What Is Longjack?
Longjack (also known as Tongkat Ali) is the common name for the Southeast Asian plant, Eurycoma longifolia. It’s broad health benefits gives Longjack its common name, Malaysian Ginseng.
Ginseng is often used to describe the powerful and versatile health benefits of a plant — much like the original ginseng (Panax ginseng) — which is highly revered for promoting longevity through its many health benefits.
Longjack has no official relation to ginseng and is categorised in a completely different plant family. However, the effects of Longjack are very similar to that of ginseng — used to provide supportive effects on the male reproductive organs, cardiovascular system, and nervous system. rnOne of the most popular uses of Longjack is for its aphrodisiac and fertility-enhancing benefits. Others take the herb as an athletic-enhancement supplement for its effects on testosterone and human growth hormone.
The Main Benefits of LongJack Include:
• May support testosterone levels.
• Enhances athletic performance.
• Boosts libido and reproductive health.
• Promotes fat loss.
The Science Behind Longjack
1. Male Reproductive Health
In men, testosterone levels peak between the ages of 25 and 30 before dropping by about 1% each year. By these metrics, testosterone levels will be roughly half of youthful levels by the age of 60. This problem is made worse by other factors such as stress, poor diet, and lack of exercise.
Longjack has become a popular supplement by men of all ages to optimise their testosterone levels, and combat the natural degradation and loss of androgen levels that come naturally with age.
The root bark of Longjack contains a series of peptides known as eurypeptides — which have been shown to provide improvements in energy levels and sexual function in animal studies. Scientists believe the primary mechanism used by this herb to support this is through its effects on male androgens — such as testosterone and various other growth hormones.
Longjack is thought to improve testosterone levels by activating an enzyme in the liver known as CYP17 — which is responsible for converting pregnenolone and progesterone into dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA).
DHEA is one of the most abundant androgens in the human body, which then goes on to support the production of testosterone.
2. Athletic Performance
Many of the effects of Longjack listed above also apply to its role as an athletic performance enhancer.
Testosterone, and other anabolic steroids produced in the human body play a major role in the production and maintenance of muscle and bone tissue throughout the body.
As testosterone levels decline with age, so does muscle mass and bone density — two factors that can severely reduce our athletic ability.
By supporting optimal testosterone levels as we age, Longjack is thought to maintain a youthful level of athletic performance well into old age. Although the effects of Longjack in this respect aren’t immediate, over long periods of time this herb may be used to delay the natural decline of athletic performance as testosterone levels drop year by year.
Is Longjack The Supplement For Me?
Longjack has become one of the most popular male-specific herbs on earth — used to support everything from fertility and sexual function to immune and cardiovascular health.
This supplement is best used earlier in life before they’ve started to experience a loss in testosterone levels — ideally around the ages of 25 or 30. Older men can also benefit from the herb, taking it as a daily health supplement to boost testosterone levels.
Athletes benefit from Longjack for its role in boosting athletic functioning at the endocrine level. Strength training is especially benefited by the use of the herb, although endurance athletes may also find some benefit in their practice.
And finally, women can also use the herb to their advantage. Testosterone is present in both men and women — the difference is simply in the ratios of the two. Women looking to support strength training programs look to Longjack to boost the conversion of pregnenolone to DHEA, and DHEA to free testosterone.
It’s recommended that both men and women experiencing side-effects from too much testosterone should avoid Longjack.