Maca supplementation, cycling performance and sexual desire in male athletes
What it found
Fourteen days of maca extract raised self-rated sexual desire in trained male cyclists compared to a placebo.
Cycling times improved from the start but not clearly more than with a dummy pill.
What they found
Studies in people
Cycling time trial
After 14 days of maca, riders finished the 40 km ride faster than before they started. But their times were not clearly better than after taking the dummy pill.
Sexual desire scores
Men rated their sex drive higher after taking maca compared to both their starting point and the dummy pill period.
What the authors conclude
- They say two weeks of maca extract boosted both cycling speed and interest in sex among the men tested.
- The authors suggest longer trials with more participants are needed to confirm these early findings.
- They also recommend future work to look into how maca might produce these effects in the body.
How it was done
Athletes use maca as a sports supplement and others take it to boost sex drive. Scientists wanted to check if these claimed benefits hold up in testing.
Eight trained male cyclists took maca extract or a placebo for 14 days each, in a random order. Before and after each period they rode a 40 km time trial and filled out a questionnaire about their sex drive.
What it can’t tell you
- We summarised it from the abstract only.
- Only eight men took part, so the results may not apply to everyone.
- The study lasted just 14 days, so scientists do not yet know what happens over longer periods.
- It only included trained male cyclists, not women or people who do not cycle.
Who paid
- Authors work at
- Northumbria University, UK
The paper
- Title
- A pilot investigation into the effect of maca supplementation on physical activity and sexual desire in sportsmen
- Type
- Study
- Evidence
- Studies in people
- Summarised from
- Abstract only
- Cite
- Stone M, Ibarra A, Roller M, Zangara A, Stevenson E (2009). A pilot investigation into the effect of maca supplementation on physical activity and sexual desire in sportsmen. Journal of ethnopharmacology. doi:10.1016/j.jep.2009.09.012PubMed 19781622DOI
Summary written 1 Oct 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error