Supports testosterone and energy levels
Tongkat Ali is a traditional Southeast Asian root used in modern supplements to promote healthy testosterone levels and support physical and mental vitality. Many adults use it to help with mood, stamina, and general well-being, especially when chasing peak performance or recovering from stress.
About Tongkat Ali
Why Tongkat Ali gets so much attention
Tongkat Ali, sometimes called “Longjack,” has a long-standing reputation in Malaysia and Indonesia as a tonic for male vigor and energy. Today, it’s gained popularity across the biohacking and sports performance world for one main reason: its connection to healthy testosterone. Think of it as a plant-based nudge that encourages your body to keep its hormonal balance in check, which tends to slip under pressure – whether from daily stress or heavy workouts.
How it works
The real magic lies in how Tongkat Ali acts on your body’s hormone systems. Research shows it can boost the activity of luteinizing hormone (LH), which is basically the “go” signal sent from your brain to your testes for making more testosterone. Higher LH means more natural testosterone production – not in a way that spikes or floods your system, but rather supports a steady, resilient baseline. This matters for energy levels: steady testosterone means fewer crashes, more consistent drive, and improved motivation for both physical tasks and mental challenges.
Energy that lasts
Unlike stimulants that make you feel “on” before leaving you flat, Tongkat Ali works on the root causes of low energy tied to hormones and stress. By lowering excess cortisol (your main stress hormone) while supporting healthy testosterone production, it helps restore your get-up-and-go after periods of overwork or burnout.
Mood matters
There’s another side to Tongkat Ali’s effects: mood support. When stress piles up, high cortisol can add tension, anger, or even out-of-character irritability. The balancing effect Tongkat Ali has on both cortisol and dopamine is linked with better mood stability under pressure. Some studies point to lower tension and less anger in adults using this root during stressful periods.
Where you’ll find it
You’ll see Tongkat Ali featured in formulas focused on muscle strength, hormonal health, recovery, and even libido support. Botanabolic is one such example – blending botanicals like Tongkat Ali with micronutrients geared towards anabolic performance and hormonal resilience.
Related Products
Formulated With
Learn about other ingredients that Tongkat Ali is used alongside throughout the LVLUP range.
Detailed Information
Bioactive compounds and mechanistic pathways
Eurycoma longifolia roots yield quassinoids such as eurycomanone; these molecules underpin most of its physiological actions. The primary mechanism centers on modulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis. Tongkat Ali increases release of luteinizing hormone (LH) from the anterior pituitary gland; LH then acts on Leydig cells within the testes, promoting de novo synthesis of endogenous testosterone via steroidogenic enzymes such as CYP11A1 (cholesterol side-chain cleavage) and 17β-HSD (17-beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase). Clinical trials indicate supplementation yields statistically significant increases in both total serum testosterone and free androgen index in men experiencing androgen insufficiency related to age or chronic psychosocial/physiological stressors.
Neuroendocrine regulation
Neuroendocrine regulation extends beyond androgen biosynthesis: Eurycoma longifolia modulates hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis function by attenuating ACTH-driven adrenal cortisol release during acute or chronic stress exposure. Human interventional studies document decreased salivary cortisol concentrations post-supplementation; reductions are often accompanied by subjective improvements on standardized psychometric profiles (e.g., POMS scores).
Neuromolecular effects
At the neuromolecular level, rodent models receiving methanolic extracts demonstrate increased dopaminergic tone within mesolimbic circuits — a finding congruent with reported mood-lifting effects in human subjects exposed to occupational or athletic stressors.
Muscle tissue responses
Muscle tissue responses correlate with improved anabolic signaling: increased circulating androgen levels facilitate AR-mediated transcriptional upregulation of genes governing skeletal muscle protein synthesis; concurrent markers of mitochondrial biogenesis (e.g., PGC-1α expression) are also elevated in animal models receiving standardized root extract.
Formulation context
Given this multifaceted action profile — influencing both HPG and HPA axes while modulating dopaminergic neurotransmission — the inclusion of Tongkat Ali in formulas like Botanabolic reflects its utility for anabolic support, allostatic load reduction, sexual function optimization, anti-fatigue strategies, and resilience against central fatigue syndromes among athletes or stressed individuals seeking homeostatic recalibration.
