Quick Take: If you’ve been scanning through Amazon for natural testosterone boosters, there’s a good chance that you’ve come across this highly rated product with well over 1000 customer reviews and thought to yourself, “is it really that good? Or is it just one of those duds that look good on paper?” Let’s get this Alpha XL review going and find out.
Features
- Alpha XL Distribution is the name of the company that manufactures this product
- Advertised on its label for performance, energy, and stamina
- Promoting better sex is its best asset while prostate health seems to come second
- Questionable for muscle growth and testosterone
- Hard to absorb because of overall poor ingredient quality
- Available to buy online and in retail stores including Amazon and the official Alpha XL website. I can’t find it on GNC though.
Alpha XL Ingredients
| Ingredients | Dosages |
| Horny Goat Weed (herb powder) | 1,000 mg |
| Maca (herb powder) | 250 mg |
| Macuna Pruriens (L-Dopa) | 30 mg |
| Polypodium Vulgare (herb powder) | 20 mg |
| Panax Ginseng (herb powder) | 20 mg |
| Yohimbe Bark (herb powder) | 100 mg |
| Saw Palmetto (herb powder) | 100 mg |
| Muira Puama (herb powder) | 20 mg |
| Arginine (L-Arginine hcl) | 20 mg |
Alpha XL – Ingredients Review
Horny Goat Weed – At this heavy 1,000 mg dosage, I’m quite positive that this herb is Alpha XL’s top ingredient. Unfortunately though, Horny Goat Weed isn’t necessarily a testosterone booster. It does, however, mimic the effects of testosterone with boosted libido and harder erections as its most prominent effect.
Maca – Also an effective herb for boosting libido, Maca also improves sperm quality. Regardless of how healthy it is for sex, however, research says it’s not a testosterone booster.
Macuna Pruriens – As much as this herb is irritating to the skin, Mucuna Pruriens is probably just as good for male health. Its active ingredient, L-Dopa, makes it capable of boosting LH and FSH which in turn, boosts sperm and testosterone. This weak 30 mg dosage isn’t likely to do anything though.
Polypodium Vulgare
Otherwise known as the common polypody, Polypodium Vulgare is said to be a hybrid between two ferns. According to Alpha XL, this herb is supposed to be a well-known performance enhancer. Perhaps this belief is because it has Ecdysteroids which were previously marketed as bodybuilding supplements.
However, according to a research that studied the effects of Ecdysterone (and several other compounds) on training adaptations in resistance-trained males, Polypodium Vulgare supplementation did not have any effect on body composition and training adaptions nor did it influence the anabolic/catabolic hormone status or general markers of catabolism.
In simple english, the research basically says that this herb does nothing for muscle growth, performance, and bodybuilding.
Yohimbe – I’ve mostly seen this in fat-loss supplements due to its boost thermogenesis and lipolysis. However, animal studies have shown side effects such as increased heart rate and blood pressure. Considering its implications to cardiovascular health, this is obviously no small matter.
Muira Puama – Also widely used for treating BPH, Muira Puama also has benefits on libido. Research on this is weak though.
L-Arginine – This amino acid can boost nitric oxide which in turn improves circulation. This is what makes it such a popular supplement in pre-workouts but it may also translate to harder erections.
Panax Ginseng – Ginsengs are one of the most popular natural health supplements but when it comes to male health, Panax or Asian Red Ginseng is believed to be best. The herb is great for battling stress and fatigue but when it comes to boosting testosterone, the research is frankly outdated.
Alpha XL Directions
Each serving of Alpha XL consists of 2 capsules. As per the instructions, simply take 1 serving (2 capsules) an hour before meals.
My Analysis
Alpha XL starts its formula with Horny Goat Weed. This herb is also the most heavily dosed at a whopping 1000 mg which, to me, makes it this supplement’s cornerstone ingredient. Unfortunately though, it’s not a testosterone booster and so are most of Alpha XL’s other ingredients. Let’s analyze them anyway.
Horny Goat Weed is great for sex for two reasons:
- It boosts libido, and
- It promotes stiffer erections
With these two benefits, having a pleasurable night of good, steamy sex is mostly good to go. You know what else makes hot sex, though? A healthy load of sperm. Luckily, Alpha XL has Maca to do that, too. The way I see it, these two herbs are where Alpha XL makes most of its money. That said, you might be asking…
What about the rest of the ingredients?
Well, they’re here to promote other aspects of male health. For one, Saw Palmetto and Muira Puama help with BPH and consequently, urinary issues as well. Furthermore, their ability to inhibit 5-alpha-reductase might result in higher levels of testosterone.
Speaking of testosterone, Alpha XL also has Mucuna Pruriens. However, because of the herb’s utterly disappointing dosage, I personally don’t believe it does anything. This is unfortunate because, to me, Mucuna Pruriens is supposed to be one of the more promising natural testosterone boosters today.
Moving on, physical fitness also seems to be one of the targets of Alpha XL. However, just because it has an eye for bodybuilding doesn’t mean it hits hard. In particular, Polypodium Vulgare simply does NOT work, L-Arginine and Panax Ginseng are dosed too low, and Yohimbe burns fat with possible cardiovascular side effects. I don’t know about you but that’s just lazy design to me.
Alpha XL Benefits: Does it Work?
If we’re talking about sex, then yes, Alpha XL works and it’s primarily because of Horny Goat Weed and to a lesser degree, Maca. Both of these herbs increase libido while the former improves erections and the latter promotes better sperm. Furthermore, it looks like Alpha XL can promote healthier prostates, too.
However, when it comes to testosterone and muscle development, Alpha XL probably doesn’t work. The ingredients in-charge of boosting these facets of male health are either plainly ineffective or severely under dosed.
Alpha XL Review Summary
The Good
- Non-proprietary – Most of the ingredients’ dosages suck but at least Alpha XL doesn’t hide them
- Bedroom and bathroom benefits – You can credit Alpha XL’s effects on libido, erections, sperm, and prostates on these feats
- Positive reviews – Among 1,477 customer reviews on Amazon, a good majority are giving positive feedback.
- Inexpensive – You can get it for as low as $29.99 with free shipping through Amazon Prime
The Bad
- Polypodium Vulgare – The research clearly says it doesn’t work so why have it here?
- Yohimbe – It could lead to cardiovascular side effects
- Weak dosages – I’ve probably mentioned this a couple of times now
- Terrible quality – The forms of Alpha XL’s ingredients are, for lack of a better word, cheap
The Bottom Line
For a supplement that has such a wide range of customers, I’m surprised at how bad this actually is. To be fair, you do feel it working because it does a decent job with improving sex and urination (if you have BPH). However, as a testosterone booster, Alpha XL is nowhere near the true Alphas of the T-boosting industry.
What separates Prime Male from all other testosterone boosters on the market? A number of factors including an unmatched guarantee, a synergistic formula, and some of the best results you’ll find anywhere.
