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Definition: "An ergogenic aid is any substance or phenomenon that enhances performance "
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17.07.2013 |
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Less cortisol and more testosterone with a daily 200 mg Tongkat Ali
Let's get down to brass tacks. The 32 men and 31 women who took part in this study were troubled by stress at the start of the experiment, and the researchers measured the hormonal effects of Tongkat Ali, not by analysing blood, but saliva.
The researchers gave half of their test subjects 200 mg Tongkat Ali per day for a period of four weeks. They used Physta extract, manufactured by Biotropics Malaysia, which also funded the study. The other half of the subjects were given a placebo.
The figure below shows that the supplementation boosted the concentration of testosterone in the subjects' saliva by several tens of percent.
The Tongkat Ali supplementation didn't lower cortisol levels, but did inhibit the rise in these levels.
Sounds good, but we're not convinced. The big problem with hormones and saliva is that hormone concentrations in saliva fluctuate wildly. In women for example, the concentration of testosterone in their saliva shoots up when they are sexually aroused. [Horm Behav. 2011 May;59(5):754-64.] This doesn't happen in men. [Arch Sex Behav. 2012 Dec;41(6):1461-70.]
You may wonder whether the rise in testosterone concentration only took place in the women. If this was the case, then the rise may be the result of the pro-sexual effects of Tongkat Ali.
Another matter: one side effect of Tongkat Ali is a dry mouth. This means that Tongkat Ali, in some people at least, reduces saliva production. So does this influence hormonal concentrations?
And then there are the psychological effects of Tongkat Ali. The researchers got their subjects to fill in a Profile of Mood States questionnaire. The subjects that had been given Tongkat Ali had lower scores at the end of the four weeks for Tension, Anger and Confusion.
Sounds promising. But many users report an increase in feelings of aggression and restlessness after using Tongkat Ali. One of the Tongkat Ali users who has reported these effects is the supplements expert Ray Sahelian. He has also written about the same study as the one we're talking about on his website. [raysahelian.com/tongkat_ali.html]
"My experiences have been different", writes Sahelian on the psychological effects reported by the researchers. "I often find use of Tongkat Ali leads to increased aggressiveness and restlessness rather than reduction of stress." What's more, Tongkat Ali can lead to sleep problems when used for longer periods.
In the video clip below from 2009, Sahelian talks about the side effects of Tongkat Ali. He advises against using Tongkat Ali for more than two days in a row, and says that at least one rest day should be built in.
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