The Anabolic Effect of Fenugreek: A Systematic Review with Meta-analysis
Int J Sports Med DOI: 10.1055/a-2048-5925The use of plant steroids to improve physical health and performance is becoming
increasingly popular. One of these plant steroids is diosgenin, which is mainly
available in fenugreek. As a result, some studies have been conducted to improve
physical health. Fenugreek extracts are also becoming increasingly popular in
the context of athletic performance. Based on these assumptions, a systematic
review with meta-analysis was conducted to evaluate the promoting effects of
fenugreek on strength performance, body composition, and hormone concentration.
Four databases were screened according to Preferred Reporting Items for
Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. The current version of
ReviewManager (RevMan) was used for the statistical evaluation. Seven studies
with 449 participants (378 male, 71 female) met the inclusion criteria. A small
effect of fenugreek was detected for total testosterone (standard mean
difference (SMD): 0.32; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.09 0.55), free
testosterone (SMD: 0.24; 95% CI: −0.04, 0.52), lean body mass
(SMD: 0.19; 95% CI: −0.10, 0.49), fat mass (SMD: −0.19;
95% CI: −0.44, 0.05), and leg press performance (SMD: 0.22;
95% CI: −0.02, 0.47), in male athletes. The meta-analysis shows
that chronic application of f...
Source: International Journal of Sports Medicine - Category: Sports Medicine Authors: Isenmann, Eduard Alisauskas, Pijus Flenker, Ulrich Schalla, Jan Diel, Patrick Tags: Review Source Type: research