All About Test Boosters
Both men and women produce testosterone naturally, but here lets primarily focus upon the men.Endogenous (made inside the body) testosterone production is predominantly a result of, and governed by, the HPTA (Hypothalamus-Pituitary-Testes-Axis). It all begins in your head in the hypothalamus when it releases GnRH (also known as LH-releasing hormone).
The small amount of GnRH then makes its way to the pituitary gland to tell it to kick out two other hormones called LH (Luteinizing Hormone) and FSH (Follicle-Stimulating Hormone). Okay, LH and FSH then take a trip via the vascular system to the testes and make contact with the Leydig cells and Sertoli cells …which results in testosterone synthesis and sperm production respectively.
The amount of GnRH, LH and FSH produced regulates the amount of testosterone, androstenediol and DHEA your body produces…or not. If the HPTA produces supraphysiological amounts of GnRH, LH and FSH, it actually also produces more performance enhancing goodies like testosterone, androstenediol, and DHEA by way of overcompensation.
Like all things we really like in life, there is a series of checks and balances that keep things in control and limit the amounts of good stuff we can have. In the case of HPTA-function and optimized testosterone production, it is due to 2 primary negative feed-back loops.
High estrogen levels are not the sole propriety of women, men produce it too, and in most cases, there is way too much in any man’s system than nature meant there to be. This also helps to explain way males produce less testosterone and sperm today than they did only 2 generations ago.
This is due significantly to un-natural (exogenous) exposure to the overabundance of plant-derived phytoestrogens (such as those found in soy products) and xenoestrogens in plastics and herbicides today.
Natural (endogenous) estrogen is predominantly made in the male body from the aromatization of endogenous (made inside the body) androgens into estrogens. This is the responsibility of an enzyme called aromatase that is present pretty much everywhere in the body…even the brain around the hypothalamus (remember that).
When too much estrogen interacts with the estrogen receptors of the hypothalamus, there is a negative feed-back loop that tells the gland that there must be too much testosterone as well. The result is an unhealthy reduction, or even shut-down, of the HPTA. But it gets worse…
The hypothalamus also has lots of androgen receptors for sensing the level of testosterone and other androgens circulating in the body. When too many androgen receptors of the hypothalamus become activated, there is a decrease or even total shut-down in GnRH release. This means that the testes pretty much have nothing to do because the lack of GnRH release also means no LH or FSH release.
So the end result is your testes have no reason to produce testosterone or sperm…and no reason to optimize muscular activities, recovery or have sex.
Normal total testosterone production for a healthy male is about 77-100mg per week but some AAS users push the levels into the 500-2000mg/week plus area. As a result of all of this excess testosterone floating around the body, there is a lot of aromatization to estrogens and an overabundance of androgen receptors of the hypothalamus being over-stimulated. The outcome is obviously the loss of testicular function due to both negative feed-back loops occurring.
Many AAS users know that by decreasing the amount of circulatory estrogen, they are also able to somewhat decrease HPTA down-regulation. Post-cycle AAS therapy, in most cases, includes something to decrease estrogen levels and activity, and some other drug to replace LH. If done correctly the end result again is an increase in actual natural testosterone product 1-2 times above normal for a brief period.
So bearing that in mind, i.e. the minimum amount of testosterone that a cycle of steroid entails compared to endogenous production.(500mg vs. 77-100mg). Lets now look at some boosters and the level to which they raise testosterone. And why their boost isn’t anabolically significant.
Herbal Boosters
Tribulus Terrestris - Active Chemical and Mechanism of Action - Protodioscin is a phytochemical agent derived from Tribulus terrestris L plant, it works by the conversion of protodioscine to DHEA (De-Hydro-Epi-Androsterone). Preliminary observations suggest that Tribulus terrestris L grown on different soils does not consistently produce the active component Protodioscin. It has been suggested that this increase in DHEA is responsible for the increase in libido and erectile function. It also improves the spermatogram it increases the ejaculate volume by 1 - 2 ml, enhances the spermatozoa concentration by 30 millions/ml, increases the mobile spermatozoa by 30%. Which would be demonstrated by an increase in the size of the testicles in some cases, this however does not correlate with an increase in testosterone production.
I managed to find two studies that demonstrated that Tribulus has NO EFFECT whatsoever on testosterone production in young males. The first study took 21 young males between the ages of 20-36 and split them into 3 groups; 2 experimental and 1 control group. The two control groups were given two separate dosages, one double the other, and the control group received a placebo. A baseline testosterone, androstenedione, and luteinizing hormone were drawn 24 hrs before dosage. The for 4 weeks blood levels were drawn at certain intervals. At the end of the 4 week study there was no significant difference between the two experimental groups and the control group. In other words a zero percent increase in any one part of the HPTA.
The second study measured the effect of a combination of several testosterone boosters - 300mg androstenedione, 150mg DHEA, 750mg Tribulus, 625mg Chrysin(a phytoestrogen by the way) 300mg indole-3-carbinol(an estrogen modulator), and 540mg of Saw Palmetto. The control group was again given a placebo. Each group received daily doses and trained 3 days a week for 8 weeks. Serum levels of testosterone and androstenedione were taken at weeks 2,5,and 8. The results were not really all too shocking. Serum levels of andro increased but levels of free and total testosterone remained unchanged, however serum estrone/estradiol levels were markedly increased in the experimental group. Neither group surpassed the other in terms of strength gains, end gains were approximately equal.
"Tribulus will help you in the sperm production department, but it isn’t going to do anything in terms of anabolism or testosterone boosting."
Ok here is another supplement that has been bilking men out of 99!!! Yes 99 dollars a bottle. It is called Gamma-O. I am sure you have heard the ads on the radio for this revolutionary product.. Well.. No surprise.. IT DOESN’T WORK EITHER!!!
Gamma-O’s active ingredient is gamma-oryzanol. Which is extracted from rice bran oil. It has been used in Japan for heart burn and other digestive issues. Well I again found two studies(the only two legitimately published ones I could find) that show that Gamma-O is not only ineffective at testosterone boosting, but it MAY ACTUALLY DECREASE TESTOSTERONE PRODUCTION.
Here is an excerpt from one study on rats:“Intravenous or subcutaneous injections of gamma-oryzanol in rats have been shown to suppress luteinizing hormone release, reduce growth hormone synthesis and release, and increase release of the catecholamines, dopamine and norepinephrine, in the brain. Although it hasn't been directly measured, this metabolic milieu, if accurate, may actually reduce testosterone production”
And here is a study on humans:“No differences between groups were observed for measures of circulating concentrations of hormones (testosterone, cortisol, estradiol, growth hormone, insulin, beta-endorphin), minerals (calcium, magnesium), binding protein (albumin), or blood lipids (total cholesterol, triglycerides, HDL-cholesterol)."Resting cardiovascular variables decreased similarly for both groups. These data suggest that 9 weeks of 500 mg.day-1 of gamma-oryzanol supplementation does not influence performance or related physiological parameters in moderately weight-trained males.
Again bottom line Gamma-O does not work, save your money.
Fenugreek - WOW!!! I cant believe they are actually putting this in ANY supplement, testosterone booster or not. I found a few negative articles on this one…One study showed that it stopped the conversion of T4 to T3, which means a decrease in metabolism. However on the upside it does appear to have a positive effect in diabetics and Glucose management. And one other study on rabbits showed it DECREASED their fertility. In male rabbits it decreased the weight of the testes by HALF! And Androgenic hormones were decreased by half as well. Those were the only two studies I could find that even mentioned fenugreek and androgenic hormones.
Other Herbal Boosters
Tongkat Ali - Otherwise know as E. Longifolia Jack, seems to be a potent sexual enhancer. I have found a few studies calling it herbal Viagra, and that it promotes increased libido and sexual arousal in aged mice or castrated mice. However I cant find a single study that linked it to increased testosterone production. The jury is still out on this one. I think this one may be buried in supplements to give the effect of increased testosterone(increased libido, sexual arousal). I will wait and see til further studies are published.
Red Clover Extract - All I could find on this one was that it is used by post menopausal women because it exerts an estrogenic type effect, to help alleviate hot flashes and other symptoms of menopause. But most studies point that this is pretty useless in women. Verdict - No use in Testosterone Boosting.
Chrysin - Yet another failed idea in the test booster department. It was originally hailed as an Aromatase inhibitor, but it turns out it exerts almost no influence whatsoever on the aromatase enzyme In Vitro. Well it did in test tubes, but it is unable to enter into cells to exert this influence.. So again.. It fizzled.
This is most of the ingredients in Testosterone boosters that I could find.. At least in the herbal sense. They are found in products such as Tribex, Gamma-O, Forza-T, T-bombs, etc. As u can see there is really no supplement that has any kind of proven effect in increasing natural testosterone levels. The next installment of this article will go into Mineral test boosters, such as ZMA, and hormonal test boosters such as 6-OXO, DHEA, ALRI Ultra Hot, etc.
For More Information Please visit the site that posted this article at: Muscular Training Development.com
By: Antonio T
Both men and women produce testosterone naturally, but here lets primarily focus upon the men.Endogenous (made inside the body) testosterone production is predominantly a result of, and governed by, the HPTA (Hypothalamus-Pituitary-Testes-Axis). It all begins in your head in the hypothalamus when it releases GnRH (also known as LH-releasing hormone).
The small amount of GnRH then makes its way to the pituitary gland to tell it to kick out two other hormones called LH (Luteinizing Hormone) and FSH (Follicle-Stimulating Hormone). Okay, LH and FSH then take a trip via the vascular system to the testes and make contact with the Leydig cells and Sertoli cells …which results in testosterone synthesis and sperm production respectively.
The amount of GnRH, LH and FSH produced regulates the amount of testosterone, androstenediol and DHEA your body produces…or not. If the HPTA produces supraphysiological amounts of GnRH, LH and FSH, it actually also produces more performance enhancing goodies like testosterone, androstenediol, and DHEA by way of overcompensation.
Like all things we really like in life, there is a series of checks and balances that keep things in control and limit the amounts of good stuff we can have. In the case of HPTA-function and optimized testosterone production, it is due to 2 primary negative feed-back loops.
High estrogen levels are not the sole propriety of women, men produce it too, and in most cases, there is way too much in any man’s system than nature meant there to be. This also helps to explain way males produce less testosterone and sperm today than they did only 2 generations ago.
This is due significantly to un-natural (exogenous) exposure to the overabundance of plant-derived phytoestrogens (such as those found in soy products) and xenoestrogens in plastics and herbicides today.
Natural (endogenous) estrogen is predominantly made in the male body from the aromatization of endogenous (made inside the body) androgens into estrogens. This is the responsibility of an enzyme called aromatase that is present pretty much everywhere in the body…even the brain around the hypothalamus (remember that).
When too much estrogen interacts with the estrogen receptors of the hypothalamus, there is a negative feed-back loop that tells the gland that there must be too much testosterone as well. The result is an unhealthy reduction, or even shut-down, of the HPTA. But it gets worse…
The hypothalamus also has lots of androgen receptors for sensing the level of testosterone and other androgens circulating in the body. When too many androgen receptors of the hypothalamus become activated, there is a decrease or even total shut-down in GnRH release. This means that the testes pretty much have nothing to do because the lack of GnRH release also means no LH or FSH release.
So the end result is your testes have no reason to produce testosterone or sperm…and no reason to optimize muscular activities, recovery or have sex.
Normal total testosterone production for a healthy male is about 77-100mg per week but some AAS users push the levels into the 500-2000mg/week plus area. As a result of all of this excess testosterone floating around the body, there is a lot of aromatization to estrogens and an overabundance of androgen receptors of the hypothalamus being over-stimulated. The outcome is obviously the loss of testicular function due to both negative feed-back loops occurring.
Many AAS users know that by decreasing the amount of circulatory estrogen, they are also able to somewhat decrease HPTA down-regulation. Post-cycle AAS therapy, in most cases, includes something to decrease estrogen levels and activity, and some other drug to replace LH. If done correctly the end result again is an increase in actual natural testosterone product 1-2 times above normal for a brief period.
So bearing that in mind, i.e. the minimum amount of testosterone that a cycle of steroid entails compared to endogenous production.(500mg vs. 77-100mg). Lets now look at some boosters and the level to which they raise testosterone. And why their boost isn’t anabolically significant.
Herbal Boosters
Tribulus Terrestris - Active Chemical and Mechanism of Action - Protodioscin is a phytochemical agent derived from Tribulus terrestris L plant, it works by the conversion of protodioscine to DHEA (De-Hydro-Epi-Androsterone). Preliminary observations suggest that Tribulus terrestris L grown on different soils does not consistently produce the active component Protodioscin. It has been suggested that this increase in DHEA is responsible for the increase in libido and erectile function. It also improves the spermatogram it increases the ejaculate volume by 1 - 2 ml, enhances the spermatozoa concentration by 30 millions/ml, increases the mobile spermatozoa by 30%. Which would be demonstrated by an increase in the size of the testicles in some cases, this however does not correlate with an increase in testosterone production.
I managed to find two studies that demonstrated that Tribulus has NO EFFECT whatsoever on testosterone production in young males. The first study took 21 young males between the ages of 20-36 and split them into 3 groups; 2 experimental and 1 control group. The two control groups were given two separate dosages, one double the other, and the control group received a placebo. A baseline testosterone, androstenedione, and luteinizing hormone were drawn 24 hrs before dosage. The for 4 weeks blood levels were drawn at certain intervals. At the end of the 4 week study there was no significant difference between the two experimental groups and the control group. In other words a zero percent increase in any one part of the HPTA.
The second study measured the effect of a combination of several testosterone boosters - 300mg androstenedione, 150mg DHEA, 750mg Tribulus, 625mg Chrysin(a phytoestrogen by the way) 300mg indole-3-carbinol(an estrogen modulator), and 540mg of Saw Palmetto. The control group was again given a placebo. Each group received daily doses and trained 3 days a week for 8 weeks. Serum levels of testosterone and androstenedione were taken at weeks 2,5,and 8. The results were not really all too shocking. Serum levels of andro increased but levels of free and total testosterone remained unchanged, however serum estrone/estradiol levels were markedly increased in the experimental group. Neither group surpassed the other in terms of strength gains, end gains were approximately equal.
"Tribulus will help you in the sperm production department, but it isn’t going to do anything in terms of anabolism or testosterone boosting."
Ok here is another supplement that has been bilking men out of 99!!! Yes 99 dollars a bottle. It is called Gamma-O. I am sure you have heard the ads on the radio for this revolutionary product.. Well.. No surprise.. IT DOESN’T WORK EITHER!!!
Gamma-O’s active ingredient is gamma-oryzanol. Which is extracted from rice bran oil. It has been used in Japan for heart burn and other digestive issues. Well I again found two studies(the only two legitimately published ones I could find) that show that Gamma-O is not only ineffective at testosterone boosting, but it MAY ACTUALLY DECREASE TESTOSTERONE PRODUCTION.
Here is an excerpt from one study on rats:“Intravenous or subcutaneous injections of gamma-oryzanol in rats have been shown to suppress luteinizing hormone release, reduce growth hormone synthesis and release, and increase release of the catecholamines, dopamine and norepinephrine, in the brain. Although it hasn't been directly measured, this metabolic milieu, if accurate, may actually reduce testosterone production”
And here is a study on humans:“No differences between groups were observed for measures of circulating concentrations of hormones (testosterone, cortisol, estradiol, growth hormone, insulin, beta-endorphin), minerals (calcium, magnesium), binding protein (albumin), or blood lipids (total cholesterol, triglycerides, HDL-cholesterol)."Resting cardiovascular variables decreased similarly for both groups. These data suggest that 9 weeks of 500 mg.day-1 of gamma-oryzanol supplementation does not influence performance or related physiological parameters in moderately weight-trained males.
Again bottom line Gamma-O does not work, save your money.
Fenugreek - WOW!!! I cant believe they are actually putting this in ANY supplement, testosterone booster or not. I found a few negative articles on this one…One study showed that it stopped the conversion of T4 to T3, which means a decrease in metabolism. However on the upside it does appear to have a positive effect in diabetics and Glucose management. And one other study on rabbits showed it DECREASED their fertility. In male rabbits it decreased the weight of the testes by HALF! And Androgenic hormones were decreased by half as well. Those were the only two studies I could find that even mentioned fenugreek and androgenic hormones.
Other Herbal Boosters
Tongkat Ali - Otherwise know as E. Longifolia Jack, seems to be a potent sexual enhancer. I have found a few studies calling it herbal Viagra, and that it promotes increased libido and sexual arousal in aged mice or castrated mice. However I cant find a single study that linked it to increased testosterone production. The jury is still out on this one. I think this one may be buried in supplements to give the effect of increased testosterone(increased libido, sexual arousal). I will wait and see til further studies are published.
Red Clover Extract - All I could find on this one was that it is used by post menopausal women because it exerts an estrogenic type effect, to help alleviate hot flashes and other symptoms of menopause. But most studies point that this is pretty useless in women. Verdict - No use in Testosterone Boosting.
Chrysin - Yet another failed idea in the test booster department. It was originally hailed as an Aromatase inhibitor, but it turns out it exerts almost no influence whatsoever on the aromatase enzyme In Vitro. Well it did in test tubes, but it is unable to enter into cells to exert this influence.. So again.. It fizzled.
This is most of the ingredients in Testosterone boosters that I could find.. At least in the herbal sense. They are found in products such as Tribex, Gamma-O, Forza-T, T-bombs, etc. As u can see there is really no supplement that has any kind of proven effect in increasing natural testosterone levels. The next installment of this article will go into Mineral test boosters, such as ZMA, and hormonal test boosters such as 6-OXO, DHEA, ALRI Ultra Hot, etc.
For More Information Please visit the site that posted this article at: Muscular Training Development.com
By: Antonio T