Tribulus terrestris is a fruit-bearing plant long used in traditional medicine for low libido and infertility. As a supplement it is marketed as a testosterone booster for men and for exercise performance, and it has been studied for testosterone, strength and erectile dysfunction.
Also known as: Tribulus terrestris, goat's-head.
Tribulus has no intake value or upper limit. ODS describes a trial in rugby players that used 450 mg a day for 5 weeks, and a 2025 review (Vilar Neto) describes erectile dysfunction studies that used 400 to 750 mg a day for 1 to 3 months. These are study protocols, not a recommendation.
It is sold in the US as a dietary supplement. Under the 1994 dietary supplement law (DSHEA), FDA does not approve dietary supplements before they are marketed, and the maker, not FDA, is responsible for safety and labeling. There is no FDA-approved tribulus drug.
The NIH Office of Dietary Supplements (ODS) says the published literature provides no support for its effectiveness and not enough support for its safety for exercise performance: small trials found no rise in testosterone or luteinizing hormone and no better gains in strength or muscle. A 2025 systematic review (Vilar Neto) found no robust evidence that tribulus raises testosterone, with only two studies in men with low testosterone showing small rises, and low-level evidence for erectile dysfunction. A 2024 review of testosterone boosters (Morgado) concluded most, tribulus included, fail to raise total testosterone.
ODS says the only toxicity studies were in animals, where high intakes damaged the heart, liver and kidneys, and the Australian Institute of Sport advises athletes against it because testosterone boosters are banned or at high risk of contamination with substances that can cause a positive drug test.
We could not find a single published half-life or time to peak for tribulus that applies to a supplement dose, so we do not list one. Extracts contain many compounds, including steroidal saponins, in amounts that differ by product.
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