Tribulus and its effects
Question submitted to ‘Ask Dr. Burke’:
Most studies I’ve read concluded that Tribulus Terrestris did not produce the large gains in strength or lean muscle mass. I’m curious to the percent of Tribulus in a typical testosterone complex and I notice you have an anti-SHBG complex in ENPULSE as well. Wouldn’t you want an ingredient which binds to SHBG which frees up “bound” testosterone? Just confused a bit thanks in advance!
My response:
Thank you for the email message and great questions. Tribulus is one of those ingredients that has very little “true” scientific published findings indicating any benefit in humans; however, it has a long history of traditional use and benefit. The dosages most commonly linked to benefit in humans is 500-1000 mg per day. Four capsules of ENPULSE delivers high potency Tribulus (80% Saponins and 20% Protodioscins). Most commerical test boosters on the market with Tribulus contain 40% saponins and less than 10% protodioscins.
One of the recent findings with natural health products and testosterone is that it is very difficult to truely boost testosterone production but it is possible to reduce the conversion of testosterone to estrogen (aromatization). Men have an enzyme called aromataze and it is active all the time and to varying amounts in each mans body and it converts testosterone to estrogen. When guys take anabolic steriods, this enzyme is up-regulated (over produced) and this causes the side effect know as gynecomastia (bitch tits) which are fatty deposits under the nipples and due to increased circulating estrogen. Sorry to get off track there but it is related. Anyway, there are a number of new studies that indicate natural products can reduce the production of the enzyme aromataze and therefore decrease the production of estrogen. This results in more testosterone as compared to the normal state simply because less of the produced testosterone gets converted to estrogen.
SHBG (sex hormone binding globulin) binds to testosterone and renders it less active. Reducing or blocking SHBG (ie anti-SHBG) is good as it increases FREE Testosterone. More free testosterone means more activity at receptor sites and greater anabolic effects from the total testosterone being produced as now there is greater free or unbound testosterone.
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