Tribulus Terrestris

Tribulus terrestris uk listings sell one claim, and it does not hold

Tribulus is sold overwhelmingly as a testosterone booster. Controlled trials in humans do not support that claim. This section holds 14 lines from £6 to £110, averaging near £47.

We stock it and we are not going to sell it on a claim the evidence contradicts.

What the trials found

Multiple controlled studies in men — including trained athletes, the population most likely to buy it — measured testosterone before and after supplementation and found no meaningful increase. Some included resistance training alongside; the training raised testosterone, the tribulus did not add to it.

The animal studies frequently cited in marketing used doses far beyond human supplementation, and in species that respond differently. That gap is where the claim comes from.

What it might actually do

Evidence for an effect on libido is more mixed and slightly more favourable — some studies report improvement in sexual function scores without any change in measured testosterone. That is an interesting result, since it means whatever is happening is not hormonal.

It is not strong evidence, but it is more than exists for the testosterone claim, and it is the honest answer to what this product may do.

Where to look instead

Anyone whose actual goal is raised testosterone should understand that no supplement in the sports supplements range does that. Compounds that genuinely affect the hormone are in the testosterone section and carry an entirely different risk and legal profile.

Where the aim is sexual function specifically, sildenafil has decades of controlled evidence behind it, which tribulus does not.

What the saponin content means

Products are commonly standardised to a saponin percentage, and higher percentages are priced higher. Since the underlying testosterone claim is not supported at any concentration, standardisation here is a specification without a demonstrated outcome attached to it.

That is worth knowing when comparing a £6 listing against a £110 one in this section — the difference is extract concentration, not established effect.

Why it is still stocked

Because people ask for it, and because the libido evidence, thin as it is, is not nothing. What we are not going to do is repeat the testosterone claim to make the listing convert better. The same reasoning is applied across the sports supplements range.

Frequently asked questions

Does tribulus raise testosterone?
Controlled human trials do not show that it does, including in trained men.

Why is it sold as a testosterone booster?
Animal studies at doses far above human use, extrapolated well past what they support.

Does it do anything at all?
Some studies report improved sexual function scores without hormonal change. The evidence is mixed.

Is it safe?
Generally well tolerated at supplement doses, with gastrointestinal upset the usual complaint.

What actually raises testosterone?
Nothing in the supplement range. Compounds that do are prescription medicines or controlled drugs.