Supplement Clarity

Regimen and Testosterone: Critical Review of Ingredients and Research

Joe Cannon
Regimen-testosterone-booster

Update January 5 2024. Regimen was a once-popular testosterone supplement you may have heard about on TV, radio, etc. The supplement was billed as “Men's Anti-Aging Regimen.” The supplement was said to contain a blend of herbs that has anti-estrogen effects and is shown to restore testosterone levels. While the supplement appears to no longer be sold at GNC and elsewhere, the ingredients are found in other Low T supplements. Review the research on the ingredients and this will help you see if the testosterone supplement you are taking may be right for you.

 

Who Makes Regimen?

When I went to the website mentioned on the radio―”RepairLowT.com”―and clicked on the Terms and Conditions and Privacy link, I saw that Vestiage, Inc. is the company behind the supplement. On their website (vestiageinc.com) they say that they are a “leading healthy aging lifestyle company.” Vestiage, Inc. is a publically-traded company (their stock symbol is VEST). The Vestiage, Inc. company is located at 2901 W. Coast Highway, Suite 200 Newport Beach, CA 92663.

 

Who Is Regimen Right For?

On the RepairLowT.com website, it is stated that “If you’re a male over 30, and you’ve noticed that your body is storing fat around your pecs, belly, and love handles—chances are it’s not your fault.”

Did you notice they said, “over 30?”

Previously, I've seen “low T” supplements marketed to men over 50 and over 40. Regimen is the FIRST product I've seen where the age range was lowered to “over 30.”

Hmm…

Remember, commercials are designed to make people think they need something. By lowering the age to “over 30,” the company is casting a bigger net, trying to sell their product a larger segment of the population.

If you are healthy and have no problems—such as the ones they are alluding to on the RepairLowT.com website—you don’t need Regimen or any other testosterone support either. If you are in your 30s and do have those types of issues, see your doctor, because there may be a medical problem.

For example, diabetes can lower testosterone levels in men.

 

Regimen Ingredients

As I wrote this review, I discovered that there are actually many “Regimen supplements.” For this review, I'm going to focus only on the testosterone booster supplement because that is what I  heard mentioned on the radio commercial. The ingredients in Regimen are clearly stated on the RepairLowT.com website. On the label, it says that 3 capsules of Regimen contain the following ingredients:

 

Ingredient %DV
Magnesium  225 mg 55%
Zinc 15 mg 100%
Male Performance Blend:   975 mg N/A
1. Ajuga Turkestanica stems and leaves
2. Horny goat weed
3. Rhodiola rosea root extract
4. Maca root extract
5. Pygeum africanum bark extract
6. Saw palmetto berry extract
Anabolic Blend    664 mg N/A
1. Tribulus terrestris fruit extract
2. Rhaponticum cathamoidesroot
3. Muira puama root
4. 5-Methyl-7-methoxy-Isoflavone
5. Eurycoma longifolia root powder
Anti-Estrogen Blend    207 mg N/A
1. Red clover leaf extract
2. Chrysin
3. Diindolylmethane

 

Other ingredients listed on the label include gelatin, silicon dioxide, magnesium stearate, and cellulose.

 

Right off the bat, I don't think the zinc and magnesium in Regimen play significant roles in the product. I say this because they are not listed among any of the three major groupings of ingredients. As such, they won't factor into my review. I could be wrong, but I think these minerals are included because they are found in a popular exercise supplement called “ZMA.” If that is the case, then the levels of zinc and magnesium in Regimen are less than is in ZMA supplements.

 

Since the ingredients in Regimen are divided into three different groups that are said to do three different things (enhance performance, promote muscles, and block estrogen) I'm going to search for relevant research on each of the ingredients in these three groupings. I'll do this because I want to see:

1.  If there is any proof that the ingredients do any of this stuff

2.  Which ingredients might be responsible for any of the effects

 

Male Performance Blend

By “male performance” I take this to mean that the six ingredients in this category will help men get erections. Below is the evidence I found on these ingredients.

Ajuga Turkestanica 

This is a plant and is a source of plant steroids called phytoecdysteroids. Chemically, phytoecdysteroids look like testosterone. One such phytoecdysteroid that some may have heard of is Turkesterone. As such, Turkesterone and Ajuga Turkestanica may even be used synonymously, although technically there is more in Ajuga Turkestanica than just Turkesterone.

The real question, however, is this: Does a plant steroid raise testosterone in men or help men with erections?

 

I searched the National Library of Medicine for:

 

No studies showed up. This is interesting because Ajuga Turkestanica appears to be pretty popular on some fitness/bodybuilding websites. Just as a double check I also searched the National Library of Medicine for:

No studies showed up for this either.

 

Even if there were studies, it would not necessarily mean Regimen would do the same thing, because the product label says that it contains leaves and stems of the plant rather than an overabundance of any single ingredient (like Turkesterone).

That said, I see no human evidence showing that Ajuga Turkestanica does anything within the confines of what the makers of Regimen says it might do.

 

Horny Goat Weed

In other supplements, this herb is also called epimedium.

Horny Goat weed 1000 mg 10% icariin

I found a 2010 rat study discussed where a specific extract of horny goat weed (called Icariin) might play a role in erections.

But what about people?

Well, the only studies I saw were on lab rats, rabbits, and test-tube studies. As such, I say more research is needed.

See this review of the testosterone booster Syntheroid for more info on horny goat weed,

 

Rhodiola Rosea

I could not find any evidence that Rhodiola Rosea raises testosterone levels or improves erections in men. This stuff sometimes finds its way into exercise performance supplements because some feel it might reduce fatigue during exercise. Since sex is a type of exercise, that might seem logical for why it's in Regimen, but I remain skeptical.

Also, they don’t tell us what Rhodiola Rosea extract they are using. For more on this herb, see my reviews of:

Maca Root Extract

This herb is also called Lepidium meyenii. One study from 2002 noted that Maca improved sexual desire in men when used at 1500–3000 mg per day for 8–12 weeks. In this study, testosterone levels did not change, however. Most of the other studies I see pertaining to this issue involve lab rats.

For more on Maca, see my reviews of these supplements:

Also, they don’t tell us what Maca extract they are using. This makes it difficult to figure out how effective it might be.

Pygeum Africanum

This herb sometimes shows up in prostate supplements, such as in the supplement called Prosvent that I reviewed previously. I'm not aware of any human evidence that it helps testosterone levels or sexual performance. One issue is that Regimen uses an extract of this herb, but they don’t tell us what extract that is.

Saw Palmetto

This is also called Serenoa repens. Again, what saw palmetto extract are they using? They don’t tell us. Like Pygeum, saw palmetto also shows up in prostate supplements. I can't find any studies looking at Saw palmetto improving sex drive or testosterone levels in men. For more on saw palmetto, see my reviews on:

Based on what I could locate, the only ingredient in the “male performance” blend with any evidence that it might do something is Maca root which I linked to on Amazon so you can see what others are saying about it.

 

Anabolic Blend

I take the word “anabolic” to mean that these ingredients in Regimen build muscle. There are five ingredients in the Anabolic Blend. Here's what I could locate on them:

 

Tribulus Terrestris Extract

The extract in Regimen comes from the fruit of the plant, but they don’t tell us what extract they are using. Tribulus shows up in several “men's supplements,” although for the life of me I don’t know why.

Currently, the evidence I see about tribulus helping men get bigger, stronger, faster, or raising testosterone (or raising anything else for that matter) is mostly hype and very little good science.

 

Previously I wrote a review of tribulus where I showed how I was unable to find any good proof that it raised testosterone levels or made people stronger. Some people get mad when I say “tribulus is a dud,” but to those, I say just show me proof―good human studies―and I might change my mind.

Here is the review of Tribulus for those who want to see the research for themselves.

Watch on my Youtube channel

Rhaponticum Cathamoides

Other names for this herb include Maral Root or Russian Leuzea. Like Ajuga Turkestanica described above, Rhaponticum cathamoides is also said to be a source of plant (and insect) based steroid hormones, called phytoecdysteroids. So, the idea is if men ingest these plant steroids, then they might raise testosterone levels. But, is there any evidence Rhaponticum cathamoides does this in people?

If there is, I can't find it.

I am unable to find any human research of Rhaponticum cathamoides pertaining to it raising testosterone levels in men. When I searched the national library of medicine for:

I either saw no studies or I saw some highly preliminary research on lab mice. Lack of evidence does not mean something does not work; however, for me, the research I saw does not justify using this herb in a supplement marketed to people.

 

Muira Puama

This herb, also called Ptychopetalum olacoides, is sometimes thought to be an aphrodisiac. So with that in mind, I searched the National Library of Medicine for these search terms:

No relevant studies showed up.

I then repeated this search to see if there was any evidence for Muira puama raising testosterone levels or improving exercise ability. Again, I saw no studies.

So why is this stuff in Regimen?

 

5-Methyl-7-Methoxy-Isoflavone

This is the overly complicated name for flavonoids, a class of plant chemicals that do a variety of things. If you eat fruits and vegetables, you are eating flavonoids.  Other names for these compounds include Methoxyisoflavone and Methoxylated flavones.

On some fitness websites, they talk about how 5-Methyl-7-methoxy-Isoflavone can reduce cortisol, a hormone linked to muscle breakdown. This ingredient is also sometimes touted to improve strength and decrease body fat. But, is there any evidence it does this?

I can't find any.

 

For example, in this 2006 study titled Effects of Methoxyisoflavone, Ecdysterone, and Sulfo-Polysaccharide Supplementation on Training Adaptations in Resistance-Trained Males, researchers randomly gave methoxyisoflavone (as well as 2 other compounds, 20-hydroxyecdysone and sulfo-polysaccharide) or a placebo to 45 male weight lifters for 8 weeks.

In this study, the men received 800 mg of methoxyisoflavone per day.  I'll point out that 800 mg is more than is in the entire “Anabolic Blend” of Regimen.

 

At the end of the study, there were no differences between what methoxyisoflavone did (or the other 2 compounds) compared to the placebo. Specifically, the researchers found:

 

The finding that 5-Methyl-7-methoxy-Isoflavone had no effect on cortisol levels should be of particular interest to fitness people because a LOT of websites say this stuff lowers cortisol. The study contradicts those statements.

 

Eurycoma Longifolia

Other names for this herb include Tongkat Ali and Malaysian ginseng.

In a 2014 study titled Effects of a Proprietary Freeze-Dried Water Extract of Eurycoma longifolia (Physta) and Polygonum minus on Sexual Performance and Well-Being in Men: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Study, an extract of Eurycoma longifolia called Physta (along with an herb called Polygonum minus), used for 12 weeks, appeared to help men better in the bedroom (they said so in surveys) than a placebo.

This is an interesting study but it doesn’t prove that Regimen works, because Regimen does not specifically say it contains the Physta extract. Regimen also doesn’t have Polygonum minus either.

In a small study of older adults published in 2014 titled Tongkat ali as a potential herbal supplement for physically active male and female seniors-a pilot study, researchers noted that 400 mg of Tongkat ali (Eurycoma longifolia), used for 5 weeks, significantly  raised testosterone levels. Grip strength (not the best indicator of total body muscle strength) also increased in both men and women.

See my review of Triverex for more info on this herb.

 

This study is a “pilot” study, which means it is preliminary and needs to be followed up with a bigger/better study to confirm the results. This study also used 400 mg of Eurycoma longifolia. In Regimen, Eurycoma longifolia appears toward the bottom of the Anabolic Blend, which says to me that Regimen probably does not contain 400 mg.

Here is 400 mg of Eurycoma longifolia on Amazon for those who want to see what others are saying about it.

 

Anti-Estrogen Blend

There are three ingredients in the anti-estrogen blend, which as the name implies, are said to block or reduce estrogen levels. In men, greater levels of estrogen might interfere with muscle growth, sex drive, and may even play a role in weight gain. So what's the evidence that these ingredients reduce estrogen levels in men?

 

Red Clover Leaf Extract

The scientific name for red clover is Trifolium pratense. Regimen uses an extract of red clover but they don’t tell us what extract it contains.  Red clover contains isoflavones, which are estrogen-like compounds. I think the idea here is that the estrogen-like compounds in red clover might attach to the estrogen receptors on the cells of a man's body.

 

By doing this, the red clover isoflavones might block the actual estrogen hormone from binding to those receptors. In this way, red clover might block the actions of estrogen. It's an interesting idea, but is there any proof that red clover does this in men?

I searched the National Library of Medicine for:

I found no studies showing that red clover blocked or reduced estrogen levels in humans.

Chrysin

This is a flavonoid (a plant pigment) and is found naturally in honey and passion flower. Some feel that chrysin might be a compound called an aromatase inhibitor. Aromatase is an enzyme that makes estrogen. Blocking/inhibiting aromatase theoretically might reduce estrogen levels, and in doing so, might alter the amount of testosterone relative to estrogen in the body. This sounds somewhat plausible, but is there any proof? I searched the National Library of Medicine for:

I found the following relevant investigations:

 

A 2012 study titled Beneficial effects of chrysin on the reproductive system of adult male rats which noted that chrysin―given to rats―increased testosterone levels and sperm concentration and motility.

While this is rat study, it's interesting, but…

 

An earlier human investigation (from 2003) titled Effects of chrysin on urinary testosterone levels in human males, unfortunately failed to show any increase in testosterone when chrysin-containing honey was given to 20 men for 3 weeks.

One possible drawback to this study may have been the use of honey rather than using chrysin itself.

 

In a study published in 2000 titled Effects of anabolic precursors on serum testosterone concentrations and adaptations to resistance training in young men, researchers gave men a chrysin-containing supplement called “Andro-6” for 8 weeks along with a strength-training program 3 times per week.

 

Compared to those who took a placebo, the men taking Andro-6 saw no change in testosterone levels and no superior increases in strength either.

Ironically, those taking Andro-6 saw an increase in estrogen levels!

This particular supplement contained 300 mg of chrysin, along with several other ingredients. I'd like to see this study repeated, but have the men only use chrysin.

For the moment, the positive research for chrysin appears to be limited to lab rat and test tube studies. If it works, I have no idea how much might help.

 

Diindolylmethane

If you eat foods like broccoli, your body is making some diindolylmethane because it is made during the digestion of cruciferous vegetables. More specifically, we make diindolylmethane from indole-3-carbinol (which was also one of the ingredients in that Andro-6 study I mentioned above).  Diindolylmethane (di-in-dole-meth-ane), or “DIM ” as it's also called, is an antioxidant. Like chrysin, it is also of interest to researchers as an estrogen blocker.

 

Most of the estrogen-blocking interest stems not from raising testosterone levels in men, but battling some types of cancer (breast and prostate cancer for example) although more research is needed to see how effective it might be.

 

So, what's the evidence that DIM boosts testosterone or blocks estrogen in men? I searched the National Library of Medicine for:

I didn't see any studies where men were given DIM to see if it raised testosterone levels.

I didn’t see any studies where men were given DIM to see if it reduced their estrogen levels either.

Based on my inability to find any good proof that it helps, I believe DIM is in Regimen because the makers of the product hope that it reduces estrogen in men based on what research indicates happens in test-tube studies and in people with cancer.

Active Ingredients in Regimen

Maca 500 mg. Quality Made Supplement


From the evidence that could be located, the key ingredients may be

 

The evidence is not what I'd call a “slam dunk,” but there's more proof for these ingredients to have more evidence than any of the other ingredients.

 

Ingredients With No Good Proof

Other than the two ingredients I listed above, I see no good human evidence for any of the other ingredients in Regimen. If anyone becomes aware of human research on Regimen or its ingredients, please let me know and I will be more than happy to update my review.

 

How Much Does Regimen Cost?

On the RepairLowT.com website, they were listing a bottle of Reigmen for $59.99 (plus $6.95 shipping and handling). When I looked, there was a free bottle offer for the product, but to get the free bottle, you would still have to pay $6.95 to cover shipping and handling. If you do order the free bottle, you will be included in an auto-ship program, where they will send you another 30-month supply for $49.99 (plus $6.95 shipping/handling) and every month after that until you cancel.

If you do the math, you're not saving much money in the auto-ship program:

Normal price: 59.99 + 6.95 =$66.90

Auto-ship price: 49.99  + 6.95 = $59.94

$66.90 – $59.94 = you save only $6.96 per bottle

To cancel the auto-ship program, call their customer service at 1-877-374-6221.

 

As is clearly stated in the Terms and Conditions and Privacy page of the RepairLowT.com website, by purchasing the product from the website, people give up their right to go to court and have a jury trial if they are not satisfied. Instead, people must go through a binding arbitration.

Other products I've reviewed that had similar clauses include:

I can understand and sympathize why a company would want to protect itself. I just want to point this out in case it's important to people.

How to Contact Regimen

On the RepairLowT.com website, they give these phone numbers:

Vestiage, Inc., the company behind Regimen, can be reached either at their website (vestiageinc.com ) or by calling them directly at 949-258-4404.

 

Who Is Dr. Robert Burke?

As is stated in a video on the product’s website, Dr. Burke is the “person responsible for developing the Regiman line” of supplements. He is a cardiologist, is well-trained, and understands how science is conducted. He is also on the Advisory Committee of Vestiage, Inc., the company that makes Regimen.

With that in mind, I must ask the question: Why did he choose the ingredients in Regimen if the evidence for the vast majority of them do not appear to be based on humans?

 

The Regimen Low Testosterone Test

On the website  – Regimen.Me –  there was a series of 13 questions that are said to determine what our testosterone levels are.  Just for fun, I took the quiz to see what would happen. After I was finished― in order to see my score -―had to give them:

Why do they want all this info?

I didn’t provide this information because I didn’t want to be called on the phone by people trying to sell me Regimen AND I also didn’t see any assurances that the they would not sell my personal information to others.

The bottom line: no online quiz can assess your testosterone level. Only a blood test by your doctor can do this.

 

Do You Need To Cycle Regimen Supplements?

On another Regimen website I found – BuyRegimen.com – it's stated that Regimen does not need to be cycled.

Cycling, in this context, is a reference to periodically starting and stopping a drug to as a way to give the body a chance to recover and reduce side effects. It's a word probably coined by bodybuilders who would cycle on and off steroids.

But, since there is no good human evidence for many of the ingredients in Regimen, my question is how do they know you don't have to cycle it? Have they ever done any studies of Regimen cycling? Not as far as I can tell.

Regimen Side Effects & Concerns

Because there appears to be no published research on Regimen itself and because many of the ingredients lack human studies, I have don't know what the side effects of the product might be. I really couldn't find much human research on several of its ingredients, but I'll assume it's safe until I learn more. If you have any side effects―positive or not―please leave a comment below so others can benefit from your experiences.

 

 Do Regimen Supplements Effectively Raise Testosterone?

Without clinical proof, it's hard to tell. If it works it may be due to the ingredients highlighted above.  For men who try Regimen, the best way to know if it works is to measure your testosterone levels first. Try the supplement for a month and then test your T levels again. That's the best way to know for sure.

Here's a testosterone test you can use

 What do you think?

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