T-Hero review: a meh or great testosterone booster? » TESTONATION (2024)

Not all of us enjoy high testosterone. And that’s not right. We as men deserve to have high testosterone, our main male hormone and reap all the benefits.

This drives us to look for ways to boost testosterone naturally.

In this article, I’m going to do a T Hero review to show you if this is a good test booster or not.

Does T-Hero testosterone booster work?

Yes, it contains 2 ingredients (Ashwagandha & Shilajit) that have been shown to increase testosterone in humans. However, 2 other ingredients, DIM and boron, are suboptimal in effect and dosing.

Is it one of the best testosterone boosters? Read to the end for comparisons.

What is T-Hero used for?

T-Hero is a natural supplement that is designed to increase low testosterone levels to:

• Balance hormone levels
• Provide comprehensive male health support
• Help maintain healthy stamina & muscle
• Improve mood and stress levels
• Reinforce male sex drive
• Improve bone & muscle mass
• Support healthy weight

With higher testosterone, you can recover faster from your workouts and gain more muscle and strength as a result.

Let’s explore what other health benefits this supplement has.

Essential Elements Philosophy

T-Hero is sold by Essential Elements.

Their motto is: No Magic. Just Science.

They don’t want to add any mumbo-jumbo ingredients. Only give you what works best. Plus, every purchase you make provides one individual with clean & safe water for a year (a charity that they do).

They offer science-backed supplements and don’t oversell with false promises.

All in all, Essential Elements claims to focus on clinically studied and proven ingredients.

T-hero natural ingredients

The active ingredients include:

Ashwagandha

Ashwagandha is been used for centuries in Ayurvedic medicine to promote stamina, speed up recovery, increase energy, vitality, and fertility and impart the “strength of a horse”.

Its main use is as an adaptogen to help manage stress and lower cortisol levels. Basically, it increases the body’s ability to resist the damaging effects of stress and promotes or restores normal physiological functioning.

Stress can powerfully lower testosterone, increase aromatase (which increases estradiol) and prolactin and cause low testosterone and estrogen-dominant symptoms.

Ashwagandha can help to prevent the drop in testosterone and increase in prolactin, induced by stress.

A good way to use the adaptogenic properties of Ashwagandha is to use it when you exercise. Exercise is also a stressor to the body. Too much exercise can also lower testosterone and reduce your vitality.

Shilajit

Shilajitis a natural substance found mainly in the Himalayas, formed for centuries by the gradual decomposition of certain plants by the action of microorganisms. It consists of plant material and is rich in minerals and compounds, with fulvic acid being the main component.

It helps to increase testosterone and enhance exercise performance as well as mood.

DIM

Two major bioactive compounds in cruciferous vegetables are indole-3-carbinol (I3C) and 3, 3’-diindolylmethane (DIM). I3C is converted to its dimeric derivative, DIM, during cooking.

DIM in supplements is mainly used to lower excess estrogen. It’s touted to inhibit aromatase and enhance estrogen breakdown.

Excess estrogen contributes to mood swings, fat storage around the thighs, glutes and pecs, erectile dysfunction, etc.

In this human study, 150mg DIM x2 daily for 18 months led to:

• An increase in estradiol, but a decrease in estrone (R).
• Higher 2-hydroxyestrones, which itself has anti-estrogenic effects (R).

DIM is not good at lowering estradiol, even though it enhances estrogen breakdown. It would be better to use a different more powerful natural aromatase inhibitor instead.

Other downsides of DIM

• It inhibits the androgen receptor (R, R).
• Directly activates the estrogen receptor alpha (ERα) (R).
• Increases SHBG, thus lowering free testosterone (R).

Boron

Boron is somewhat of a rare mineral to consume and our diets are relatively devoid of it. And even if we do consume some of it, it’s usually around 1-3mg daily.

Boron is used to increase free testosterone levels, by lowering SHBG. Studies have shown that the recommended dosage is 10-11mg daily is the best dose, whereas 3mg is ineffective.

In this supplement, they use 5mg. 5mg is closer to 3mg than 10mg, which makes it underdosed.

Plus, DIM increases SHBG, so the SHBG-lowering effect of boron is likely canceled out with DIM.

Yohimbine HCL

Yohimbine is an indole alkaloid derived from the bark of the Central African Yohimbe tree (Pausinystalia yohimbe) that is widely used as therapy for erectile dysfunction.

It acts as a stimulant by inhibiting the alpha 2 adrenergic receptor. As a result, it enhances noradrenaline release. Noradrenaline is stimulating, which, in good amounts, is necessary for energy and libido. But if it’s too high, it can cause overstimulation and cause symptoms, such as anxiety, jitteriness, rapid heartbeat and palpitations, sweatiness, insomnia, erectile dysfunction and hard flaccid.

However, reported cases of serious adverse events (e.g. liver damage) in exercise and sport have almost exclusively been observed with supraphysiological doses (5+ grams/dose) (R, R).

The usual recommended dose of purified yohimbine is 5 to 10 mg three times a day (R).

Yohimbine peaks in the blood after ingestion between 20 and 30 min and can be fully eliminated within 60 min post-ingestion. So if you do get side effects, it should be relatively short-lived.

Bioperine

Bioperineis a patented piperine extract, containing at least 95% piperine in a form that is well absorbed by your body.

Piperine is mainly used to enhance the concentrations of compounds in the body by inhibiting phase 1 and 2 liver detoxification (R).

Piperine is known to possess anti-androgenic and male contraceptive effects (R). It works via 3 main mechanisms. The 1st is by blocking the androgen receptor. The 2nd is by binding the androgen binding protein. The androgen-binding protein binds testosterone and maintains its concentration at optimal levels to stimulate spermatogenesis in the testis. The 3rd is by inhibiting 5-alpha reductase, thus lowering DHT (R).

However, the small amount found in this supplement is unlikely to have a significant negative effect.

T-Hero Benefits

Testosterone production

Ashwagandha

Ashwagandha has been extensively studied and has been shown in multiple studies to increase testosterone.

I’m going to discuss 3 of them.

1) 600mg of Ashwagandha (providing 21 mg of withanolide glycosides a day) in overweight men aged 40–70 years, with mild fatigue, increase salivary DHEA-S by 18% and testosterone by 14.7% (R). 14.7% might seem like a good deal, but if you look at the actual numbers, it’s only from 332 to 378pmol/L.

2) 300mg twice daily of KSM-66 extract increased testosterone from 402 to 475ng/dl in healthy males aged between 21 and 45 years (R).

3) 300mg twice daily of KSM-66 extract increased testosterone from 630 to 727ng/dl after 8 weeks in resistance training beginners (R). That’s a 96ng/dl increase.

In summary, you can expect a testosterone increase between 70-100ng/dl on average from taking 600mg KSM-66 extract daily. Not the greatest, but it’s something.

Shilajit

200 to 500mg shilajit daily has been shown to increase testosterone by 100-125ng/dl and free testosterone (19.14%) on average (R,R). It also increased DHEA by 31.35% after 90 days at 500mg daily, which shows that it’s a good adaptogen.

> Shilajit on testosterone, dopamine and sexual function

Boron, DIM, yohimbine and Bioperine

None of these ingredients have been shown to alter testosterone levels. DIM in theory, by inhibiting aromatase, should increase testosterone, but it’s not an effective aromatase inhibitor as I pointed out above.

Stamina booster and exercise performance enhancer

Ashwagandha

Ashwagandha at 300mg x2 daily has been shown to enhance cardiorespiratory endurance (R).

A 2020 meta-analysis found that Ashwagandha can improve VO2 max, but more studies are needed (R).

Shilajit

This study showed that shilajit mitigated the effects of chronic fatigue syndrome in rats through the modulation of HPA axis (lowered cortisol and prevented adrenal shrinkage) and preservation of mitochondrial function and integrity (prevent mitochondrial dysfunction by stabilizing the complex mitochondrial enzymes) (R).

Shilajit has been shown to have a variety of beneficial effects when it comes to exercise, especially slight overtraining (R).

500mg/day of PrimaVie® Shilajit supplementation over 8 weeks resulted in a reduction in fatigue and a drop in strength.

“The results of the present study demonstrated that 8 weeks of PrimaVie® Shilajit supplementation at 500 mg·d^− 1promoted the retention of maximal muscular strength following the fatiguing protocol and decreased baseline HYP. Thus, PrimaVie® Shilajit supplementation at 500 mg·d^− 1elicited favorable muscle and connective tissue adaptations.” (R)

Yohimbine

Acute Yohimbine hydrochloride supplementation at just 2.5mg has been shown to reduce fatigue and enhance sprint performance (R).

Lean muscle mass & muscle strength

Ashwagandha

300mg x2 daily of the KSM-66 extract was able to significantly boost muscle strength and muscle growth in healthy male subjects (18–50 years old) new to weight lifting (R).

Not many studies have looked at the effects of Ashwagandha on muscle mass, but quite a few have looked at muscle strength. In terms of muscle strength, Ashwagandha is nearly always better compared to placebo.

Shilajit

Shilajit hasn’t been studied for its effect on muscle mass yet, but it does help to prevent a drop in muscle strength on a fatiguing exercise protocol (R).

Neither boron, DIM nor yohimbine have been shown to enhance muscle mass or muscle strength.

Energy levels

Ashwagandha

By enhancing stress resiliency and increasing testosterone, Ashwagandha can help to increase energy.

The consumption of 120–1000 mg of Ashwagandha per day has been shown to reduce fatigue and optimize recovery in healthy individuals (R).

In people with insomnia, Ashwagandha significantly improved morning alertness and reduced daytime drowsiness (R).

Shilajit

Shilajit increases energy in rats with chronic fatigue syndrome by lowering cortisol and improving mitochondrial function (R).

Yohimbine

Yohimbine, by increasing noradrenaline, can help to improve energy levels.

Neither DIM nor boron has been shown to enhance energy levels.

Sex drive, erectile dysfunction & sexual desire

Ashwagandha

Ashwagandhahas anti-anxiety and anti-stress benefits that can improve sexual function, since stress causes sexual dysfunction. Ashwagandha was found effective in stress-induced sexual dysfunctions in rats (R).

In humans, ashwagandha can significantly increase the subjective perception of sexual well‐being (R).

Shilajit

Shilajit has been shown to enhance penis smooth muscle tissue (specifically corpus cavernosum) relaxation, which is crucial to get strong erections (R). Too much sympathetic activation contracts the corpus cavernosum. Shilajit has parasympathomimetic effects and allows for proper relaxation. This allows for better blood flow in the penis.

Yohimbine

Yohimbine is commonly used for psycogenic ED, meaning, guys who need a lot of stimulation to get an erection.

Neither boron nor DIM has been shown to enhance sexual function. However, the increase in SHBG induced by DIM can actually reduce sexual function by reducing free testosterone.

Mood

Ashwagandha is great for reducing stress and increasing testosterone. This helps to reduce depression and anxiety and improve mood (R).

Shilajit increases dopamine, lowers cortisol and restores brain GABA, all of which dramatically improve mood (R).

Yohimbine increases noradrenaline, which is associated with motivation, drive and well-being.

Neither DIM or boron has been shown to alter mood directly.

T-hero reviews

On their own website, it’s rated 4.7/5 based on 177 ratings.

On Amazon, it’s rated 4/5 based on 2845 ratings, which isn’t bad. About 50% gave it a 5 star and 20% gave it a 4 star.

5 star rating: “I have been taking Ashwagandha for months now and have had excellent results. I am thrilled to have found this combination of that and including Yohimbine as well. Yohimbine is made from tree bark in Africa that is said to increase blood flow to the -important- areas and so far I can say I agree. After taking this for over a week now I have experienced nothing negative and a few positives. I am a male in my late forties and so far I can say that I have felt more energy as well as more drive. I will come back and edit this if this doesn’t persist or if it seems like a placebo effect, but so far I have seen definite changes. Not earth-shattering yet, but it is definitely starting to have an effect on my drive and stamina. I didn’t have any erectile problems so I cannot vouch for what it does there. I am extremely encouraged so far and can recommend this for anyone seeking to get back a little of what they lost. It might just give you what you need to feel like you again.” – Traddash

4 star rating: “Does what it says but no shaking or jidder feeling.” – Tom

3 star rating: “They didn’t do much for my husband. They were a good cheap alternative to his t booster while we saved money but he didn’t see any difference or progress while using this product like he sees with his other supps. They may work for someone who is just starting off but for established bodybuilders and gym goers they might not be the best “t booster“. – Erikita

Results will vary, as with most supplements.

T-Hero side effects

In terms of side effects, there aren’t many and they are very rare.

Although this hasn’t been found in research (mainly anecdotes), some people respond negatively to Ashwagandha in that they start to feel anhedonic with low libido.

DIM can increase SHBG, which might lower libido, contrary to what T-Hero is meant to achieve.

The other ingredient people might be sensitive to is yohimbine. The effects will vary a lot based on sensitivity. If someone is prone to anxiety and insomnia, yohimbine, even in low doses, might make it worse. However, the Ashwagandha and Shilajit might offset it, since the yohimbine dose is just 2mg.

T-Hero pros and cons

Pros

• Contains ingredients with human evidence behind them
• Has the right doses of Ashwagandha, shilajit, and DIM
• Can increase total and free testosterone
• May help build muscle and strength and improve exercise performance
• Helps with stress reduction
• Increases dopamine and noradrenaline, which can improve mood
• Might improve sexual function
• Free from many allergens
• 365-Day Money-Back Guarantee

Cons

• Contains DIM which doesn’t lower estradiol and increases SHBG
• Yohimbine, boron and BioPerine® are underdosed
• Could’ve contained more testosterone-boosting ingredients

How long does it take for T-Hero to start working?

You might start to see benefits in as little as 7 days.

Boron has been shown to increase free testosterone in as little as 7 days.

Ashwagandha can help reduce stress in just 14 days.

Yohimbine will have an immediate effect on increasing energy.

Things to consider before buying a testosterone booster

Low testosterone, mood and sexual function are caused by something. It doesn’t just happen by itself. Even the “unavoidable” testosterone decrease with age can be stopped.

The way you keep high testosterone high at all times is to implement testosterone-boosting dietary and lifestyle factors.

Before you buy a testosterone booster, ask yourself: “Am I also going to focus on dietary and lifestyle things as well to increase my testosterone?“

If not, a testosterone booster can only help so much. For the best results, improve your diet and lifestyle. If those are perfect, then you likely don’t even need a supplement.

10 most important fundamentals for high testosterone

Should I cycle T-hero?

Ashwagandha and Shilajit have been shown to keep on increasing testosterone for up to at least 3 months. If you like, you can use this product for 3 months, take off for 2 weeks, and do another 3 months.

How Does T-Hero Compare to Other T Boosters?

T-Hero vs Nugenix

Nugenix contains:

• 1.125g Citrulline
• 600mg Fenugreek extract
• 105mg ElevATP
• 100mg Tongkat Ali
• 10mg Boron
• 1mg zinc

Fenugreek, Tongkat Ali and zinc can increase testosterone, but Tongkat and zinc are underdosed. The other ingredients can help to improve blood flow (citrulline), energy (elevATP) and free testosterone (boron).

In terms of effectiveness, Nugenix is not better than T-Hero for increasing testosterone.

T-Hero vs Testogen

Testogen contains:

• 2.352g D-Aspartic acid
• 40mg 4:1 Stinging nettle leaf extract
• 40mg Korean Red Ginseng root extract
• 40mg Fenugreek extract
• 8mg Boron
• 5mg Bioperine
• 10mg zinc
• 200mg magnesium

Zinc and magnesium can increase testosterone only if you’re deficient in them. D-Aspartic acid is an amino acid that can increase testosterone, but you lose the benefits after 2 weeks. Fenugreek can increase testosterone, but it’s vastly underdosed.

In terms of effectiveness, T-Hero is better than Testogen at increasing testosterone.

T-Hero vs TestoFuel

Testofuel contains:

• 2g D-Aspartic acid
• 180mg maca root 10:1 extract
• 100mg Asian red panax ginseng extract
• 100mg oyster extract
• 50mg Fenugreek extract (800mg equivalent)
• 8mg Boron

Oyster meat has been shown to increase testosterone and inhibit aromatase, but specific extracts haven’t been studied in humans yet. The only other ingredient that can increase testosterone is Fenugreek, but it’s unlikely that a 12:1 extract exists. At best it’s a 4:1 extract, which makes it underdosed.

In terms of effectiveness, TestoFuel is not better than T-hero at increasing testosterone. However, the maca and red panax ginseng in TestoFuel might help boost energy and libido more than T-Hero.

T-Hero vs TestoPrime

Testoprime contains:

• 40mg zinc
• 2g D-Aspartic acid
• 200mg Fenugreek (4:1 extract)
• Green tea extract (70% catechins) 20:1 extract
• 55.67mg KSM-66 12:1 extract (688mg)
• 40mg panax ginseng (200:1 extract) 8g equivalent
• 16mg garlic extract (1.6g equivalent)
• 8mg Pomegranate extract (360mg equivalent)
• 6.68mg black pepper extract.

Based on human evidence, Ashwagandha, Fenugreek, zinc and pomegranate extract can increase testosterone. Based on animal research, garlic can increase testosterone.

In terms of effectiveness, Testoprime contains more testosterone-boosting ingredients than T-Hero However, the super concentrated extracts are likely underdosed due to the improbability that an extract greater than 4:1 might exist.

T-Hero vs Prime Male

Prime male contains:

• 45mcg Vitamin K2
• 100mg Magnesium
• 30mg Zinc
• 1.6g D-Aspartic acid
• 120mg Korean Ginseng 5% ginsenosides
• 60mg Luteolin
• 300mg KSM-66
• 160mg Nettle Root 10:1 extract
• 10mg Black pepper
• 5mg Boron

Based on human evidence, magnesium, zinc and Ashwagandha will increase testosterone. However, Ashwagandha is underdosed. In animal studies, vitamin K2 and luteolin have been shown to increase testosterone.

Compared to T-Hero, Prime Male is not superior in boosting testosterone.

T-Hero vs Aggressive Strength

Aggressive strength (lowest serving) contains:

• 225mg Stinging nettle extract
• 215mg Bulbine natalensis
• 175mg Mucuna Pruriens (20% L-dopa extract)
• 95mg Sensoril Ashwagandha extract (8% withanolide glycoside)

Aggressive strength contains 3 testosterone-boosting compounds that will also help with exercise recovery, libido and sexual function. The only compound I’m not a fan of is stringing nettle.

I personally prefer Aggressive Strength over T-Hero.

T-Hero vs Gorrila Mind Sigma

Gorilla Mind Sigma (largest serving) contains:

• Vitamin D
• 200mg Magnesium
• 30mg Zinc
• 600mg Fadogia Agrestis extract 10:1
• 400mg Tongkat Ali
• 300mg Ashwagandha KSM-66
• 6mg Boron

Magnesium, zinc, Tongkat Ali and Ashwagandha have been shown to increase testosterone in humans. However, the ideal dose for Tongkat Ali and Ashwagandha is 600mg for both.

Fadogia has been shown to significantly increase testosterone in animals.

I like this product but would like to see slightly higher doses for Tongkat Ali and Ashwagandha. Sigma will likely pair very well with Aggressive Strength.

In terms of effectiveness, Sigma is better than T-hero.

T-hero comparison to other testosterone booster summary

T-hero definitely stands its ground, but Aggressive Strength and Sigma are superior. It’s still a solid testosterone booster, however, I would personally just add more testosterone-boosting compounds and remove the DIM and yohimbine.

FAQ

Summary

Although T-Hero is decent, it’s not a testosterone booster that I’d recommend.

I’d recommend optimizing your diet and lifestyle first. And then add a testosterone booster if you like.

One thing you have to realize is that even the best testosterone supplements aren’t going to be like anabolic steroids. I too had to learn that the hard way. It’s best to stick to the basics, namely diet and lifestyle for a long time, as that’s how you get the best results. Be consistent with the right thing.

> How to maximize your testosterone naturally

I’ve increased my testosterone to 1254ng/dl naturally: Here’s my Step-by-Step Guide on How I Do It Naturally!

I WANT THE BLUEPRINT!

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