Icy.Phoenix
04-01-2010, 03:05 PM
This study conducted in 2001 which is cited on about 5 bodybuilding forums and by flex magazine a few years ago is used to support the argument that garlic increases testosterone.
The increase was ENORMOUS, 2.5 fold increase in Testosterone in the group eating a high Protein diet (40% protein). However, the dose these rats were fed, was 8g per 1Kg, which for a 200 lb bodybuilder is 727grams of garlic !! Also, the garlic was roasted cloves, which could be different from a garlic supplement in a pill.
Is there any other evidence supporting this ? Or is this study relevant, and if so how ? I have read that the rats metabolism is faster and hence they are fed a higher dose, however, 727grams is an impossible amount to consume for humans.
So how does this relate to us bodybuilders ?
Here is the study,
ABSTRACT The effects of garlic supplementation on protein metabolism were investigated by measuring testis testosterone and plasma corticosterone in rats fed diets with different protein levels. In Experiment 1, rats were fed experimental diets with different protein levels (40, 25 or 10 g/100 g casein) with or without 0.8 g/100 g garlic powder. After 28 d of feeding, testosterone contents in the testis were significantly higher and plasma corticoste- rone concentrations were significantly lower in rats fed 40 and 25% casein diets with garlic powder than in those fed the same diets without garlic powder. Urinary excretion of 17-ketosteroid (an index of testosterone), nitrogen balance and hepatic arginase activity were significantly higher in rats fed the 40% casein diet with garlic powder than in the 40% casein controls. In Experiment 2, the effect of diallyldisulfide (a major volatile sulfur-containing compound in garlic) on the secretion of luteinizing hormone (LH) from the pituitary gland, which regulates testosterone production in the testis, was investigated in anesthetized rats. Plasma LH concentration increased dose dependently after administration of diallyldisulfide (P � 0.01, r � 0.558). These results suggest that dietary supplementation with 0.8 g/100 g garlic alters hormones associated with protein anabolism by increasing testicular testosterone and decreasing plasma corticosterone in rats fed a high protein diet. J. Nutr. 131: 2150 –2156, 2001.
The increase was ENORMOUS, 2.5 fold increase in Testosterone in the group eating a high Protein diet (40% protein). However, the dose these rats were fed, was 8g per 1Kg, which for a 200 lb bodybuilder is 727grams of garlic !! Also, the garlic was roasted cloves, which could be different from a garlic supplement in a pill.
Is there any other evidence supporting this ? Or is this study relevant, and if so how ? I have read that the rats metabolism is faster and hence they are fed a higher dose, however, 727grams is an impossible amount to consume for humans.
So how does this relate to us bodybuilders ?
Here is the study,
ABSTRACT The effects of garlic supplementation on protein metabolism were investigated by measuring testis testosterone and plasma corticosterone in rats fed diets with different protein levels. In Experiment 1, rats were fed experimental diets with different protein levels (40, 25 or 10 g/100 g casein) with or without 0.8 g/100 g garlic powder. After 28 d of feeding, testosterone contents in the testis were significantly higher and plasma corticoste- rone concentrations were significantly lower in rats fed 40 and 25% casein diets with garlic powder than in those fed the same diets without garlic powder. Urinary excretion of 17-ketosteroid (an index of testosterone), nitrogen balance and hepatic arginase activity were significantly higher in rats fed the 40% casein diet with garlic powder than in the 40% casein controls. In Experiment 2, the effect of diallyldisulfide (a major volatile sulfur-containing compound in garlic) on the secretion of luteinizing hormone (LH) from the pituitary gland, which regulates testosterone production in the testis, was investigated in anesthetized rats. Plasma LH concentration increased dose dependently after administration of diallyldisulfide (P � 0.01, r � 0.558). These results suggest that dietary supplementation with 0.8 g/100 g garlic alters hormones associated with protein anabolism by increasing testicular testosterone and decreasing plasma corticosterone in rats fed a high protein diet. J. Nutr. 131: 2150 –2156, 2001.