Guide
Maca for men: potency, testosterone and stamina (2026)
Last updated: 27 July 2026
Written by
Health Tested Editorial Team
Maca is regarded as the plant world's secret weapon for male vitality. For more than 2,000 years, men have valued this tuber from the Andes as a natural way to achieve maximum performance, endurance and libido.
Scientific studies now confirm that not all maca is the same. While conventional single-variety supplements often cover only part of the spectrum, a high-quality maca complex is now the gold standard. The carefully chosen combination of black, red and yellow maca covers every male need: from potency and testosterone balance to prostate health and physical strength. But which blend is right for your goals? We've compared the best supplements for the modern man.
Health Tested Editorial Team
Watch out for single-variety products: many manufacturers use nothing but cheap yellow maca, sold in bulk. For real results for potency and testosterone, though, what counts is how the varieties work together. A modern complex combines the everyday energy of yellow maca with the highly effective black and red varieties for maximum male performance.
The maca complex: three varieties, three kinds of strength for men
There's a reason maca is known as 'Peruvian ginseng'. The plant grows in extremely harsh conditions, more than 4,000 metres up in the Peruvian Andes. To survive there, it packs in a uniquely high concentration of nutrients, which is why it's now regarded as the gold standard for male performance.
What makes the triple complex for men so special?
Rather than relying on a single variety, today's best formulas combine yellow, black and red maca so that they work together. Battling the extreme cold, the tuber stores a huge concentration of amino acids, zinc and macamides. While rare black maca specifically supports performance and libido, red maca looks after hormonal balance and yellow maca everyday endurance. That hardiness carries over into its effects, which centre on maximum physical stamina and male vitality.
The best and most concentrated compounds in maca are found in the hypocotyl, the storage organ of this medicinal plant.
Adaptogens: a natural shield for your testosterone
Maca is a powerful adaptogen. That means it helps your body adapt biologically to stress. Why does that matter so much for men? Chronic stress is the biggest testosterone killer.
Stress factors such as lack of sleep, time pressure or physical exhaustion raise your cortisol levels, which directly suppresses male libido and performance. This is where the maca complex comes in: it has a balancing effect and helps you stay resilient.
By regulating the HPA axis (your body's hormonal control centre), maca helps keep your hormone levels stable even under pressure. Maca promotes the hormonal balance you need for peak performance and focus, so you don't end up drained and unmotivated.
Benefits of taking maca
'Healing for body and mind'
This medicinal plant can help to:
- strengthen the immune system
- increase energy and endurance
- lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels
- support the body's natural cleansing processes
- increase libido in men and women
- balance hormones
- supply minerals to bones and blood
- improve the appearance of your skin
Benefits for mental health
Taking maca can also ease psychological symptoms and help to:
- relieve stress and anxiety
- reduce the stress hormone cortisol
- strengthen emotional stability
- improve how you cope with stress
- enhance brain function (especially memory and concentration)
The latest research reveals a wide range of uses
For more than 2,000 years, maca has been valued above all as a fertility aid and aphrodisiac for men and women.
But reducing the plant to its effects on fertility and libido doesn't do it justice.
Maca has been studied in detail to understand its effects on hormone balance, semen volume, sexual behaviour, mood and physical and mental performance.
The latest research has identified several active ingredients in maca:
Macamides: these compounds inhibit FAAH and have anti-inflammatory and anxiety-relieving properties. They improve recovery and endurance during long periods of physical and mental strain.
Maca alkaloids: these include macaridine, macaenes and lepidilines A and B. They're thought to influence hormone regulation in the hypothalamus.
Glucosinolates (mustard oil glycosides): glucotropaeolin in particular shows anti-cancer effects, especially in breast and prostate cancer.
Beta-carbolines: maca contains tryptoline, which works in a similar way to an antidepressant by inhibiting the reuptake of serotonin and noradrenaline. Tryptoline also has antioxidant properties.
Beta-sitosterol: this active ingredient lowers blood cholesterol levels, helps shrink a mildly enlarged prostate and may slow hair loss in men.
Maca contains around 20 different fatty acids, most of them mono- or polyunsaturated, including the important omega-3 fatty acids.
Maca also contains all eight essential amino acids in a bioavailable form.
The expert checklist: not every maca product lives up to its promises. For real results for libido and performance, there are three key quality markers to look out for.
What to avoid when buying maca
When you're choosing a maca product, steer clear of the following:
- a low dose of maca extract
- maca in a form that is hard to digest
- no information on the concentration (4:1, 8:1, 10:1 or 20:1)
- low bioavailability
- capsule shells made with gelatine, plus binders and anti-caking agents
- capsules that are not gastro-resistant
- any allergens you react to, such as soya, gluten or lactose
- supplements at suspiciously low prices
- products claiming extremely high doses
Maca comes in many different forms. But which one is best for you?
What forms of maca are there?
Maca is available in several forms, each with its own advantages and drawbacks:
- Maca powder
This is usually made as a 1:1 raw powder from dried, ground maca tubers. It loses very few of its vitamins and nutrients.
However, some active ingredients are less bioavailable in this form, because they are released more fully when the root is heated.
- Maca capsules
These contain either raw powder (1:1), gelatinised maca powder (1:1 or 4:1) or concentrated dry extracts (4:1 to 20:1).
The advantages of capsules are their neutral taste, the ease of taking and dosing them, and the higher bioavailability of certain performance-enhancing compounds.
- Maca extract
Maca extract comes either as a dry extract in various concentrations (4:1, 8:1, 10:1 or 20:1) in capsules and compressed tablets, or as a liquid tincture made with alcohol or glycerine.
The advantage of extracts is their stronger effect, as they contain the plant's most important active ingredients in a concentrated and particularly bioavailable form. Dry extracts make this effect stronger and more targeted.
- The best choice: liposomal maca
Liposomal maca combines the power of the maca plant with the latest nutrient technology. The active compounds are enclosed in microscopically small liposomes. These tiny fat droplets carry the active ingredients directly into your body's cells.
This means superior bioavailability, faster absorption and a more targeted effect.
Capsules
Pros
Easy to take: just swallow
Handy on the go and when travelling
Easy to dose (consistent active ingredient content)
No unpleasant taste or smell
Cons
Stomach acid can affect absorption of the active ingredient
Digestion can partly break down the active ingredient
The active ingredient's bioavailability can vary
The capsule shell may contain gelatine
Often contain additives
Unsuitable if you have difficulty swallowing
A high dose may mean taking several capsules
Powder
Pros
Easy to dose
Fast absorption of the active ingredient (via the mucous membranes)
Versatile: can be mixed into drinks or food
Cons
The taste of the powder can be unpleasant
Precise dosing can be difficult
Stomach acid can affect absorption of the active ingredient
Shorter shelf life than capsules
Liposomal form
Pros
Higher bioavailability of the active ingredient
Better absorption by bypassing stomach acid
A lower dose is needed for the same effect
Can mask the taste of the active ingredient
No additives
Cons
May cost more because manufacturing is more complex
Availability and choice may be limited
Making liposomes can be difficult and requires specialised technology
Maca in genuinely liposomal form
Liposomes are tiny lipid vesicles made of the same material as human cell membranes. Liposome technology encapsulates nutrients (such as maca root extract), so your body doesn't treat the enclosed active ingredient as a 'foreign body' and it can pass directly into the bloodstream.
The liposomal coating is an innovative way to help your body absorb more of the active ingredients and make the most of them.
Note: not every supplement is genuinely liposomal.
Because they're just nanometres across and rich in fat, liposomes protect the active ingredients inside them from being broken down by enzymes, such as those in saliva, and by stomach acid. They release their contents directly into the bloodstream, which markedly improves absorption of the active ingredients.
Simple model of a liposome with an outer layer of fat and a watery chamber inside. Liposomes are an innovative technology for releasing active ingredients precisely and efficiently. That's why they've earned a firm place in medicine and cosmetics.
The five varieties of maca
There are five main varieties of maca: black maca, red maca, yellow maca, purple maca and mixed maca. The last of these is made by mixing all the colours, so it's a combination of the other four varieties.
In general, all maca varieties contain a wide range of nutrients, though the amounts vary from one variety to another.
Traditionally, maca wasn't sorted by colour but dried, ground into powder and eaten as a mix. Combining the varieties covers the full spectrum of the maca plant. A mix brings together all the individual effects, which makes it the most effective form.
The Incas also used this traditional method of preparation to benefit from maca's many effects.
Taking maca: dosage and duration
Dosage:The recommended daily dose of maca depends on the form. As a rule, the more concentrated the product and the higher its bioavailability, the less you need.
Maca powder: 1.5 g to 3 g a day (about 1–2 teaspoons)
Maca capsules with extract: 500 mg to 1,000 mg a day
Liposomal maca: 100 mg to 250 mg a day
Because liposomal products are absorbed better, much lower doses are enough.
Duration:More important than the dose, though, is taking it regularly. For the best possible effect, you should take maca every day for at least 8 weeks.
When to take maca
How well maca works can depend not only on the dose but also on the time of day you take it.
It's best to take maca in the morning or at lunchtime, as it has a stimulating and energising effect. Avoid taking it in the late afternoon or evening.
If you've got an intense workout planned for the evening, though, you can take maca shortly beforehand for a lift in energy during your session.
Top 3: the best maca supplements on the market
Finding the right maca isn't easy.
That's why we assess maca supplements on the following six factors:
- How is the maca formulated?
- Are there study or test results?
- What is its concentration (4:1, 8:1, 10:1 or 20:1)?
- Does the product contain allergens?
- How good is the value for money?
- Is there anything special about the formulation or manufacturing?
The most important factor: how is the maca formulated?
The most important factors when choosing a maca supplement are dosage or concentration, form, bioavailability and ingredient quality.
Dosage: the exact amount can vary depending on your individual needs and health goals. In studies, however, a 5:1 extract has proved very effective and well tolerated, not least because your body can only absorb a limited amount.
Form: one of the most important factors, as the different forms can vary enormously in absorption, bioavailability and tolerability. Maca extract in capsule form is currently considered the most effective form.
Bioavailability: probably the single most important factor. It's essential to choose a product that your cells can absorb very well.
Ingredient quality: low-quality ingredients can severely limit how well a supplement works.
It's worth looking for supplements that come from high-quality natural sources and are free from unnecessary additives such as artificial preservatives, colourings or fillers.
product review
TESTED
our quality criteria
MELINAVA Liposomal Maca Root
by MELINAVA
Pros
- Highly concentrated maca extract (5:1): maximum density of active ingredients
- From the Peruvian Andes
- Liposomal formulation: superior absorption (goes straight into the blood)
- Optimised triple complex (60/20/20): perfect synergy for men
- Only 1 capsule a day
- Performance-focused: increases libido, endurance and focus
- Vegan
- Made in Europe
- Free from soya, gluten and lactose
- No added preservatives
- No added allergens
- GMO-free
Cons
- Only available online
- Often sold out
Verdict
With its 60/20/20 formula developed specifically for men, Melinava Liposomal Maca Root sets the benchmark. By combining black, red and yellow maca, it covers the whole spectrum of male vitality.
Its liposomal formulation deserves particular mention: while conventional capsules are often destroyed by stomach acid, this technology protects the macamides and ensures maximum bioavailability. That makes Melinava one of the most effective performance supplements on the market.
Ideal for men who do not want to compromise on potency, testosterone support and physical stamina. The high level of customer satisfaction confirms it: this product delivers noticeable results rather than empty promises.
The many satisfied users and positive customer reviews of Melinava Liposomal Maca Root speak for themselves.
Melinava has been used with very good results for symptoms such as lack of energy, sleep problems and poor concentration, and also to improve libido and fertility.
Melinava took first place in our test (as of January 2026). The manufacturer takes tolerability very seriously, which is why the product is completely free from unwanted additives. You can find more information on the manufacturer's website.
Vanosan Maca Root Extract
by VANOSAN
Pros
- Pure maca extract (10:1)
- Good bioavailability
- Very well tolerated
- Pure substance with no additives or fillers
- Laboratory-tested
- Vegan
- Free from soya, gluten and lactose
- No added preservatives
- No added allergens
- GMO-free
Cons
- 3 capsules a day
- Only available online
Verdict
Maca from Vanosan is well dosed, with a daily dose of 400 mg of 10:1 maca root extract.
A daily dose of Vanosan Maca is therefore equivalent to 4 g of fresh maca.
The formulation and dosage are well matched, and the product contains no unwanted additives.
The manufacturer sources its raw materials from Peru. They are laboratory-tested on site, and the product is made in Germany.
The recommended daily dose of three capsules is a medium dose compared with other maca supplements.
The capsule shell is made without animal ingredients, so it is also suitable for vegetarians and vegans.
Users are generally positive about Vanosan Maca. It is well tolerated and provides relief from restlessness and stress. Vanosan may also have a positive effect on sleep quality.
Some customers find three capsules a day too many.
It is made in Europe. Delivery is free and usually takes 3 working days.
BSS Nutrition 100% Maca
by BSS NUTRITION
Pros
- Pure maca powder
- From the Peruvian Andes
- Good bioavailability
- Very well tolerated
- Pure substance with no additives or fillers
- Good value for money
- Vegan
- Made in Germany
- Free from soya, gluten and lactose
- No added preservatives
- No added allergens
- GMO-free
Cons
- 3 capsules a day
- Only available online
Verdict
The 100% Maca capsules from BSS Nutrition have a standard dosage, with a daily dose of 1,500 mg of pure maca.
The capsules contain maca powder made from the ground root rather than an extract. The product offers very good value for money and high tolerability.
The recommended daily dose of three capsules is a medium dose compared with other maca supplements.
The capsule shell is made without animal ingredients, so it is also suitable for vegetarians and vegans.
Users are fairly positive about BSS Nutrition. Taking it relieves symptoms such as sleep problems and restlessness. It is well tolerated.
Users with chronic symptoms often find the effect unsatisfactory. Some customers also criticise the smell and the occasionally slow delivery (4–5 days).
BSS Nutrition capsules are made in Germany. Delivery costs 57 kr and usually takes 4–5 working days.
Some studies have shown that taking maca can strengthen the immune system and increase the number of immune cells in the blood. Taking maca may also increase the production of antibodies, which play an important role in fighting infections.
Maca for stress
Maca belongs to the group of adaptogens: biologically active plant compounds that help the body cope with stress.
They've been used for centuries in traditional Chinese medicine and help improve both physical and mental resilience.
Just as the maca plant can adapt to the extreme conditions of the Andes, it's said to help people cope better with the high demands of modern life.
The nutrients in maca have a balancing effect on your hormones. This means they can strengthen the function of organs such as the thyroid and the adrenal glands.
Maca can also lower cortisol levels in the blood. Cortisol is a hormone associated with stress.
Maca for menopausal symptoms
Maca is a promising option for relieving menopausal symptoms.
The menopause begins at around the age of 50 and can bring a range of unpleasant symptoms. Typical ones include hot flushes, sweating, dizziness, depressed mood, mood swings, loss of libido, vaginal dryness, sleep problems, headaches and even migraines. Depending on how severe they are, these symptoms can be very distressing.
The main cause of many of these symptoms during the menopause is a lack of oestrogen and progesterone in the body. Maca can stimulate hormone production during this phase and so help relieve the symptoms naturally.
Maca puts you in the mood
In South America, maca has been used for centuries to increase fertility, treat sexual dysfunction, balance female hormones and relieve symptoms of the menopause and of oestrogen dominance.
A 2008 study published in the journal CNS Neuroscience & Therapeutics looked at the effects of maca in 16 participants (mainly women) with SSRI-induced sexual dysfunction. SSRIs are antidepressants that often cause sexual problems.
In the study, some participants took 1.5 g of maca a day and others 3 g. The higher-dose group showed a significant improvement in their sexual symptoms, while the lower dose had no clear effect. The researchers concluded that maca can reduce SSRI-induced sexual dysfunction and especially improve libido, which suggests that maca can increase desire.
* We may earn a commission from some of the companies featured. This is how we keep our comparisons free to read.
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Sources
- Lepidium meyenii (Maca): a plant from the highlands of Peru--from tradition to science, Forsch Komplementmed. 2009 Dec;16(6):373-80. doi: 10.1159/000264618. Epub 2009 Dec 16
- Toxicological aspects of the South American herbs cat's claw (Uncaria tomentosa) and Maca (Lepidium meyenii) : a critical synopsis, Toxicol Rev. 2005;24(1):11-35.
- Maca (L. meyenii) for improving sexual function: a systematic review., BMC Complement Altern Med. 2010 Aug 6;10:44. doi: 10.1186/1472-6882-10-44.
- Beneficial effects of Lepidium meyenii (Maca) on psychological symptoms and measures of sexual dysfunction in postmenopausal women are not related, Menopause. 2008 Nov-Dec;15(6):1157-62. doi: 10.1097/gme.0b013e3181732953
- Maca reduces blood pressure and depression, in a pilot study in postmenopausal women, Climacteric. 2015 Feb;18(1):69-78. doi: 10.3109/13697137.2014.929649. Epub 2014 Aug 7.
- Use of gelatinized maca (lepidium peruvianum) in early postmenopausal women. Int J Biomed Sci. 2005 Jun;1(1):33-45.
- Herbal preparations for the menopause: beyond isoflavones and black cohosh. Maturitas. 2014 Feb;77(2):191-4. doi: 10.1016/j.maturitas.2013.11.001. Epub 2013 Nov 19.
- Hormone-Balancing Effect of Pre-Gelatinized Organic Maca (Lepidium peruvianum Chacon): (II) Physiological and Symptomatic Responses of Early-Postmenopausal Women to Standardized doses of Maca in Double Blind, Randomized, Placebo-Controlled, Multi-Centre Clinical Study Int J Biomed Sci. 2006 Dec; 2(4): 360–374.