Tongkat Ali has become a popular sports supplement among runners in recent years due to its potential to boost testosterone, enhance energy, support recovery, and improve focus.
More importantly, endurance long-distance runners are prone to rapid testosterone drop of 30% to 40% from their baseline testosterone – affecting muscle recovery, athletic performance and endurance.
In this article, we interview real-world athletes to investigate whether Tongkat Ali works and is it a good sports supplement for runners?
Tongkat Ali extract (Eurycoma Longifolia) is widely used as a sports supplement for runners in recent years as its key bioactive ingredients such as eurypeptides, glycosaponin, calcium, potassium, magnesium and isoleucine help prevent the deterioration of muscle tissue and boost energy during training and endurance races.
Serious athletes, trail and marathon runners are warming up to the use of Tongkat Ali as it passes doping tests and is not banned in WADA. In fact, Tongkat Ali supplement is already widely used by bodybuilders and in competitions around the world due to its natural anabolic and anaerobic-enhancing properties.
Tongkat Ali helps long-distance endurance runners restore hormonal balance, boosts energy, and reduces muscle fatigue.
According to Head Scientist Dr. Annie George from Biotropics, “Tongkat Ali extract contains a high concentration of calcium (2.0%), potassium (1.5%), magnesium (2.2%) and isoleucine. In addition to high eurypeptides (22%) and glycosaponin (30%), this may help boost electrolytes and testosterone for runners”.
Due to its global popularity as a sports supplement, reputable Tongkat Ali brands such as AKARALI are partnering with global running communities such as RunThrough UK, KJRC and PCRR to help runners win races.
More trail runners and ultramarathon runners are taking Tongkat Ali pure root extract as a sports supplement to boost stamina and endurance which helps running performance. When taken at 600mg or higher an hour before races, this popular herbal supplement may help you achieve peak running performance during hill climbs and elevate your road or trail running capabilities.
Tongkat Ali is amongst the top running supplements that you can add to your energy gels, and nutrition stack.
“I was pleasantly surprised that taking Tongkat Ali did make a huge difference in my stamina to complete the race”, said ultramarathon runner, Marwan, 38, who recently finished 60km Cameron Ultra 2024 race in 15 hours after taking 1,000mg of Tongkat Ali before the race.
Gearing up to the UTMB World Series, he added that “The combination of energy gels, caffeine and Tongkat Ali benefit the most after the 20th and 40th kilometer”.
As someone who trains regularly leading up to his ultramarathon races, he reported that taking 400mg capsules boosted his endurance by about 40%, taking his Bukit Kiara 6km trail loops from 5 to 9 in a single day.
In other applications such as road running, 46-year-old seasoned marathon runner Syed Shazli found Tongkat Ali useful to boost energy during his training sessions.
“We have been getting positive responses from road runners after taking Tongkat Ali with many clocking new Personal Best (PB) times. The results were amazing for middle-aged runners” said Syed Shahzli, founder of the Kelana Jaya Run Club (KJRC).
Here are several benefits of Tongkat Ali and how it may help runners and sprinters.
Testosterone levels can drop during and after prolonged endurance races like marathon running or even sprinting. This occurs because of “overtraining of muscles” that happens long distance runners. Runners are also exposed to high stress, which increases cortisol, a stress hormone that inhibits testosterone production. This is particularly evident during hill climbs, half marathons or even in ultra-marathon runners.
Using Tongkat Ali helps runners regulate the production of testosterone levels, lowering uric acid and potential lactic acid build up that happens during longer runs, ensuring optimal testosterone support and energy conversion.
“In some ways, combining Tongkat Ali with creatine, BCCA and sodium helps runners gain a competitive advantage for long- distance runners” said Marwan, a certified weight loss coach who completed his 60km ultra-marathon race in Cameron Highlands.
Optimal testosterone support from Tongkat Ali prevents runners from bonking and helps to gain the extra mile in marathons or ultra trail running competitions.
In other applications, the use of Tongkat Ali helps increase muscle strength which is beneficial for short-distance sprinters. According to pro British sprinter Khadafi Javeed, taking Tongkat Ali for 6 weeks helped him to reduce his sprint time.
Increased testosterone levels in athletes particularly long distant runners have been associated with improved muscle strength, endurance, improving overall athletic performance.
Additionally, the body prioritizes essential functions when energy reserves are depleted during running, downregulating hormone production, including testosterone. Furthermore, running for more than 2 hours continuously under heat may induce an inflammatory response, further impacting testosterone levels. In these situations, Tongkat Ali is seen as an energy booster when combined with electrolyte drinks, Himalayan salt and caffeine.
Intense running places significant strain on your muscles and joints, often resulting in inflammation and prolonged recovery times. Tongkat Ali is known for its potent anti-inflammatory properties, which can help alleviate exercise-induced inflammation.
Tongkat Ali helps faster muscle recovery in endurance runners by reducing creatine kinase (CK), an enzyme marker for muscle damage in athletes.
By reducing inflammation, Tongkat Ali facilitates quicker recovery between training sessions, especially if you are training for ultramarathon. Allowing professional runners to maintain a consistent and effective workout regimen without being hampered by extended periods of soreness and muscle fatigue provide an added advantage when competing.
Taking 200mg to 400mg after 10-20km training runs may help faster recovery time from muscle fatigue, boosting the premature-depletion testosterone that is experienced by most runners.
This improved recovery can enhance overall running performance and endurance, making Tongkat Ali a valuable supplement for marathon runners, trail runners and endurance athletes.
Running requires mental resilience and focus, especially when long distance running. Tongkat Ali helps to regulate hormonal balance for ultramarathon runners as prolonged exposure to endurance running can lead to chronically elevated cortisol (stress hormone) levels. High cortisol experienced by runners over extended periods can cause adverse effects, including suppressed immune function, muscle breakdown, fatigue, and impaired recovery.
Health experts warned that taking too much caffeine energy gels alone may not be the best solution for runners and adding Tongkat Ali may help elevate dopamine and reduce stress hormone (cortisol) to aid mental performance.
By optimizing cortisol when your body is exposed to extreme running conditions, supplementation of Tongkat Ali may enhance cognitive function, supporting mental clarity and focus whilst reducing stress hormones. For ultra trail runners who compete in 50km to 100km races, this helps them to stay more focused, alert and motivated when navigating through tough terrains.
Researchers found that Tongkat Ali contains bioactive compounds such as quassinoids, eurypeptides, eurycomaoside, eurycolactone, and eurycomanone, which are believed to help your body use energy more efficiently by restoring testosterone, accelerate muscle recovery by reducing creatine kinase, and improve endurance in running.
Anecdotal real-world feedback suggests that taking Tongkat Ali more than 200mg daily (or 600mg during a race) may help improve long-distance running performance by optimizing your energy, testosterone, stamina and faster muscle recovery.
For serious athletes, taking the optimal dose (400mg to 600mg), adopting a sugar-free diet, adequate rest time and combining electrolytes, potassium, zinc, magnesium and sodium are needed to get the most benefits from Tongkat Ali to ensure optimal running performance.
Long term use reduces sprinting time significantly due to stronger lower leg muscle strength.
Besides benefitting endurance long-distance runners, Tongkat Ali may help you run faster. British pro-sprinter Khadafi from Harrogate reported an improvement in sprinting time after taking standardized Tongkat Ali hot water extract. According to him, Tongkat Ali improves sprinting time by 20% after taking 600mg of Tongkat Ali daily for six weeks and he continues taking it for 6 months.
You can now buy standardized hot water Tongkat Ali formulated for runners, marathoners and ultra-marathon trail runners.
Tongkat Ali may be taken as an alternative to energy gels or bars during marathons – giving senior runners an added advantage in terms of endurance and energy.
51-year-old marathon runner Nicola Brooks from London took standardized Tongkat Ali root extract, and won 2nd place in the Half Marathon at Battersea UK Running Festival – at a respectable time of 1 hour and 39 minutes.
Runners burn more calories and consume more nutrition than an average person, thus you may need a higher dosage of Tongkat Ali between 400mg to 1,200mg to enhance endurance in longer races.
You may follow our Tongkat Ali dosage guide for runners competing in marathons or longer races as per the protocol below.
Total Running Distance | Dosage | How to take Tongkat Ali? |
5km | 200mg | 1 hour before |
10km | 200mg | 1 hour before |
15km | 400mg | 200mg every 8km |
20km | 600mg | 600mg 1 hour before, or 200mg every 5km |
40km | 800mg | 800mg 1 hour before, or 400mg every 10km |
50km | 1,000mg | 1,000mg 1 hour before, or 400mg every 10km |
60km – 100km | 1,200mg | 1,200mg 1 hour before, or 400mg every 30km |
Avid semi-professional ultra marathon runners take standardized Tongkat Ali hot water root extract that comes in capsule form, whilst some take few cups of Tongkat Ali coffee before and during runs. The best Tongkat Ali choice is the hot water root extract as it offers higher safety limit which allow runners to take in high doses (up to 1,000mg) for long-distance 24-hour races.
According to professional ultramarathon runner, Marwan, AKARALI is the preferred choice for runners due to its higher potency, efficacy and 3rd party lab-tested for impurities and safety. It remains the best brand for runners and athletes who are serious about sports performance.
Another avid runner, Alimin, who completed his first ultramarathon in Malaysia’s first UTMB race in Taiping said that Tongkat Ali helped him build stronger endurance in his 25km race. He switched from Solaray Tongkat Ali to AKARALI, a premium Tongkat Ali brand that is well known for higher potency and clinically tested extract.
Professional runners competing in 50km, 60km or 100km races should take higher-than usual dosage, typically between 600mg to 1,200mg of Tongkat Ali during the race day for optimal performance. For training, it is advisable to take lower dose at 200mg-400mg daily with 4-weekly OFF/ON cycle for optimal energy and testosterone support.
For highly-trained athletes, taking Tongkat Ali at a lower dose of 150mg or 200mg may not deliver any significant benefits or sports performance. Consider increasing your daily dose to 600mg during training, or 1,000mg in a single intake an hour before race competitions.
“Take 400mg Tongkat Ali for your training and 1,000mg if you are doing 50km runs”, said Marwan, a 38-year-old ultramarathon trail runner who completed his 50km race in UTMB Chiang Mai in 2024.
“For greater muscle recovery, you can take 200mg Tongkat Ali for your recovery, tempo or shake-out runs” he added.
600mg to 1,000mg of Tongkat Ali is optimal for energy and testosterone support during marathons.
“Endurance UTMB trail run is the ultimate acid test for runners to demonstrate the effects of nutrition and Tongkat Ali is considered a superfood to optimize running performance” said Alex, Global Community Lead for AKARALI.
Based on scientific evidence from Tongkat Ali studies and the inherent hormonal-responses of our body during running, we can safely suggest that Tongkat Ali does have positive physiological effects on runners, particularly long-distance endurance runners who are constantly exposed to fluctuations of hormonal-responses including premature depletion of testosterone and dopamine levels.
While Tongkat Ali is viewed as a general sports supplement for marathon runners, trail runners and sprinters, taking the right amount (i.e high dosage) and choosing the best pure root extract does improve running performance.
AKARALI is a global Tongkat Ali brand that has established its strong reputation as a trusted natural supplement for runners. With its partnership with global running communities, its US-patented standardized hot water extract is clinically tested to provide optimal testosterone, energy and stamina for athletes, runners and other sports applications.
A word of advice for runners.
Tongkat Ali may work well if you have no pre-existing medical conditions or past chronic liver injuries. We advise that you consult your healthcare professional before consuming Tongkat Ali supplements before consuming at high doses.
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.
