmacol. 2005 Oct 3;101(1-3):319-23.Click here to read
Given that the current evidence for tt is lacking in humans, further research would be necessary to suggest that it has a role for athletes.
Chris
September 23, 2008 at 11:17 pm
I’m no statistics expert, but even a layman like me knows a bunch of elite rugby players is hardly a random segment of the population. So, Tribulus didn’t help peak-condition athletes enhance their performance levels. So what? What other supplements were they taking — legal and illicit — that may have compounded the studies effects? Did they alter their fitness regimen at all?
How about all the studies in which primates and other animals showed a 50% gain in testosterone levels? Or the body-building websites in which their is an overwhelming consensus among posters that tribulus increased exercise drive? Perhaps those rugby psychos already have maxed out testosterone.
I want to know how tribulus would effect a random sample of people. Did it make them want to get off the couch more often and exercise more frequently and harder?
Chris
Jarret Morrow
September 21, 2008 at 8:21 pm
Andrew, thank you for your comment about tribulus. For my blog site, I simply highlight the latest research studies on various supplements and generally offer my opinion based on such info. Hopefully, this helps my blog readers to make a better informed decision on which supplements to use.
Andrew
September 21, 2008 at 5:50 pm
I have used tribulus (and am currently using it now) and I can say that I have definitely noticed an improvement in strength. Depending upon the brand you use and whether they are in pill or capsule form also makes a difference. I’m not sure about my actual test results as I have not gone to have my testosterone levels tested since about a year and a half ago, but I at least notice an increase in energy as well as in other areas. I also use other supplements such as creatine, l-arginine, and l-ornithine which all play their role, but I find tribulus to be helpful in the mix. I know that’s not very scientific but I wouldn’t write it off as completely ineffective. It seems to work for some people and have little effect on others.
Jarret Morrow
September 13, 2008 at 12:21 am
Thank you for your comment, Scott. I see that Tribulus has stimulated quite the discussion on your blog. For my blog readers, click the link below to read more about the tribulus debate:
Scott Welch
September 8, 2008 at 10:56 pm
Great post! I agree completely with this and have seen no human research that demonstrated “testosterone increasing effects” with this herb. It is one of the common herbs used in many test formulas but has no reason for inclusion.