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Tribulus

Supplement botanical men's healthfitness
Aka: Tribulus terrestris, puncture vine
Brands seen in Singapore: California Gold Nutrition, Nutricost, NOW Foods, Swanson Vitamins, Force Factor
Third-party tested: Force Factor certifies other products with NSF Certified for Sport, but nothing for tribulus.Certification is granted per product, so check the tub you actually own. Not being listed is not the same as failing.
Not medical advice. Check with your doctor or pharmacist before you start, stop or change the timing of anything you take.
How to use
What it’s for
Limited human evidence — no clear effect on testosterone
When to take
Trials dosed morning, evening, or after training
Pros & cons
Pros
  • No tribulus-induced toxicity in the sport review
  • Erectile function improved in 3 of 5 trials
  • Lipid profile improved in the sport review
Cons
  • No robust evidence it raises testosterone
  • ODS: no effect on strength or lean body mass
  • May push the t/e urine ratio past wada's 4:1 limit
Sources
  1. NIH ODS — Dietary Supplements for Exercise and Athletic Performance (Tribulus terrestris row) · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “No effect on strength, lean body mass, or sex hormone levels … up to 3.21 mg/kg/day for 8 weeks”
  2. NIH ODS — Exercise and Athletic Performance (Tribulus terrestris: safety) · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “Safety not well studied; no safety concerns reported … One case report of harm from product labeled but not confirmed to contain Tribulus terrestris”
  3. Effects of Tribulus terrestris L. on sport and health biomarkers in physically active adult males: a systematic review (Fernández-Lázaro et al., IJERPH 2022) · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “participants supplemented with TT displayed significant improvements in lipid profile … no TT-induced toxicity was reported … there was no clear evidence of the beneficial effects of TT supplementation on muscle damage markers and hormonal behavior”
  4. Fernández-Lázaro et al., IJERPH 2022 — doses and durations of the included studies · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “Total dose (mg) × day−1 1875 … 1800–2700 … 1250 … 900–1800 … 770 … 500 … 450 Duration 12 weeks … 6 weeks … 5 weeks … 4 weeks … 2 weeks … 20 days”
  5. Fernández-Lázaro et al., IJERPH 2022 — dose schedule of the included studies · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “Dose schedule After exercise and before going to sleep … a.m. … a.m. and before going to sleep … a.m. and p.m. … No reported”
  6. Fernández-Lázaro et al., IJERPH 2022 — reported adverse effects · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “gynecomastia, priapism, nephrotoxicity, hyperbilirubinemia, hepatotoxicity, and neurotoxicity … Sleep disturbances, exhaustion and fatigue, hypertension, and elevated heart rate have been reported after administration of TT at doses ≥1000 mg per day”
  7. Fernández-Lázaro et al., IJERPH 2022 — anti-doping status · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “TT has not been listed as a banned substance by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). However, TT may increase the testosterone/epitestosterone ratio in urine above the WADA permitted limits (4:1)”
  8. Fernández-Lázaro et al., IJERPH 2022 — AECOSAN intake range · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “The report of the Scientific Committee of the Spanish Agency for Consumer Affairs, Food Safety and Nutrition (AECOSAN) reported that the recommended daily intake of TT would be between 250 and 9000 mg”
  9. Effects of Tribulus supplementation on erectile dysfunction and testosterone levels in men — a systematic review of clinical trials (Vilar Neto et al., Nutrients 2025) · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “TT supplementation at doses of 400 to 750 mg/d for 1 to 3 months improved erectile dysfunction in 3 of the 5 studies that assessed this parameter”
  10. Vilar Neto et al., Nutrients 2025 — conclusion · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “TT supplementation has a low level of evidence regarding its effectiveness in improving erectile function in men with erectile dysfunction, and no robust evidence was found for increasing testosterone levels”
  11. Vilar Neto et al., Nutrients 2025 — side effects and dosage regimens · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “No study reported side effects. Regarding the TT supplementation protocol, the dosage regimens varied from 400 mg to 12 g/day for 4 weeks to 3 months”
  12. HSA — Guidelines on Prohibited and Restricted Ingredients in Health Supplements and Traditional Medicines, GL-CHPB-1-012 Rev 001 (Oct 2025) · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “The objective of this guideline is to highlight the substances of concern when used in HS and TM and is not meant to be an exhaustive list [Tribulus terrestris not listed in Annex A or B]”
  13. iHerb Singapore — Men's Health > Tribulus category (SG$ pricing, default order) · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “California Gold Nutrition, Sport, Tribulus, 1,000 mg … Nutricost, Tribulus, 240 Capsules (750 mg per Capsule) … NOW Foods, Sports, Tribulus, 1,000 mg … Swanson Vitamins, Mega Tribulus Extract, 250 mg … Force Factor, Fundamentals, Tribulus Terrestris”
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Updated 2026-08-30. Every line above traces to a numbered source. Kozen-X is not a medical device and does not give medical advice. It lists what published sources have written down — nothing more. A pair not listed is unrecorded, not cleared. Before you start, stop or re-time anything, talk to your doctor or pharmacist.