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26.12.2010

Anabolic fenugreek extract Torabolic works inexplicably well

Strength athletes who take half a gram daily of an extract of fenugreek, Trigonella foenum-graecum, lose fat, gain lean muscle and experience an increase in their maximal strength on the bench press. But how the fenugreek extract, Torabolic, does this exactly, is a mystery to the sports scientists at the University of Mary Hardin Baylor.

The researchers were financed by Indus Biotech, the manufacturer of Torabolic, to perform an experiment with 49 young strength athletes, all aged around 20. All of the subjects had done weight training for at least a year. And they all followed the same programme, which involved training 4 times a week in a gym. Have of them took a placebo, and the other half took 500 mg fenugreek extract every day, either just before a training session or on rest days in the mornings.

After 8 weeks the placebo group had gained just under half a kilogram of lean body mass [nb the table below gives figures in pounds, not kg], and the fenugreek group had gained 2.3 kg lean body mass.

The placebo group lost about half a kilogram of fat, the fenugreek group 2.1 kg.

On the bench press, the 1 RM of the placebo group rose by 4 percent, in the fenugreek group by 9 percent. On the leg press, the 1 RM of the placebo group rose by 16 percent, in the fenugreek group by 25 percent.

Makers of fenugreek supplements claim that they boost testosterone levels. In this study, however, the researchers found no hormonal effects.

This is in line with an animal study published by Indus Biotech. In this study the fenugreek extract Andropeak had no effect on the testosterone level of rats, but did result in an increase in muscle mass.

Torabolic consists for 70 percent of galactomannan. How Torabolic causes muscle mass to grow the researchers have no idea.

But the results are impressive. Over two kg more muscle mass, two kg fat off. Although we are always suspicious of studies paid for by manufacturers, this time we thought we'd order a pot of Torabolic. You never know.

Source:
J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2010 Oct 27; 7: 34.