Maca for Men: What the Desire, Sperm and Testosterone Trials Found

Maca trials in men measured desire, erections, sperm, ageing-male symptoms and testosterone. Desire was higher than on placebo from week 8 in 57 men on 1.5 or 3 g a day; erection scores rose 1.6 points against 0.5 on placebo in 50 men; ageing-symptom scores fell 10.66 points in 80 men over 40 on about 5 g a day (publicly funded). Testosterone did not rise against placebo in any of four controlled trials, and free testosterone fell in one. One 69-man trial found a higher sperm concentration, a 2022 review pooling two of five trials found no significant difference, and no trial measured pregnancy.^{1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9} None of the 57-, 50- or 69-man abstracts states funding. Maca has no authorised health claim in Great Britain.¹⁰ For erection problems that keep happening, or a year of trying for a baby without success, the NHS route is a GP.^{11, 12}

Evidence at a glance

• Trials: 7 controlled trials in men (8 to 80 men), a 2022 review of 5 sperm trials (2 pooled) and a 2010 review of 4 sexual-function trials.^{2, 9}
• Largest single trial: 80 men over 40, about 5 g of gelatinised maca a day or placebo for 12 weeks; publicly funded; three authors list company affiliations.⁴
• Strongest measured outcome: erection scores rose 1.6 points on 2.4 g of extract a day against 0.5 on placebo in 50 men over 12 weeks; funding not stated in the abstract.³
• Not tested: pregnancy rates, or any controlled men's trial longer than 16 weeks.

Sources checked on 14 October 2026.

What is maca good for in men?

Maca (Lepidium meyenii) is a root grown high in the Peruvian Andes, traditionally used there for desire and fertility.^{3, 5} Men's trials have measured desire (57 men; 8 cyclists), erection scores (50 men), sperm (20, 50 and 69 men) and ageing-male symptoms (80 men over 40).^{1, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 13} Desire, erection and symptom scores moved more than on placebo; sperm results were mixed; testosterone did not rise. The Wellgard maca guide covers what maca is, and the Wellgard men's health guide other ingredients.

Does maca increase testosterone?

Not in the trials that measured it. Four controlled trials found no rise against placebo: men aged 21 to 56 on 1.5 or 3 g of gelatinised maca for 12 weeks, other hormones also unchanged (size and funding not in the abstract); 20 men on 1.75 g for 12 weeks (maca supplied by a Peruvian producer; no funding statement); 50 men with fertility problems on 2.8 g of yellow maca for 16 weeks, where free testosterone fell (university-funded; maca supplied by a Peruvian producer); and 80 men over 40 on about 5 g (publicly funded; three authors list company affiliations).^{4, 5, 6, 7} In the 57-man trial, desire rose independently of testosterone.¹ A 2024 review of 52 studies of ingredients sold as "testosterone boosters" included two maca studies, and maca was not among those it found to raise testosterone.¹⁴ Do testosterone supplements work covers the other ingredients.

Does maca help sex drive or erections?

In small trials, desire and erection scores rose more than on placebo.^{1, 2, 3, 4, 13}

A 2010 review of four maca trials judged the evidence limited, and a 2026 pooled analysis of 14 herbal trials in 1,227 men with erection problems found too few maca trials to judge.^{2, 15} The NHS calls erection problems "very common, particularly in men over 40"; frequent ones may come from high blood pressure, diabetes, depression or hormone problems, so see a GP or sexual health clinic if they keep happening.¹¹ The MHRA warns that unlicensed erection medicines "may contain no active ingredient, the wrong dose, hidden drugs or toxic ingredients".¹⁶

Does maca improve sperm or male fertility?

The trials are mixed, and none measured pregnancy. In 69 men with mildly low sperm counts or movement, 2 g a day for 12 weeks gave a higher sperm concentration than placebo (15.0 against 10.2 million per mL), with no difference in volume, movement or shape (funding not stated in the abstract).⁸ In 50 men with fertility problems, 2.8 g of yellow maca for 16 weeks made no significant difference (university-funded; maca supplied by a Peruvian producer), and a 20-man pilot on 1.75 g showed rising trends short of significance (maca supplied by a Peruvian producer; no funding statement).^{6, 7} A 2022 review of five small trials, two not peer reviewed, pooled two in men with fertility problems and found a difference of 2.22 million per mL against placebo that was not significant.⁹ NICE advises clinicians: "Do not offer supplements, antioxidants or medical treatments to improve sperm DNA integrity (fragmentation)."¹⁷ The NHS route is a GP after a year of trying (six months if your partner is 36 or over).¹² The register's fertility wording belongs to zinc: see zinc for men.

Does maca help symptoms of ageing in men?

In one trial, on the scores measured. In 80 men over 40 with ageing-male symptoms and normal testosterone, about 5 g of gelatinised maca a day for 12 weeks lowered the Ageing Males' Symptoms score by 10.66 points, significantly more than placebo; PSA, blood tests and vital signs did not change, and two men on maca reported mild stomach upsets. The trial was publicly funded; three of its 15 authors list company affiliations.⁴ The NHS calls the "male menopause" "an unhelpful term" and advises seeing a GP, who may order a blood test to measure testosterone.¹⁸

Which maca, and how much, did the men's trials use?

From 1.5 g to about 5 g a day: gelatinised maca at 1.5 or 3 g, 1.75 g, 2 g, 2.8 g and about 5 g (the 69-man trial's form from the 2022 review); and 2.4 g of extract in the erection trial.^{1, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9} The sperm trials that named a colour used yellow maca, and no men's trial has compared colours: see black, red and yellow maca. An extract label's "equivalent to" figure is the weight of dried root the extract was made from, not the maca in the capsule, and ratios differ between products; how much maca the trials used explains. These are trial amounts, not a recommended dose.

What we don't know

• Whether any effect lasts beyond 16 weeks: no controlled men's trial has run longer.
• Whether maca changes pregnancy rates: no trial has measured pregnancy.
• Whether maca colours differ for men: no men's trial has compared them.
• How far the results travel: the largest men's trial had 80 men, and the erection results rest on two.

Frequently asked questions

Is maca or ashwagandha better for men?

No trial has compared them. Maca's men's trials measured desire, erections, sperm and ageing symptoms, with no change in testosterone; ashwagandha's trials measured stress, sleep and testosterone, set out in does ashwagandha increase testosterone. Neither ranks above the other.

How long does maca take to work for men?

Desire differed from placebo from week 8 in the 12-week trial and after 14 days in the cyclists; erection and symptom scores were read at 12 weeks, and sperm at 12 and 16 weeks.^{1, 3, 4, 7, 8, 13}

Is black maca a "testosterone booster"?

No trial we found has measured testosterone in men taking black maca. Four controlled trials of other maca preparations found no rise against placebo, and free testosterone fell in one.^{4, 5, 6, 7} The colours are compared in black, red and yellow maca.

Can you take maca with creatine?

No trial we found has tested the two together. Creatine's men's trials are in creatine for men; tell a pharmacist about any medicines you take.

Sources

1. Gonzales GF et al. Andrologia 2002. Randomised trial, 57 men aged 21 to 56 (size from the 2010 review), 12 weeks; funding not stated in the paper's abstract. PubMed 12472620
2. Shin BC et al. BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine 2010. Systematic review of 4 randomised trials. PubMed 20691074
3. Zenico T et al. Andrologia 2009. Randomised trial, 50 men, 12 weeks; funding not stated in the paper's abstract. PubMed 19260845
4. Shin D et al. World Journal of Men's Health 2023. Randomised trial, 80 men, 12 weeks; publicly funded; three of its 15 authors list company affiliations; some figures from the full text. PubMed 36593713
5. Gonzales GF et al. Journal of Endocrinology 2003. Randomised trial, men aged 21 to 56, 12 weeks; size and funding not in the abstract. PubMed 12525260
6. Melnikovova I et al. Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine 2015. Randomised pilot, 20 men, 12 weeks; maca supplied by a Peruvian producer; no funding statement. PubMed 26421049
7. Melnikovova I et al. Phytotherapy Research 2021. Randomised trial, 50 men, 16 weeks; university-funded; maca supplied by a Peruvian producer. PubMed 34585449
8. Alcalde AM, Rabasa J. Andrologia 2020. Randomised pilot, 69 men, 12 weeks; funding not stated in the paper's abstract. PubMed 32654242
9. Lee HW et al. Frontiers in Pharmacology 2022. Systematic review of 5 randomised trials, two not peer reviewed; 2 pooled, from the full text. PubMed 36110519
10. Department of Health and Social Care. Great Britain nutrition and health claims register. gov.uk
11. NHS. Erectile dysfunction (impotence). Page last reviewed 28 July 2023 (review overdue). nhs.uk/conditions/erection-problems-erectile-dysfunction
12. NHS. Low sperm count. Page last reviewed 26 January 2024. nhs.uk/conditions/low-sperm-count
13. Stone M et al. Journal of Ethnopharmacology 2009. Randomised crossover pilot, 8 men, 14 days per arm; funding not checked (no open full text). PubMed 19781622
14. Morgado A et al. International Journal of Impotence Research 2024. Systematic review, 52 studies of 27 ingredients. PubMed 37697053
15. Ho CY et al. Journal of Traditional and Complementary Medicine 2026. Pooled analysis of 14 randomised trials, 1,227 men. PubMed 41696741
16. MHRA. News release on illegal erectile dysfunction pills, 13 February 2026. gov.uk
17. NICE. Fertility problems: assessment and treatment (NG257), recommendation 1.24.6. Clinical guideline, published 31 March 2026. nice.org.uk/guidance/ng257
18. NHS. The "male menopause". Page last reviewed 13 October 2022 (review overdue). nhs.uk/conditions/male-menopause

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