Fenugreek the Natural Anabolic

Fenugreek, meaning “ram’s horn clover,” is a herb that has been used by many cultures for its medicinal properties. It has been shown to be effective in treating everything from loss of appetite to digestive disorders to diabetes.
However, one of the key benefits discovered by scientists is Fenugreeks ability to increase natural testosterone levels and improve sexual performance in men. Researchers are not entirely sure how it works, but it is thought to activate male hormones through the various saponins that the herb contains. Saponins are phytochemicals found in many plants that carry an abundance of health benefits.

Due to fenugreek’s reputation for boosting testosterone it is now being included as the primary ingredient in many testosterone boosting supplements. Many of these supplements are marketed primarily to men looking to increase muscle mass and decrease body-fat. Naturally elevated testosterone levels promote high energy levels, heart health, weight control and increased muscle mass.
Man-made vs natural
Fenugreek may just be one of mother nature’s best alternatives to taking pharmaceutical products that have a host of side effects. Research, carried out by the Centre for Integrative Clinical and Molecular Medicine,
demonstrated that men who took a fenugreek extract twice daily saw a significant transformation in their sex life. The 6 week study showed nearly a 30% increase in reported sexual performance, when compared to a placebo.

Fenugreek Boost TestosteroneAn article appearing in the December 2010 issue of the “International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism” evaluated the effects of two enzymes present in fenugreek, aromatase and 5?-reductase, which modify cholesterol in the production of testosterone. The researchers evaluated the effects of these enzymes on strength, body composition and hormonal profiles in 30 resistance-trained men. The participants were supplemented with either a placebo or 500 mg of fenugreek extract once a day for eight weeks. Researchers monitored the participants’ maximum bench and leg press and muscle endurance during an exercise regime conducted four days per week over the two month period.

The amount of bio-available testosterone increased by 26 percent in the experimental group, a statistically significant effect. The estradiol levels did not increase by this much, although you might have expected that to happen.
Apparently the extract inhibits the conversion of testosterone into estradiol. The fat percentage of the athletes in the fenugreek group fell from 18.9 to 17.1 percent. In the placebo group the decrease was from 18.4 to 17.8 percent. Source: Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab. 2010 Dec;20(6):457-65.

Fenugreek Boosts HGH Levels
Fenugreek boosts growth hormone emission too Korean researchers at Yeungnam University discovered the Growth Hormone Stimulatory effect of Fenugreek when they screened a methanol-based extract of fenugreek using cells from the pituitary gland of rats. The pituitary is a gland in the brain, which, apart from secreting testosterone-stimulating hormones LH and FSH, also secretes growth hormone. The activity of the pituitary increases if the hypothalamus – another gland in the brain – synthesises more LHRH and more GHRH.

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