Testosterone is more than just the driving force of power and masculinity that modern marketing might have you believe. While advertisements for various supplements may try and twist it, testosterone is a hormone that helps primary development, such as regulating bodily hair patterns, vocal changes, and anabolic effects, including growth during adolescence and muscle growth by stimulating protein synthesis. (1)
Maintaining sufficient testosterone levels is essential. According to the World Journal of Clinical Cases, an insufficient testosterone level can have some pretty adverse effects, such as reduced interest in sexual activity, brain fog, lethargy, and reduced muscle mass and strength. (2)
Founder of JYM Supplements, exercise physiologist Dr. Jim Stoppani, adds that when testosterone is not optimized, it can lead to “moodiness and problems with sleep…a gradual loss of muscle mass and strength, with a greater gain of body fat, despite working out.”
Since less optimized testosterone is common as people age, a testosterone support product might be a viable supplement to help optimize testosterone. (3) JYM Supplements offers one called Alpha JYM. The two recommended daily servings contain the following ingredients:
Editor’s note: The content on BarBend is meant to be informative in nature, but it should not be taken as medical advice. The opinions and articles on this site are not intended for use as diagnosis, prevention, and/or treatment of health problems. It’s always a good idea to talk to your doctor before beginning a new fitness, nutritional, and/or supplement routine.
Do testosterone optimizer supplements actually work? To answer that question, we need to take a closer look at each ingredient’s benefits and how they might impact one’s testosterone level.
This non-proprietary, fully-dosed testosterone booster uses six ingredients that are all at the proper doses determined by research in the lab and in the gym. It includes 1,000 milligrams of fenugreek, ashwagandha, and damiana, 500 milligrams of diindolylmethane and quercetin, and 200 milligrams of Eurycoma longifolia.
Fenugreek
Fenugreek has been shown to have positive effects on testosterone concentrations in men. Four of six studies in Advances in Nutrition involving 366 male participants ranging in age from 18 to 72 demonstrated increased testosterone concentrations. One of those studies featured 500 milligrams of daily fenugreek supplementation, which was associated with increases in testosterone compared to its respective placebo group. (3)(4)
JYM Supplements says that the suggested two daily 500-milligram servings of fenugreek “promote an increased release of luteinizing hormone.” Luteinizing hormone is a glycoprotein hormone that causes the Leydig cells (receptors that stimulate cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) production) to produce testosterone. (5)(6)
Ashwagandha
A 2019 study in the American Journal of Men’s Health found that those who consumed 600 milligrams of ashwagandha daily had a 14.7 percent greater increase in testosterone versus their placebo counterparts after eight weeks. (7)
Furthermore, that exact dosage of ashwagandha broken up into two servings (300 milligrams each) has shown greater increases in muscle strength (in the bench press and leg press), increased size of arm and chest muscles, and greater reduction of exercise-induced muscle damage and body fat percentage. (8)
JYM Supplements says, “ashwagandha…promotes a better stress response in the body, specifically by helping to reduce cortisol (the body’s main stress hormone) levels which would otherwise limit testosterone levels.” The science supports that. (9)(10)
Damiana & Diindolylmethane
According to the Journal of Ethnopharmacology, damiana is a wild shrub that has been shown to significantly suppress in vitro. Aromatase helps convert androgens (read: testosterone) to estrogen. (11)(12)
Concerning DIM, JYM Supplements states that research suggests that DIM is the most stable metabolite of indole-3-carbinol (I3C), a chemical found in cruciferous vegetables that may help support a healthy hormone balance.
Eurycoma Longifolia
Eurycoma longifolia is a flowering plant whose major isolated chemical constituents with metabolites have been shown to increase testosterone levels indirectly. More specifically, it increases testosterone by the “activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis” via 600-milligram supplementation for two weeks. (13)(14)(15)
Quercetin
Quercetin is an antioxidant flavonol found in foods like apples, berries, [cabbage, turnips, Brussels sprouts], capers, grapes, onions, shallots, tea, and tomatoes, as well as many seeds, nuts, flowers, barks, and leaves,” per Nutrients. In vitro and in animal models, Quercetin has been suggested to increase testosterone glucuronidation — a metabolic process by which drugs or other substances are combined with glucuronic acid to form more water-soluble compounds, which are more readily excreted by the kidneys or in bile — pursuant to the claim that JYM Supplements states on their website. (16)(17)(18)
Passing the Test(osterone)
So do testosterone supplements actually work? The science suggests that the ingredients in Alpha JYM do.
Of course, anyone looking to take a supplement to adjust their testosterone level should consult their physician first to ensure it is the best course of action. If it is, Alpha JYM is a well-supported option that could prove beneficial for optimizing healthy hormone levels.
This non-proprietary, fully-dosed testosterone booster uses six ingredients that are all at the proper doses determined by research in the lab and in the gym. It includes 1,000 milligrams of fenugreek, ashwagandha, and damiana, 500 milligrams of diindolylmethane and quercetin, and 200 milligrams of Eurycoma longifolia.