Tribulus Terrestris Benefits for Men: What Human Research Really Shows

Short answer: The best documented tribulus terrestris benefits are modest and uncertain. Controlled human trials mostly show no meaningful rise in testosterone, no gain in strength or muscle in athletes, and sexual function results that are mixed and often no better than placebo. Tribulus is usually well tolerated in short trials, but high doses and rare reports of liver and kidney problems mean it deserves caution, not hype.

Key Takeaways

• Testosterone: a 2014 systematic review concluded tribulus is ineffective for increasing testosterone in humans, and a 2025 review of 10 studies found no significant androgen change in 8 of them.^[1][2]
• Animal vs human: rising testosterone in rodents has not been reproduced consistently in people.^[3]
• Sexual function: some trials in men with erectile complaints report improvement, but the evidence is low quality, and one randomized trial found tribulus no better than placebo.^[2][4]
• Training: studies in basketball players, rugby players and CrossFit athletes found no meaningful effect on strength or body composition.^[3][5][6]
• Side effects: mild stomach upset is the most common report; doses above 1,000 mg a day have been linked to sleep problems, fatigue and a faster heart rate.^[3][6]

What Is Tribulus Terrestris?

Tribulus terrestris is a low, spreading plant with spiny fruits that grows in warm, dry regions of Europe, Asia, Africa and Australia. It is often called puncture vine because the hard burrs can puncture bare feet and bicycle tires. In Ayurvedic and traditional Chinese practice, the fruit and root were used for urinary complaints and male vitality, which is how it became a fixture of modern “testosterone booster” products.

Most of the interest centers on steroidal saponins, a family of plant compounds; protodioscin is the one most often named on labels. Saponin content varies with plant part, region and harvest, so two products that both say “tribulus” can be very different. That variability is one reason study results are hard to compare.

Does Tribulus Increase Testosterone?

This is the claim that sells most tribulus products, and it is also where the evidence is weakest.

Animal studies

A limited number of animal studies found higher serum testosterone after tribulus was given.^[1] The LiverTox review from the US National Institutes of Health notes that animal work suggested increases in testosterone and estrogen, but that these effects “have not been reproduced consistently in humans.”^[3] Animal results are a reason to study a herb, not proof that it works the same way in people.

Human trials

When researchers measured hormones in men, the picture changed. In a 2014 systematic review of 11 studies, Qureshi and colleagues found that testosterone increases in humans showed up only when tribulus was part of a combined supplement, and they concluded that tribulus on its own “is ineffective for increasing testosterone levels in humans.”^[1]

A newer systematic review published in Nutrients in 2025 looked at 10 studies with 483 participants. Eight found no significant change in androgens. Only 2 reported within-group increases in total testosterone of roughly 60 to 70 ng/dL, both in men with hypogonadism or partial androgen deficiency, and both had weak methodological quality. The authors concluded that “no robust evidence was found for increasing testosterone levels.”^[2]

Individual trials tell the same story. A study of young men found that tribulus did not influence androgen production,^[7] and LiverTox lists other trials with no hormonal change: 22 rugby players over 5 weeks and 30 men with infertility over 3 months.^[3] One trial of 70 men over 3 months did report a rise in total testosterone,^[3] which is why the honest summary is “mostly no effect, with a few inconsistent positives.”

Evidence summary table

Tribulus and Sexual Function

Libido and erections are the other big marketing claims. The evidence here is a little more interesting than for testosterone, but it is still thin.

In the 2025 Nutrients review, tribulus improved erectile function scores in 3 of the 5 studies that measured it, and all three positive studies enrolled men with erectile dysfunction. The authors rated this as low level evidence, noted that half of the included studies had a high risk of bias, and called for better controlled trials.^[2]

The randomized trial by Santos and colleagues is a useful reality check. Men taking 800 mg a day for 30 days improved their erectile function score from 13.2 to 15.3, but men on placebo improved by almost exactly the same amount (11.6 to 13.7). The researchers concluded tribulus was not more effective than placebo at that dose and duration.^[4] LiverTox reaches a similar overall view: in general, controlled trials showed improvements in sexual function no greater than placebo.^[3]

Researchers who have reviewed the field suggest that if tribulus has any effect on sexual response, it may involve nitric oxide and blood flow rather than hormones.^[1] That idea has not been confirmed in solid human trials. Erection problems can also be an early sign of heart or blood vessel disease, so they are worth discussing with a doctor rather than self-treating with a herb.

Tribulus for Muscle, Strength and Athletic Performance

Gym culture has long treated tribulus as a “natural anabolic.” The trials do not support it. In 24 competitive basketball players, 4 weeks of tribulus saponins produced no significant changes in testosterone, body mass, body composition or strength compared with placebo.^[5] Small studies in rugby players and CrossFit athletes also showed no significant improvement in body composition, strength or exercise performance, and the US military’s Operation Supplement Safety program states that no strong evidence supports the marketed claims for sexual or athletic enhancement.^[6]

If your goal is strength or muscle, training, protein and sleep will do far more. Our guide on how to increase testosterone naturally covers the lifestyle factors with better evidence.

Tribulus Side Effects and Safety

Common, mild effects

In short trials, tribulus is generally well tolerated. The most frequent complaints are stomach cramps, nausea and indigestion.^[3][6] In one 90-day study of 60 postmenopausal women summarized by LiverTox, diarrhea was reported by 13% of participants, and dizziness and nausea by 10% each.^[3]

Higher doses

Operation Supplement Safety notes that doses above 1,000 mg a day have been linked to sleep disturbances, exhaustion, fatigue and an elevated heart rate.^[6] Long-term safety and dose effects in humans have not been well studied.

Liver and kidney reports

LiverTox rates tribulus as a possible but unproven rare cause of clinically apparent liver injury, mainly at high doses or in people with existing liver disease, and says liver injury in humans “has not been convincingly shown.”^[3] The concern comes largely from grazing sheep that developed liver and kidney damage after eating the plant, plus a handful of human case reports. In one of those cases, a young man with severe jaundice and kidney injury was judged “much more likely” to have been harmed by undisclosed anabolic steroid use than by tribulus.^[3] That detail matters: products sold as “testosterone boosters” are sometimes adulterated, which is a good reason to choose third-party tested supplements.

Who should talk to a doctor first

• Anyone with liver or kidney disease.
• Men with hormone-sensitive conditions, including prostate problems.
• People taking medicines for blood pressure, blood sugar, heart rhythm or fluid balance.
• Anyone who is pregnant or breastfeeding, since safety has not been established.
• Men with symptoms of low testosterone, which need a blood test, not a guess. See the signs of low testosterone.

How Much Tribulus Do Studies Use?

There is no established effective dose. Doses and extract strengths vary widely across trials, which is one reason the 2025 review called for studies to define dose and duration.^[2] For reference, the randomized erectile function trial above used 800 mg a day split into two doses for 30 days.^[4] Staying at or below 1,000 mg a day avoids the range where more side effects have been reported.^[6] Take it with food if it upsets your stomach, and stop if you notice yellowing skin, dark urine, unusual fatigue or abdominal pain.

A Note on Our Own Formula

Tribulus is not one of the seven botanicals on the Ultra Bann label. Ultra Bann, made by DL Bioproducts, lists every amount with no proprietary blend: Thai Butea superba 345 mg, Panax ginseng 110 mg, Cynomorium songaricum 85 mg, black ginger (Kaempferia parviflora) 85 mg, tongkat ali 85 mg, epimedium (horny goat weed) 45 mg and reishi (Ganoderma lucidum) 45 mg, for a total of 800 mg. The serving is one capsule every 2 days. You can review the full label on the Ultra Bann ingredients page, read about one of those herbs in our guide to horny goat weed benefits for men, or see Ultra Bann in our shop. First orders ship free in the US and come with a 60-day money-back guarantee.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does tribulus actually increase testosterone?

Mostly no. Two systematic reviews concluded that tribulus alone does not reliably raise testosterone in men. The few positive results came from small, low quality studies in men who already had low testosterone, or from products that combined tribulus with other ingredients.^[1][2]

What are the side effects of tribulus terrestris?

The most common are stomach cramps, nausea, indigestion and occasionally diarrhea or dizziness. Above 1,000 mg a day, people have reported sleep problems, fatigue and a faster heart rate. Rare liver and kidney injury reports exist, though a clear link to tribulus itself has not been proven.^[3][6]

How long does tribulus take to work?

Trials have generally run from about 4 weeks to 3 months.^[3][4][5] Because placebo groups often improve just as much, noticing a change in a few weeks does not prove the herb caused it.

Is tribulus safe to take every day?

Short-term daily use at moderate doses appears well tolerated in trials, but long-term safety has not been well studied.^[6] If you have liver, kidney, heart or prostate concerns, or take prescription medicines, ask your doctor first.

Is tribulus better than other herbs for male vitality?

Not on current evidence. Its testosterone and athletic claims are largely unsupported, and its sexual function data are weak. Compare it with other botanicals in our overview of herbs for testosterone.

References

1. Qureshi A, Naughton DP, Petroczi A. A systematic review on the herbal extract Tribulus terrestris and the roots of its putative aphrodisiac and performance enhancing effect. Journal of Dietary Supplements. 2014;11(1):64-79. Kingston University record
2. Vilar Neto JdO, de Moraes WMAM, Pinto DV, et al. Effects of Tribulus (Tribulus terrestris L.) Supplementation on Erectile Dysfunction and Testosterone Levels in Men: A Systematic Review of Clinical Trials. Nutrients. 2025;17(7):1275. PMC full text
3. Tribulus. LiverTox: Clinical and Research Information on Drug-Induced Liver Injury. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases; updated 2022. NCBI Bookshelf
4. Santos CA Jr, Reis LO, Destro-Saade R, Luiza-Reis A, Fregonesi A. Tribulus terrestris versus placebo in the treatment of erectile dysfunction: A prospective, randomized, double-blind study. Actas Urológicas Españolas. 2014;38(4):244-8. Elsevier
5. Poprzecki S, Zebrowska A, Cholewa J, Zajac A, Waskiewicz Z. Ergogenic effects of Tribulus terrestris supplementation in men. Journal of Human Kinetics. Journal page
6. Tribulus terrestris in dietary supplements. Operation Supplement Safety (OPSS), US Department of Defense. OPSS
7. Neychev 2005. The aphrodisiac herb Tribulus terrestris does not influence the androgen production in young men. PubMed

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. This article is for information only and is not medical advice.