In an exciting new collaboration, AKARALI establishes a new partnership with the Maximum Aerobic Function (MAF) Runners Club to help athletes combine low heart-rate training exercises with Tongkat Ali natural supplements to unlock peak sustainable performance.
The MAF Runners Club, boasting over 400 dedicated members, is a running community grounded in optimizing health and endurance through the renowned research-backed MAF Method, or otherwise known as the Maeffetone Method, founded by renowned Dr. Philip Maffetone.
This partnership highlights AKARALI’s strong commitment to supporting athletes of all stripes with clinically tested natural supplementation. As a market leader in premium Tongkat Ali supplements, AKARALI has empowered thousands of athletes to gain better performance by using standardized hot-water Tongkat Ali root extract that are renowned for its potency and high safety standards amongst global sports communities.
“We are delighted to know that AKARALI’s clinically-tested Tongkat Ali supplements help optimize aerobic function in endurance athletes to go further based on reports we receive from long-distance runners.” said Alex Kua, Global Community Lead for AKARALI.
The MAF Method is the brainchild of Dr. Philip Maffetone, a leading authority in complementary sports medicine and applied kinesiology with over 40 years of clinical and scientific research. This method, widely used by endurance athletes, focuses on improving aerobic system by maximizing fat oxidation.
Seasoned athletes have spoken about the tangible benefits of using the MAF Method, including US-based triathlete, James, who used it to successfully to achieve his fastest Ironman Triathlon.
“I’ve been following MAF nutrition and training advice since 2009. I recorded my fastest Ironman while following your advice and never had any more gastrointestinal symptoms during a race ever again.”
Other sports science experts like exercise physiologist and coach Alan Couzens praised the MAF Method as an effective, realistic, and accessible starting point for fitness enthusiasts without easy access to frequent, detailed, and individualised lab data, calling it a readily applicable, easily repeatable, estimation method that works well to determine a person’s optimal training intensity.
At its core, the MAF Method focuses on three crucial pillars:
“Exercise and nutrition help runners build a stronger endurance over time. This reduces the heart rate through efficient fat-burning activities” said a registered nutritionist from Chicago on the MAF Method.
Commenting on the use of Tongkat Ali supplement, a former GNC dietitian adds that “Natural adaptogenic and anabolic supplement may be useful to add to the MAF low heart-rate training exercise plans”.
Celine Ng, a veteran marathon runner who tested Tongkat Ali along with other MAF runners shared that this combination (of natural supplementation with MAF method) helps runners maintain performance safely over the long term by keeping heart rates within the recommended range.
“Running is an endurance sport, sure, but that doesn’t mean trying to go as fast as possible and spiking your heart rate to very high levels – that’s unsustainable long term. With MAF, you can build this up steadily and then you’ll be able to keep up the pace you want with a healthy heart rate! AKARALI complements this method well because it boosts energy and endurance naturally without raising the heart rate or causing unpleasant side effects for some like traditional energy gels.”
With over 79,000 Malaysians practicing the MAF Method, combining testosterone-boosting supplement such as Tongkat Ali has quickly become a popular favourite among endurance athletes who value a balance of long-term energy boost to optimize peak performance. For most runners, optimizing endurance through proper nutritional support remains a strong pillar.
“Initial feedback from runners using AKARALI Tongkat Ali during the 50km training was positive. It helped with higher energy, endurance and less fatigue”
The collaboration with the MAF Runners Club began with the Friendship Run in Putrajaya on December 29, 2024, enabling AKARALI to achieve another milestone of real-world performance test by recreational and experienced runners.
As the participants tested Tongkat Ali for the first time, the 10km run, joined by Marina Runners, served as both a community bonding experience and a preparatory training for the runner’s upcoming participation in the RUNLIGA Team Race 2025 in Fraser’s Hill, which takes place on February 15-16, 2025.
AKARALI is proud to be part of MAF’s running event at Fraser’s Hill, consisting of a gruelling 6-hour, 800km relay. Twenty members from the MAF Runners Club will represent the event, putting Tongkat Ali supplementation and effectiveness of MAF Method to the test.
AKARALI’s Global Community Partnership Lead, Alex Kua, who spearheaded this collaboration with Celine Ng was instrumental in aligning AKARALI’s mission with the club’s goals by providing guidance on dosing, safety, and optimal usage strategies.
“We’re humbled by the trust that MAF Runners Club have placed in AKARALI products and we’re excited to see how AKARALI’s clinically tested Tongkat Ali holds up during the 800km RUNLIGA relay race”
During the Friendship Run earlier, participants had the opportunity to test AKARALI’s clinically tested standardized hot-water Tongkat Ali root extract capsules, specially formulated for both men and women. The immediate feedback after the 10km run was overwhelmingly positive, with runners reporting noticeable improvements in energy, endurance, and recovery.
“Combined with the tried-and-tested MAF method, our results showed Tongkat Ali supplementation supports a well-functioning aerobic system that allows active adults to burn fat efficiently, improve energy levels, and prevent the pitfalls of overtraining and excessive cardiovascular stress.” said Shahid Shayaa, CEO & Founder of AKARALI.
Furthermore, clinical evidence showed that Tongkat Ali contains thermogenic properties that enable efficient fat-burn, which may benefit runners seeking to improve their aerobic system through the Maximum Aerobic Function (MAF) Method.
Fat-burning properties of Tongkat Ali add benefit to the Maximum Aerobic Function (MAF) exercises. The compounded effect of testosterone and cortisol optimization help build a strong endurance base without stressing the heart rate too much.
Inspired by this success, AKARALI is extending its sponsorship to include dose-optimized Tongkat Ali capsules as well as other products like potent Tongkat Ali-infused coffee for the upcoming 800km RUNLIGA Team Race.
A seasoned MAF Runner, Syazni Sani, who has performance tested AKARALI’s 50mg standardised hot-water Tongkat Ali root extract women’s capsules prior to the Friendship Run praised how it supported her performance during a 50km training run as well as a half-marathon (HM) event, citing that she experienced no “bonking”, with better energy levels overall.
She completed her training in 6 hours at an average pace of 7:21km with an average heart rate of 139 beats per minute (bpm), indicating a reduction in overall fatigue and improved endurance after taking AKARALI, a trusted Tongkat Ali brand that is gaining popularity amongst athletes in the US, UK and Australia.
“Tried AKARALI for the first time for a 50k training run at Route 68 near Gombak, took 2 capsules and it was great for enhancing my performance and reducing fatigue – did not bonk at all the whole way and set a new personal record for this distance! For the Half Marathon event, I took just 1 capsule and it felt great for energy, as normally I just have water for this distance.”
Our real-world performance tests showed that AKARALI benefitted athletes who focus on speed, such as sprinting and podium marathon runners who are focused on optimizing anaerobic performance.
In the UK, British Sprinter Khadaffi Javeed from Harrogate reported that AKARALI’s standardized Tongkat Ali supplement reduced his sprint time by 20% after taking Tongkat Ali for 6 weeks, with improvements in visceral fat and overall fat mass. And this was verified from data taken from Boditrax.
While non-MAF runners who opt for anaerobic-focused training gained benefits from taking Tongkat Ali too. Seasoned marathon athlete 46-year-old Syed Shazli reported a reduction in his marathon time to sub 4-hour time after incorporating Tongkat Ali supplementation in his 16-week marathon training, leading up to a new PB time of 3 hours and 55 minutes in the Berlin Marathon.
The partnership between AKARALI and the MAF Runners Club is synergistic in nature, as clinically-tested Tongkat Ali supplements complement the core MAF pillars – exercise, nutrition, and stress management.
This is how Tongkat may be helpful if you need to maximize your aerobic function / output.
As the 800km RUNLIGA Team Race 2025 approaches, the synergy between AKARALI and the MAF Runners Club is set to shine as the team prepares the best Tongkat Ali dosage protocols for the individual runners to optimize their performance.
The event will not only test the endurance and strength of its participants but also showcase how cutting-edge natural supplementation with standardised hot-water Tongkat Ali root extract may elevate aerobic performance of endurance athletes.
With 20 MAF runners (and 8 substitutes) representing the club, AKARALI is proud to be part of a pivotal role in empowering runners to achieve better athletic performance outcomes.
According to founder and CEO, Shahid Shayaa, the sheer physical and mental requirements of this relay race will prove to be a great test of Tongkat Ali’s performance-enhancing properties.
“The endurance requirements, high elevation, cold weather, and tight 6-hour timing of the 800km RUNLIGA Team Race in Fraser’s Hill will provide an excellent platform to test the performance-enhancing capabilities of our Tongkat Ali. A big thank you to Celine Ng who introduced our products to MAF Runners Club and to MAF Captain Yip for all the support!”
This partnership marks the beginning of a shared vision between AKARALI and the MAF Runners Club. Both organizations are united by a commitment to helping athletes of all abilities unlock their full potential through science-backed, evidence-based strategies and natural supplementation.
By combining the MAF Method’s simple yet comprehensive approach with Tongkat Ali’s various potent clinically tested nutritional benefits, this collaboration promises to set new benchmarks in endurance, strength, and recovery for athletes by optimizing aerobic performance in athletes and recreational runners.
Stay tuned as AKARALI and the MAF Runners Club continue to push the boundaries of human performance in the lead-up to the 800km RUNLIGA Team Race 2025 and beyond. With more than 2.5 million capsules sold worldwide in 35 countries, AKARALI is once again set be the number one trusted Tongkat Ali brand among athletes, sports communities and active adults.
If you are interested in experiencing the benefits of AKARALI’s Malaysian single-origin standardized hot-water Tongkat Ali root extract in your low heart-rate training, you can visit the its global Tongkat Ali store for a range of dose-optimized capsules, pure powder extract, and coffee, with worldwide international delivery by DHL Express.
AKARALI helps runners and athletes through our community partnership initiative that combines data-driven methodology to identify optimal health protocols, exercise plans and nutrition. We believe in real-world performance tests by athletes, extending the work beyond lab-tests that was first conducted by nutritional biochemist Shawn Talbott. Our team has deep technical knowledge on nutrition and sports science to define parameters on what works, backed by support and advisory from research scientists, health coaches, proven-methodology and research-backed nutrition plans.
Our rigorous method is rather pragmatic and result-driven. AKARALI’s research team has conducted various real-world performance tests on ultramarathon trail runners with more than 1,700 km of distance where the athletes are subjected to tough technical terrains of tropical rainforests under high temperatures and humidity. Results of these tests were compiled, verified and discussed to ensure the validity of some of the performance results published in our articles. This makes AKARALI a top choice for performance-oriented athletes backed by 26 clinical trials using Physta® standardized hot water extraction technology.
As the market leader in clinically tested Tongkat Ali sports supplements, our single-origin naturally harvested Tongkat Ali has been used and trusted by top athletes, recreational runners and marathon runners in the US, UK, Canada and Australia.
Alex Kua leads AKARALI’s Global Partnership Community to help athletes, sports communities, and thousand of others optimize their well-being through evidence-based research that enables them to make better informed decisions. His legal and business consulting background underpins the rigorous data-driven approach in his writing – from hours of interviews, real-world performance data, and firsthand experiences of real people – offering actionable insights that connects clinical research, emerging health trends, and real-world applications. He is also an experienced researcher in herbal nutrition, with years of deep technical knowledge on Tongkat Ali (Eurycoma longifolia), including quality standards, industry benchmarks, lab tests, clinical trials, and the use of natural herbs by collaborating with top scientists, herbal experts, and nutritionists. As part of the core team behind AKARALI’s knowledge portal, he empowers people worldwide to access the benefits of high-quality herbal nutrition in a way that is effective, sustainable, and safe. He is also an avid runner, with regular participation in local sports communities and running events.
Our articles are third party reviewed by our panel of experts and medical advisors to ensure the facts are accurate and credible. These are validated against multiple source references which include but not limited to research studies, peer-reviewed journals, pre-clinical studies, clinical tests and other credible publications.
Our panel of medical advisors and experts are highly experienced in their individual fields. However, they do not provide any medical advice or recommendations arising from content published in this article.
Disclaimer:
The content published on this website is for educational purposes and should not be viewed, read, or seen as a prescription or constitute any form of medical advice. We recommend you consult your nearest GP or doctors before consuming Tongkat Ali or any products which contain Tongkat Ali. For further information, kindly refer to our Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) for more information.
