I decided to run Fadogia agrestis properly — with baseline and follow-up blood work — after hearing Huberman recommend it for the hundredth time. I am a 34-year-old male, consistent lifter for 8 years, reasonable diet, 7-8 hours of sleep. My baseline total testosterone was 487 ng/dL and free testosterone was 9.2 pg/mL. Both technically "normal" but on the lower end for my age.
Protocol: 600mg Fadogia agrestis + 400mg Tongkat Ali daily, taken in the morning with food. I committed to changing absolutely nothing else — same training program, same diet, same sleep schedule. I wanted to isolate the supplement effect as much as possible.
Weeks 1-2: Nothing. Absolutely nothing noticeable. I kept reminding myself that this is a slow-burn supplement, not a stimulant.
Weeks 3-4: Maybe a slight uptick in libido? Hard to say. Morning erections were slightly more consistent. I was also hyper-aware and looking for signs, so I cannot rule out placebo.
Weeks 5-6: This is where I started to feel something I would tentatively call real. Libido was noticeably higher. I felt more assertive at work — not aggressive, just more willing to speak up in meetings and push back on things I normally would have let slide. Gym recovery seemed marginally better. I added 5 lbs to my bench working sets.
Week 8: Drew blood for follow-up labs. Total testosterone: 561 ng/dL. Free testosterone: 11.1 pg/mL. LH had increased from 4.2 to 5.8 mIU/mL. So there was a measurable increase — about 15% in total T, 20% in free T. Is that the Fadogia? The Tongkat Ali? Both? Placebo? Seasonal variation? Natural fluctuation? I genuinely cannot tell you.
The concerning part: my ALT went from 22 to 38 U/L. Still within normal range, but a 73% increase in a liver enzyme is not nothing. My doctor was not alarmed but said to recheck in 4 weeks after stopping the supplements.
After the 2-week off-cycle, ALT returned to 26. Make of that what you will.
My honest assessment: something happened. The blood work shows real changes. But the liver enzyme increase gives me pause, and I cannot attribute any of the hormonal changes specifically to Fadogia versus Tongkat Ali versus the placebo effect of running a "protocol."