Maca vs Tongkat Ali: Libido, Testosterone and Energy

Two roots, two continents, one crowded supplement shelf.

If you have been reading forums about libido or energy lately, you have probably seen maca and tongkat ali mentioned in the same breath. Some people stack them. Others swear by one and dismiss the other.

They are not the same. One grows on a cold plateau in the Peruvian Andes. The other is a shrub from the rainforests of Malaysia and Indonesia. They seem to work in different ways, they have different research behind them, and they suit different people. Here is an honest side-by-side from a shop that sells one of them and reads the research on both.

Where each root comes from

Maca (Lepidium meyenii) is a radish-like root grown above 4,000 meters in Junín, around towns like Carhuamayo and Ninacaca. Almost nothing else grows up there. Andean families have eaten it for centuries as food: boiled, dried, ground into flour, or blended into the warm maca drinks sold at breakfast stalls in Huancayo.

Tongkat ali (Eurycoma longifolia) is a slender tree from Southeast Asian lowland forests. The root is very bitter. In Malay tradition it was boiled into a tea for men's vitality and after childbirth, and it is now one of the best-selling herbs in Malaysia. It is taken as a concentrated extract, not as a food.

That difference matters. Maca is usually taken in grams, like a food. Tongkat ali is taken in milligrams, like a drug-strength extract.

Testosterone: the biggest difference

This is where the two roots split.

Tongkat ali has the stronger testosterone data. A 2022 systematic review and meta-analysis in the journal Medicina (Leisegang and colleagues) pooled nine studies and found that total testosterone rose after tongkat ali, mostly in men with low or low-normal levels to start with. A 2013 study in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition gave 63 stressed adults 200 mg a day for four weeks and reported lower cortisol and higher testosterone compared with placebo. The authors of the meta-analysis still called for more research before clinical use.

Maca does not seem to move testosterone much at all. A 2002 trial in Andrologia gave men 1.5 or 3 grams of maca a day for 12 weeks. Sexual desire went up from about week eight. Testosterone and estrogen did not change. Later studies found the same.

So if a lab number is your goal, tongkat ali is the root with more evidence behind it. If you want support for desire and energy without chasing a hormone level, maca fits that description better.

Libido and sexual function

Both roots have small trials here, and both are worth reading with a skeptical eye.

• Maca: the 2002 study above for desire in men, a 2009 Andrologia trial where 50 men with mild erectile trouble reported small improvements on 2.4 grams a day, and a 2008 study in Menopause where women reported less anxiety and better mood and sexual function.
• Tongkat ali: several small trials in men report better erectile scores and sexual satisfaction, often alongside the testosterone rise. Research in women is thin.

One practical point: maca is the only one of the two with meaningful research in women. If you are a woman looking at this comparison, that alone may decide it.

Energy, stress and training

People describe the two very differently. Maca users often talk about steadier daily energy and mood, the kind of lift you notice after a few weeks, not an hour. Tongkat ali users more often talk about drive, gym performance and recovery, and a few trials in older men and active adults report small gains in strength.

If you already read our maca vs ashwagandha comparison, the same idea applies here. Maca behaves like a gentle, food-like daily tonic. Tongkat ali behaves more like a targeted extract with a specific job.

Quick comparison

• Origin: maca, high Andes of Peru. Tongkat ali, Southeast Asian rainforest.
• How it is taken: maca, 1.5 to 3 grams a day of powder or capsules. Tongkat ali, usually 200 to 400 mg a day of a standardized extract.
• Testosterone: maca, no reliable change in studies. Tongkat ali, modest rise, mainly in men with low levels.
• Libido: both have small positive trials.
• Women: maca has more research. Tongkat ali has little.

Safety and who should be careful

Neither root is a free pass. Talk to your doctor before starting either one if any of these apply to you.

• Hormone-sensitive conditions: prostate cancer, breast cancer or other hormone-driven conditions. Tongkat ali raises testosterone, so this matters most there. Maca is usually avoided in these cases too, out of caution.
• Pregnancy and breastfeeding: there is not enough safety data for either.
• Medications: tongkat ali may lower blood sugar and could interact with diabetes medicines. Anyone on hormone therapy, blood pressure or blood sugar medicines should ask first.
• Sleep: some tongkat ali users report restlessness or trouble sleeping. Take it in the morning.
• Quality: testing in Malaysia has found heavy metals such as mercury in some tongkat ali products. Buy from brands that publish lab testing.
• Thyroid: raw maca contains goitrogens, plant compounds that can affect the thyroid in large amounts. Andean families cook or dry it first, and people with thyroid problems should check with a doctor.

Can you take maca and tongkat ali together?

Many people do, and there is no known direct interaction between them. But no study has tested the combination. If you want to try both, start one at a time for a few weeks so you know which one is doing what, and skip the stack if you have any of the conditions above.

Frequently asked questions

Is maca or tongkat ali better for libido?

Both have small positive studies. Maca has research in both men and women and does not change hormones. Tongkat ali has more research in men, often tied to higher testosterone.

Does maca raise testosterone?

Studies so far say no. The 2002 Andrologia trial found higher desire with no change in testosterone or estrogen.

Which one is better for women?

Maca. It has small trials in women, including during menopause. Tongkat ali has very little research in women.

How long does it take to notice anything?

In most trials, people took either root for 4 to 12 weeks. Maca users often report changes around week six to eight.

The bottom line

Pick tongkat ali if you are a man with a specific testosterone question, ideally one you have checked with a blood test and a doctor. Pick maca if you want an everyday root that has fed Andean families for centuries and supports energy and desire without chasing a hormone number. Our energy and vitality collection has other Peruvian options if neither is quite right for you.

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. This article is for education and does not replace advice from a qualified health professional.