Re: Tongkat Ali Does Not Affect Testosterone:Epitestosterone Ratio or Liver and Kidney Function after Six Weeks of Supplementation in Recreational Athletes

HerbClip

Laura Bystrom, PhD Mariann Garner-Wizard Shari Henson Amy Keller, PhD Cheryl McCutchan, PhD Heather S Oliff, PhD

Executive Editor Mark Blumenthal Managing Editor Lori Glenn Consulting Editors Thomas Brendler, Francis Brinker, ND, Allison McCutcheon, PhD, J. Erin Smith, MSc, Carrie Waterman PhD Assistant Editor Tamarind Reaves

PDF (Download)	Tongkat Ali (Eurycoma longifolia, Simaroubaceae) Testosterone Renal and Liver Function
Date: 03-31-2015	HC# 091434-517

http://cms.herbalgram.org/herbclip/517/091434-517.html

Re: Tongkat Ali Does Not Affect Testosterone:Epitestosterone Ratio or Liver and Kidney Function after Six Weeks of Supplementation in Recreational Athletes

Chen CK, Mohamad WMZW, Ooi FK, Ismail SB, Abdullah MR, George A. Supplementation of Eurycoma longifolia Jack extract for 6 weeks does not affect urinary testosterone: epitestosterone ratio, liver and renal functions in male recreational athletes. Int J Prev Med. 2014;5(6):728-733.

Testosterone supplementation to enhance athletic performance is prohibited in sports and is detected using urine tests that quantify the ratio of testosterone to epitestosterone (T:E). The traditional medicine and reputed aphrodisiac Eurycoma longifolia (EL; Simaroubaceae), commercially known as Tongkat Ali in Malaysia, has been shown to elevate serum testosterone^1,2 and increase muscle strength in humans.³ This 6-week, double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover study evaluated the effects of a proprietary standardized EL extract (Physta^®; Biotropics Malaysia Berhad; Shah Alam, Selangor, Malaysia) on T:E ratio and liver and renal function in male recreational athletes. The characteristics of Physta were not described in the article. According to the company website, Physta contains 0.8-1.5% eurycomanone, ˃22% total protein, ˃30% total polysaccharide, and ˃40% glycosaponin (http://www.biotropicsingredients.com/physta/). This study was funded by Biotropics Malaysia Berhad and one of the authors is an employee of the company.

Enrolled in the study were 13 healthy male recreational athletes (average age 29.0 ± 5.5 years) with a maximum oxygen consumption of 51.7 ± 6.8 mL/kg/min and no history of liver or kidney disease.The subjects consumed either 400 mg of Physta or placebo (maltodextrin) daily for 6 weeks during the first supplementation period. After a 3-week washout period, they consumed the alternate supplement for another 6 weeks.

At baseline and at the end of each 6-week supplementation period, subjects reported to the Sports Science Laboratory at the Universiti Sains Malaysia in Kelantan, Malaysia to provide urine and blood samples.

After the 6-week intervention, T:E ratios did not significantly change in either group, and no statistically significant between-group differences were observed. Similarly, there were no statistical differences in liver or kidney function tests after either intervention.

The few trials investigating the effect of EL on athletic performance have produced conflicting results. Acute EL supplementation at a low dosage (0.67 mg per trial) 30 minutes prior to exercise did not improve endurance cycling capacity among young cyclists in a thermoneutral environment⁴; nor did an increased dosage (150 mg daily for 7 days) provide any beneficial effect on endurance training.⁵ In those studies, "it is possible that the duration and dosage of supplementation was not sufficient to affect performance," write the authors. Another trial found that 100 mg/day of EL for 5 weeks increased fat free mass and muscle strength and size in healthy adult males.³

In summary, supplementation for 6 weeks with 400 mg/day of EL did not significantly affect T:E ratios, nor did it have any adverse effects on liver and kidney function. The authors conclude that future studies with even higher dosages and longer supplementation periods are warranted, not only to assess the effect of EL on athletic performance but also to ensure that it does not pose any doping or safety issues. Nevertheless, it is noted that dosages as low as 100 mg/day of EL have already shown an improvement in muscle strength and size.

—Shari Henson

Taxonomic Note:

The authors of this article (and others) erroneously refer to Tongkat Ali as Eurycoma longifolia Jack (ELJ). The accepted scientific name is Eurycoma longifolia. "Jack" is the authority for this Latin binomial (the authority is the person who first assigned the scientific name to the species; in this case, William Jack in 1822).

References

¹Tambi MIM. Water soluble extract of Eurycoma longifolia in enhancing testosterone in males. Proceedings of the SupplySide West International Trade Show and Conference; October 1-3, 2003; Las Vegas, Nevada.

²Tambi MIBM, Imran MK, Henkel RR. Standardised water-soluble extract of Eurycoma longifolia, Tongkat ali, as testosterone booster for managing men with late-onset hypogonadism? Andrologia. 2012;44(Suppl s1):226-230.

³Hamzah S, Yusof A. The ergogenic effects of Eurycoma longifolia Jack: A pilot study. Br J Sports Med. 2003;37:465-466.

⁴Ooi FK, Singh R, Sirisinghe RG, Ang B, Jamalullail S. Effects of a herbal ergogenic drink on cycling performance in young cyclists. Malays J Nutr. 2001;7(1):33-40.

⁵Muhamad AS, Chen CK, Ooi FK, Abdullah MR, Lam CK. Effects of Eurycoma longifolia Jack supplementation on recreational athletes' endurance running capacity and physiological responses in the heat. International Journal of Applied Sports Sciences. 2010;22(2):1-19.