A lot of people take Tongkat Ali for its supposed ability to boost libido and testosterone. But how does it actually stack up in the labs? In this ultimate guide, you'll see the test results.

Table of Contents

1. Quick overview of Longjack Tongkat Ali
2. Studies on Testosterone
3. Studies on Sex Drive
4. Studies on Strength and Fat
5. Studies on Stress
6. Verdict

A Quick Overview of Long Jack Tongkat Ali

• Benefits: Testosterone, Energy, Sex Drive, Anxiety.
• Who is it good for? People over the age of 30 lose testosterone, muscle mass, and increase in body fat. People who need greater sex drive and reduced stress.
• Quality of studies: Limited but with positive results.
• Time to effect: Increases in testosterone have been found in 2-4 weeks.
• Recommended dose: 300mg per day.

1) Studies on Testosterone

Testosterone is linked to increased muscle mass, reduced body fat, mental/physical energy and overall well-being. For men and women, testosterone peaks between 25 and 30 years of age, then dropping 1-2% each year. At the age of 60, testosterone levels are usually 40-50% of youthful levels.

There's an annoying lack of research on Tongkat Ali's effects on healthy men's testosterone levels. In the below two studies, test subjects were either hypogonadic or "moderately stressed".

Nonetheless, both of these studies do show rather large improvements in testerone levels.

1. +46% increase of testosterone levels during a clinical trial of 320 hypogonadic men. These subjects took 200mg Tongkat Ali for 1 month. (Wellmen Clinic - 1)

Note: The trial was not placebo controlled and otherwise healthy men were not tested. Hypogonadism is when the testes don't function at an optimal level. The trial was also funded by a supplements company.

2. +37% increase of testosterone during a clinical trial of 63 "moderately stressed" men and women. This was a double-blind controlled trial that lasted 2-4 weeks. (Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition - 2)

Note: This is likely thanks to Tongkat Ali's adaptogenic effects of lowering stress. High stress levels are often associated with low testosterone levels.

2) Studies on Sex Drive

Tongkat ali has been referred to as "Malaysia’s aphrodisiac" with its government heavily investing in its research and development. It has been used for centuries in Southeast Asia as an aphrodisiac.

1. "Eurycoma [Long Jack Tongkat Ali] contains a group of small peptides referred to as “eurypeptides” that are known to have effects in improving energy status and sex drive." (Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition - 2)

2. +14% increase in libido and +8.4-8.7% increase in erectile function. Sperm mobility also increased by +44%. This was a double-blind controlled study of 109 average and overweight men aged 30-55. (Universiti Sains Malaysia - 3)

3. 11% increase in libido after 6 weeks and 14% after 12 weeks. This was from the same trial above of "moderately stressed" men and women. (Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition - 2)

3) Studies on Strength and Fat

1. "The results suggest that water soluble extract of Eurycoma longifolia Jack increased fat free mass, reduced body fat, and increased muscle strength and size, and thus may have an ergogenic effect." - (University of Malaya)

4) Studies on Mood and Stress

1. Subjects in a 12 week trial reported a general improvement in quality of life. This was a subjective questionnaire, although the trial was double-blind controlled. (Universiti Sains Malaysia - 3)

2. "Moderately stressed" individuals saw "significant improvements" in stress and mood. Tests indicated reduced stress hormone cortisol levels (-16%). Subjective questionnaires also suggested lower tension (-11%), anger (-12%) and confusion (-15%). (Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition - 2)

3. In this chart, the "TA pre" bar (white bar with spots) is the Tongkat Ali subject group before 200mg Tongkat Ali per day for 4 weeks.

The "TA post" bar (top left to bottom right diagonal stripes) is the same subject group showing significant improvements after 4 weeks. PL = Placebo group.

(Chart taken from Talbott et. al, Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 2013 - 2)

Verdict

I'd recommend Long Jack Tongkat Ali for enhancing your libido and sexual function. According to the 2 human studies done so far, you can expect about a 10% increase in performance. This may take a few weeks.

If you're looking for a testosterone-booster, it's hard for me to say whether or not Tongkat will work 100%. Right now, good results have been recorded, but only for "moderately stressed" or hypogonadic men.

References:

1. Wellmen Clinic - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21671978
2. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition - https://jissn.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1550-2783-10-28
3. Universiti Sains Malaysia - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23243445