NSTK · 01.2026Independent supplement reference
NutriStack
Edition 1.0Updated August 1, 2026

Supplement × Prescription·Evidence index

Maca Root and Testosterone: what the published research says

PubMed indexes 8 records that name Maca Root and Testosterone together, either in the title or in an interaction, co-administration, or pharmacokinetic context. Each one is listed below with its study design and, where the abstract states one, the authors’ own conclusion, quoted and linked. This page reports that literature. It does not tell you whether to combine them.

Read this first

An evidence index, not guidance.

Every statement below is attributed to a named, dated, linked source.

This page lists published research relevant to Maca Root and Testosterone. It deliberately does not state whether the combination is safe, whether it interacts, in which direction, at what dose, or how far apart to take them.

The research

8 studies naming Maca Root and Testosterone.

Strongest relevance first: papers naming both substances in the title, then human trials and systematic reviews.

First case report of testosterone assay-interference in a female taking maca (Lepidium meyenii).

BMJ case reports · 2011 · PMID 22700073

Case ReportsHuman subjects

“Reanalysis of the original serum sample using Elecsys Testosterone II assay, a higher affinity assay, revealed a total testosterone level of 2.9 nmol/l. It is important to exclude assay interference when testosterone level is greater than 5 nmol/l without supportive clinical signs.”

Srikugan et al. · From the abstract

Names both Maca Root and Testosterone in its title.

Effect of Lepidium meyenii (MACA) on sexual desire and its absent relationship with serum testosterone levels in adult healthy men.

Andrologia · 2002 · PMID 12472620

Clinical TrialRandomized Controlled Trial

“Logistic regression analysis showed that Maca has an independent effect on sexual desire at 8 and 12 weeks of treatment, and this effect is not because of changes in either Hamilton scores for depression or anxiety or serum testosterone and oestradiol levels. In conclusion, treatment with Maca improved sexual desire.”

Gonzales et al. · From the abstract

Names both Maca Root and Testosterone in its title.

Influence of black Maca (Lepidium meyenii Walp.) nano-emulsion on growth parameters, circulating testosterone, testicular vascular dynamics, and antioxidant defences in New Zealand white rabbit bucks.

Tropical animal health and production · 2026 · PMID 42283893

Animal study

“Unexpectedly, malondialdehyde (MDA) increased starting from week 8 (W8) in the M60-treated group. In conclusion, Maca nano-emulsion can be recommended at a dose of 60 mg /buck / twice weekly for ten weeks to improve body weight, testosterone levels, and testicular blood supply as well as to enhance antioxidant capacity in New Zealand white bucks.”

Abdelkhalek et al. · From the abstract

Names both Maca Root and Testosterone in its title.

Effects of oral black Maca (Lepidium meyenii) supplementation on semen quality and refrigerated storage stability in subfertile and normofertile dogs: a study on sperm parameters and testosterone levels.

The veterinary quarterly · 2025 · PMID 40315173

Animal study

“The oral supplementation of 75 mg/kg of Maca extract in dogs can improve sperm parameters and increase serum testosterone concentrations, leading to improved reproductive capacity. The semen of subjects treated with oral Maca supplementation maintained its parameters stable for a longer period when stored compared to the semen of control subjects, demonstrating the beneficial effect of the use of this extract on male fertility.”

Zappone et al. · From the abstract

Names both Maca Root and Testosterone in its title.

Feeding hydroalcoholic extract powder of Lepidium meyenii (maca) increases serum testosterone concentration and enhances steroidogenic ability of Leydig cells in male rats.

Andrologia · 2016 · PMID 26174043

Animal study

“The testosterone production by Leydig cells significantly increased when cultured with 22R-hydroxycholesterol or pregnenolone and tended to increase when cultured with hCG by feeding the extract powder. The results show that feeding the hydroalcoholic extract powder of maca for 6 weeks increases serum testosterone concentration associated with seminal vesicle stimulation in male rats, and this increase in testosterone level may be related to the enhanced ability of…”

Ohta et al. · From the abstract

Names both Maca Root and Testosterone in its title.

Effect of red maca (Lepidium meyenii) on prostate zinc levels in rats with testosterone-induced prostatic hyperplasia.

Andrologia · 2012 · PMID 21762188

Animal study

“In conclusion, RM administered from day 1 to day 14 reduced prostate size and zinc levels in rats where prostatic hyperplasia was induced with TE. Also, this experimental model could be used as accurately assay to determine the effect of maca obtained under different conditions and/or the effect of different products based on maca.”

Gonzales et al. · From the abstract

Names both Maca Root and Testosterone in its title.

Dose-response effect of Red Maca (Lepidium meyenii) on benign prostatic hyperplasia induced by testosterone enanthate.

Phytomedicine : international journal of phytotherapy and phytopharmacology · 2007 · PMID 17289361

Animal study

“Moreover, serum testosterone levels were not related to prostate or seminal vesicles weight in rats treated with vehicle and Red Maca. In conclusion, Red Maca administered orally in rats seems to exert an inhibitory effect at a level post DHT conversion, on the BPH-induced experimentally, although a direct measure of reductase action would still be required.”

Gasco et al. · From the abstract

Names both Maca Root and Testosterone in its title.

Limitations

What this evidence cannot tell you.

Search-based evidence indexes have real limits, and it is worth being explicit about them:

NutriStack

Track what you actually take.

NutriStack is a free iPhone app for organising a supplement routine: what you take, when, and what the published record says about it. Its exploratory interaction checker covers Maca Root, Testosterone, and several hundred other substances.

The checker is a research and organisation tool, not a clinical decision aid, and its per-pair assessments are excluded from search until they pass claim-level review.

NutriStack is an informational and organizational tool, not a medical service, and not a substitute for professional advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before starting, stopping, or changing any supplement or medication.