Super Test by Beast Sports Nutrition is a testosterone booster which aims to increase strength, muscle mass, and sex drive through a rise in testosterone.
Beast Sports Nutrition is an award-winning nutrition company that distributes across six continents. They won the Breakout Brand of the year in 2012 & 2013, and supplement of the year with their Creature Creatine in 2014 & 2015.
Ingredients Label
Active Ingredients In Super Test
ZMA
Super Test has about half the Zinc and B6 of a typical ZMA supplement.
This amount can still increase T-levels if you are deficient in zinc (1), or prevent any decrease caused by intense exercise (2). The dose of magnesium, however, is too small be effective.
Anabolic Testosterone Support Complex (1000mg)
This 1000mg blend doesn’t give specifics on the quantities of the individual ingredients, which makes it difficult to determine what is present in effective amounts.
Ashwagandha Root
Ashwagandha is a plant that is used for a variety of benefits. It has proven to increase testosterone and power output in untrained men (3), but studies on trained subjects do not yet exist. An effective dose is 300-500mg, which may fit in the 1000mg complex.
Rhodiola Rosea
Rhodiola has a variety of cognitive and anti-stress benefits, which may protect T-levels. This is due to its ability to decrease the stress hormone cortisol (4), which can decrease testosterone. The effective dose is 50mg daily, which may be present in the complex.
Tribulus Terrestris (“Puncture Vine” on the Label)
Tribulus has only proven to be effective for increasing testosterone in those with abnormally low levels (5). Super Test uses a 40% extract, of which we would need about 300mg to be effective. Given that Tribulus is the first ingredient listed in the complex, chances are that this amount may be present.
Fenugreek
Fenugreek is a plant that has shown promise for increasing testosterone levels (6), however the effective dose is 500-600mg. This is unlikely to fit in the 1000mg complex.
Ineffective or Unproven Ingredients in the Test Support Complex
Most of the remainder of the ingredients in the blend are not well-studied in humans, and/or have shown little or no promise in increasing testosterone.
One exception may be Tongkat Ali, which may increase testosterone levels in those with abnormally-low levels (7), but requires a dose of 200-300mg. This amount is unlikely to be included.
Nitric Oxide Support Complex
This complex includes a few different forms of Arginine, a Nitric Oxide supplement that contributes to improved pumps through the dilation of blood vessels.
The downside is only 500mg of Arginine compounds are used in Super Test, well below the optimal dose.
Oestrogen Control Factors
All 3 of the ingredients in this section show possible oestrogen control, however all three are currently under-studied.
Japanese Knotweed Extract
Japanese Knotweed is a plant that was traditionally used for circulatory and heart health. Its main active ingredient is Resveratrol, which may decrease oestrogen (8), but more studies are needed to confirm this.
Diindolylmethane
Diindolylmethane is a component of a compound found in vegetables from the Brassica family. This includes broccoli, kale, and cauliflower. Studies show that it can act as an aromatase inhibitor (blocking oestrogen production), but this effect has only been seen in cancer cells.
Calcium-D-Glucarate
This ingredient is an interesting one as it not only reduces oestrogen, but may reduce testosterone also. More study needs to be done to determine its effects.
DHT-Control Complex
A portion of testosterone levels are converted to a hormone called DHT (Dihydrotestosterone).
The theory behind controlling the production of DHT is that this portion of testosterone can be used for anabolic purposes instead.
Nettle Root
Stinging Nettle is a plant that may decrease the binding of DHT (9), and has shown aromatase inhibitor properties (10). Both properties may increase testosterone, but the only human study so far didn’t find this to be the case (11).
Pygeum
Pygeum is a bark extract, which contains compounds that reduce androgen receptor signalling. This means it decreases DHT, but may also decrease testosterone.
Pumpkin Seed Extract
Pumpkin Seed Oil has shown promise in rat studies to inhibit an enzyme that converts testosterone to DHT (12). The amount used in studies on hair restoration was 400mg per day, which means a likely less-effective dose will be found in the complex.
Liver and Kidney Support
Beast Test includes two ingredients for liver and kidney support. This may stem from some concern regarding possibly toxic effects of some ingredients.
Milk Thistle has been shown to increase the repair rate of damaged liver cells, at least in unique cases of toxicity. Cranberry is believed to make urine more acidic, improving kidney health by keeping bacteria rates low.
Who Takes It?
Super Test would be of most benefit to older males, or any other men with low testosterone levels.
How to Take
Take 4 capsules daily, with food.
Side Effects
An increase in libido is very likely with a number of ingredients in Super Test. Mood may also change with any difference in hormone levels.
Other side effects can include acne, increased body odour in sweat, and mild testicular pain.
Multiple ingredients are under-studied, and may have unknown side-effects. If any strange symptoms persist, speak to a doctor and stop taking Super Test.
Pros
- Some very effective and well-researched ingredients are included
- Both vitamins, extracts, and herbs are included, for a well-rounded effect
- Liver and kidney support is added, just in case
Cons
- A lot of ingredients that haven’t been studied enough to prove effective, or have been proved ineffective for testosterone levels. This is especially true in the Oestrogen- and DHT- Control Complexes
- Some of the most effective ingredients (Ashwagandha, Fenugreek, Arginine, Magnesium) are likely included in less-than-optimal amounts
Conclusion
Beast Sports Nutrition uses a huge range of ingredients in Super Test, covering all bases for testosterone boosting.
A variety of under-studied yet potentially effective ingredients are used, that may be useful for increasing testosterone. Additionally, we are not given the doses of each ingredient, only the total blends.
It may pay to look elsewhere for a safer and more proven test booster.
Start here with our ultimate guide to Testosterone Boosters.