Do testosterone boosters actually work?
What the research found, how to do it, and every source the episode cites.
The verdict
Skip the boosters.
§ 01 · The protocol
§ 02 · Transcript
- The question
Do testosterone boosters actually work?
- How it works
Your brain runs testosterone like a thermostat. When levels dip, it tells your testes to make more. When levels climb, it eases off. A booster claims to turn the heat up.
- The research
One review checked fifty boosters. Between them, they used a hundred-and-nine ingredients. Sixty-seven of those had no study on testosterone at all. Fenugreek is a common herb in these pills, and it was tested. Testosterone rose a little. But the trials were weak. A second review said they don't back the claims on the label.
- The protocol
If your testosterone worries you, don't guess with a pill. Ask a doctor for a blood test.
- The verdict
Skip the boosters. The evidence is too thin for the price. Protect your sleep instead. While you sleep, your body releases most of its daily testosterone. In one small trial, a week of five-hour nights left young men's daytime testosterone ten to fifteen percent lower than when they were rested.
§ 03 · In the sources' words
“Patients should be informed that “T booster” supplements may not have ingredients to support their claims.”
“This tightly regulated system is maintained through feedback actions of testosterone and estradiol on the hypothalamus and pituitary gland”
“Ninety percent of supplements claimed to “boost T””
“there were no studies looking at the effect of the individual supplements on T levels for 67 of the supplements (61.5%)”
“which showed a small favorable association with fenugreek”
“Thirteen products exceeded the US Food and Drug Administration UL of ingredients (zinc, vitamin B3, and magnesium).”
§ 04 · Sources
- Clemesha CG, Thaker H, Samplaski MK. 'Testosterone Boosting' Supplements Composition and Claims Are not Supported by the Academic Literature. World J Mens Health 2020;38(1):115–122
- Yang P et al. Effects of oral fenugreek-derived preparations on testosterone-related outcomes in adult men: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Front Nutr 2026 (doi 10.3389/fnut.2026.1903508)
- Vilar Neto JO et al. Effects of Tribulus (Tribulus terrestris L.) Supplementation on Erectile Dysfunction and Testosterone Levels in Men—A Systematic Review of Clinical Trials. Nutrients 2025;17(7):1275
- Cretu AM et al. Emerging peptide and neuroendocrine strategies for TRT-induced reproductive suppression and functional male hypogonadism: a narrative review. 2026
- Lee-Ødegård S, Gundersen TE, Drevon CA. Effect of a plant extract of fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum) on testosterone in blood plasma and saliva in a double blind randomized controlled intervention study. PLoS One 2024;19(9):e0310170
- Leproult R, Van Cauter E. Effect of 1 week of sleep restriction on testosterone levels in young healthy men. JAMA 2011;305(21):2173–2174
- EU Register of nutrition and health claims; Commission Regulation (EU) No 432/2012
- Gammoh NZ, Rink L. Zinc in Infection and Inflammation. Nutrients 2017;9(6):624
- Leisegang K et al. Eurycoma longifolia (Jack) Improves Serum Total Testosterone in Men: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Clinical Trials. Medicina 2022;58(8):1047
- Melville GW, Siegler JC, Marshall PWM. The effects of d-aspartic acid supplementation in resistance-trained men over a three month training period: A randomised controlled trial. PLoS One 2017;12(8):e0182630
- Melville GW, Siegler JC, Marshall PWM. Three and six grams supplementation of d-aspartic acid in resistance trained men. J Int Soc Sports Nutr 2015;12:15
- Lopresti AL, Drummond PD, Smith SJ. A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled, Crossover Study Examining the Hormonal and Vitality Effects of Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) in Aging, Overweight Males. Am J Mens Health 2019;13(2) (funded by Arjuna Natural Ltd., the extract's maker)
- Smith SJ, Lopresti AL, Teo SYM, Fairchild TJ. Examining the Effects of Herbs on Testosterone Concentrations in Men: A Systematic Review. Adv Nutr 2021;12(3):744–765 (abstract only: the full text could not be fetched)
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