Putting MAN sports Yohimbine to the test

[FFGtobuff]

Thanks MustangManGT for allowing me to log Yohimbine. (trying to avoid a big paragraph "thank-you" intro)

For those of you who don't know what Yohimbine is go ahead and read this:
1. What is yohimbine?

Yohimbine is an alkaloid found in the inner bark of a tree that grows in southern Africa, Corynanthe yohimbe. Yohimbe has been used for centuries as an aphrodisiac, and alkaloids derived from this tree have been studied in depth. Yohimbine is now used primarily in veterinary medicine and in the treatment of erectile dysfunction, and it may also be useful in the treatment of obesity.

2. What application does yohimbine have?

Yohimbine has not been researched as thoroughly in the area of fat loss as many other weight loss aids, especially where clinical trials are concerned, but the existing data is promising. A 3-week study in 1991 on 20 obese females on 1000 calorie diets found that 20 mg of yohimbine daily increased weight loss 3 lbs. over placebo (1). Multiple studies have found that yohimbine increases the amount of non-esterfied fatty acids (NEFAs), a product of lipolysis (the breaking down of fat), in the bloodstream in both lean and obese individuals (2, 3), and that this effect persists for at least 14 days, indicating that rapid tolerance does not develop (4). Yohimbine is also an appetite suppressant, and decreases energy intake in both lean and obese mice (5).

3. How does yohimbine work?

Yohimbine works by blocking alpha(2) adrenoreceptors. There are a number of feedback mechanisms that prevent the release of norepinephrine (NE), one of the body's primary lipolytic hormones. When NE is released, such as in periods of stress or after taking a sympathomimetic (such as ephedrine), it stimulates both the alpha and beta adrenoreceptors. Stimulation of the beta adrenoreceptors causes the breakdown of fat while stimulating the alpha(2) adrenoreceptors has the opposite effect, preventing the release of NE and lipolysis. Yohimbine prevents this negative feedback mechanism, thus increasing NE release and lipolysis.

There are a number of reasons why alpha(2) inhibition is specifically useful. First, while the beta-adrenergic system primarily controls lipolysis during periods of intense activity, during rest, which makes up most of our day, the alpha-adrenergic system is in control (6, 7). Also, "stubborn fat" areas – usually the abdominal area in men and the glutofemoral area in women – contain a higher ratio of alpha(2) receptors (7), making yohimbine particularly effective in these areas (whereas other drugs that increase NE may be somewhat counterproductive). Finally, alpha(2) blockade increases blood flow in adipose tissue (7), which prevents fat from being retained in the area (8).

3. What other benefits does yohimbine have?

Aside from being a fat loss agent, yohimbine is well known as a sexual stimulant. Studies indicate that it increases copulatory behavior and reduces sexual exhaustion in male rats (9, 10). A recent review of the literature found that yohimbine, especially in combination with drugs that facilitate the action of nitric oxide, is effective in the treatment of male erectile dysfunction (11), and a study in women found yohimbine combined with L-arginine glutamate to increase sexual arousal in women with sexual arousal disorder (12). Yohimbine also slightly raises serum testosterone levels in men (13).

4. What are the side effects of yohimbine?

Anxiety is the most common side effect seen with yohimbine, especially higher doses, and for this reason it should not be used by individuals prone to panic attacks or with stress-related disorders (14, 15). Other common side effects are increased heart rate and blood pressure, although these do not appear to be a problem at the doses used for weight loss (2, 3). Other side effects associated with elevated levels of NE, such as insomnia, can also be expected. All of these side effects disappear after termination of use (11).

5. What form of yohimbine is best?

Yohimbine is available as an herbal yohimbe extract or pure yohimbine HCl, and it is also found in some topical fat loss solutions. Yohimbe extracts contain a variety of alkaloids, and yohimbine only makes up 10-15% of the alkaloids present (16). The activity of many of these alkaloids is not well known, and some of them may have toxic effects (there are many reports that yohimbe is an MAOI), which makes pure yohimbine HCl both a safer and more consistent alternative. For those wishing to deliver a higher quantity to a specific "trouble area" without the side effects of systemic delivery, topical solutions (such as Lipoderm-Y) are effective (17).

6. How should yohimbine be taken?

The dosage of .2 mg/kg (approximately 1 mg per 10 lbs.) per day is relatively free of side effects and effective for weight loss (2, 3), while .1 mg/kg is more commonly used for sexual stimulant effects. For fat loss, yohimbine is generally taken twice daily, in the morning and afternoon. It is best taken on an empty stomach, as taking it with a meal can reduce its lipolytic effects (3). The half-life of yohimbine is short (1-2 hours), but the half-life of a metabolite with similar activity, 11-hydroxy-yohimbine, is 6-8 hours (18), so it is not necessary to take it every 2 hours. It is best to start with half the dose or less to see how sensitive you are to yohimbine, as inter-individual bioavailability and tolerance can vary greatly.

7. What are some good supplements to take with yohimbine?

As covered above, arginine and other NO enhancers may operate synergistically with yohimbine as a sexual stimulant. It is also probably synergistic with caffeine for fat loss through PDE inhibition.

A possible synergism between yohimbine and ephedrine hasn't been thoroughly explored, and the information that exists is somewhat contradictory. In theory, they should work well together as yohimbine blocks one of the negative feedback mechanisms that would normally make ephedrine less effective. Cell culture studies confirm that yohimbine increases the lipolytic effects of beta(3) agonists (19). However, a study using rats indicated that yohimbine blocked the effects of the same beta(3) agonist, indicating that the two may antagonize each other (19). Additionally, a study on cardiovascular variables found that ephedrine and caffeine together were safe, but the addition of yohimbine may produce undesirable effects (20). So it is still unknown whether the combination of yohimbine and ephedrine produces any additional benefit, and whether it is justified by the potential dangers.
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If you know what Yohimbine is, then dont read that stuff ^^^.

-I will be running about a 2-3 week log of Yohimbine HCI. I say 2-3 weeks because I am still determining what is a proper dose for my body.
-I will be using the claims on the bottle to judge this product. (ex. on bottle it says "increased energy" , I will use this as one criteria)

[FFGtobuff]

First workout with 1 cap of yohimbine, (3mg)

Lat pull-downs - 3x10-12
iso-high row- 3x5-7
high row (hammer strength)- 3x8
Rear delt fly- 3x10
-20-25 min cardio after lifting.

Feelings: I took the capsule before driving to the gym. I got a slight headache during my drive to the gym, but that faded away. At the gym I can't really say I felt increased energy.
I'm coming to realize that I can't really "feel" this product's effects all too much in terms of it "increasing energy" but I will see if that changes.
On a better note the appetite suppression was good, I wasn't too hungry after workout.

NOTE: I will continue to adjust the dosage, this may change the products effect on me.

[FFGtobuff]

Hey I will be doing chest today and then intense cardio

Here is the planned workout:
Flat Bench Press, 3 sets of 10,6, 4 reps to failure
Incline Bench Press, 3 sets of 10,6, 4 reps to failure
Dumbbell Flys,3 sets of 10,6, 4 reps to failure
Pullovers, 3 sets of 10,6, 4 reps to failure

Then I will either do 25-30 min on elliptical or run sprints for 20-25 min.

Will report back.

I will take 2 Caps.

[MustangManGT]

Great start so far man!

[FFGtobuff]

Feelings from back workout:
- Energy was not like the usual stimulant like energy I get from caffeine, although I do feel more awake while on Yohimbine.
- I feel this dosing of 2 caps was more effective than before.
- Appetite suppression was effective.
- I was more tired than usual after this workout.


Thoughts: I may be going about this log wrong by reviewing yohimbine as a pre-workout. I feel I could go about it in a different way, any suggestions would be appreciated.
- It has only been a few days so fat loss can't be properly judge just yet.

[MustangManGT]

Yohimbine HCL isn't necessarily something you should track on a day-to-day basis. Perhaps a better approach would be to post about your cumulative effects overall nearing the end of the bottle. In the meantime you could just post up general thoughts (i.e. how your workout was for the day, et cetera) and track progress as you see/feel it.

I think your log is looking great though man!

[FFGtobuff]

Things have been getting better with Yohimbine HCI, My headaches from Yohimbine are gone.

Roughly a week into the log, and upped the dose to two capsules.

Appetite suppression is still good as usual. I also want to mention my stamina when doing cardio has improved; although I am reluctant to say if this all due to Yohimbine, because I have been upping my intensity with my cardio.

Not much in terms of weight loss yet, I am trying to lower my cals slowly.

[MustangManGT]

Great updates man! Thanks for sharing. Hitting that deficit is key man, once your diet is in place, you should see some fat burning effects towards the end of your run.

[calibeach]

Hey man this is like the only log of yohimbine. Any guesses as to when u will be giving this product a recommendation?

[Mmstrength]

Diet guru Lyle Mcdonald has always written that yohimbine should be taken as: 0.2 mg/kg bodyweight taken with caffeine 30-60 minutes before fasted cardio. So a 70 kg (154 lb) individual would take 14 mg

Read his books or website at bodyrecomposition.com

Just an fyi. Hate to waste a great ingredient with less than optimal dosage.

[FFGtobuff]

hmmm 14 mg would be about 5 pills. I think I will try your suggestion if I am granted permission by MustangmanGT.

I'm not sure if he would approve of me taking it with caffeine, also I thought MustangmanGT would have wanted me to follow the directions on the bottle which says take 1-2 servings a day. (2 pills)

But if I get his approval I definitely will want to stack it with caffeine and up the dose to that not listed on the bottle.

[MustangManGT]

hmmm 14 mg would be about 5 pills. I think I will try your suggestion if I am granted permission by MustangmanGT.

I'm not sure if he would approve of me taking it with caffeine, also I thought MustangmanGT would have wanted me to follow the directions on the bottle which says take 1-2 servings a day. (2 pills)

But if I get his approval I definitely will want to stack it with caffeine and up the dose to that not listed on the bottle.

I would prefer you to follow the instructions on the label, but if you're not seeing the results you desire, you may use it in conjunction with caffeine.

I can not personally recommend increasing the dose higher, that is something you will want to decide for yourself.

[Mmstrength]

I would prefer you to follow the instructions on the label, but if you're not seeing the results you desire, you may use it in conjunction with caffeine.

I can not personally recommend increasing the dose higher, that is something you will want to decide for yourself.

I agree that it is always advised to use it as it says on the label, but every yohimbine label is exactly the same. So what is the difference between one companies yohimbine versus another? Up the dosage and find out. There is probably more than 3mg of it in a VPX Redine.. and certainly a Biotest Spike!

[EnergyBeast4]

Haven't tried this before. What are your goals while on this?

[FFGtobuff]

^^^ Goals are to cut fat of course.
My style is I go on nice long,bulks then long cuts.

[FFGtobuff]

Hey man this is like the only log of yohimbine. Any guesses as to when u will be giving this product a recommendation?

I have used quite a bit of the product.

I have to say that the energy is not the normal caffeine/stim energy. The energy is not really a highlight of the product imo. I feel the energy yes but is not even close to the energy on caffeine or DMAA. The energy is only really noticeable when if you are pretty drowsy when you take it, even then its not comparable to caffeine or DMAA.

When I upped the dose to 4 pills the effects of the Yohimbine were magnified. The appetite suppression, I feel, lasted longer.

As far as recommendation goes, I have an idea of what I'm going to say but I'd like to finish the log before I write one.

[FFGtobuff]

Pretty well into my log, and surprisingly not really "de-sensitized" to yohimbine.
I have upped my dose to 4 caps a serving.
I am seeing some fat loss, and I've reached my goal caloric deficit.

The product has definitely made it easier for me to bring my calories down and eat less.

[FFGtobuff]

Oh yea just wanted to post up my workout today:

I just isolated calves today :

standing calves raises w/dbs: 3x15
seated stiff leg calve extension: 3x20
single leg calves raise: 3x25

-15 min cardio

[MustangManGT]

Awesome! Great to hear you're having some solid results.

Keep it up man, I can't wait to see the end-result!

[FFGtobuff]

Hey guys just wanna let u know I'm almost done with the product but am not done with my cut as a whole. Been taking 4 Pill servings

[FFGtobuff]

my gym will be closed today and tommorow, so no workouts just cardio for today. Also I will be posting up my final thoughts of the product soon since I'm almost done with the bottle.

[MustangManGT]

my gym will be closed today and tommorow, so no workouts just cardio for today. Also I will be posting up my final thoughts of the product soon since I'm almost done with the bottle.

Hope you're having a great holiday!

Excited to see your final review bud!

[FFGtobuff]

my workout yesterday:

10x5- bb benchpress flat
12x3 tricep push downs
10x3 cable chest flies.

4 caps pre.

Feeling sore this morning, didn't do cardio cause I was feeling extra tired after this workout.

-only about 6 caps left, gonna finish them up by the end of the week and throw up a pic for you guys.

I forgot to take before pics , so yeah.

Also I wanna let you guys know this was only about 1 month cut coming on a 7 month bulk so I'm probably not gonna be that lean.

[FFGtobuff]

I'm done with the bottle of yohimbine.

Final thoughts:
- Yohimbine was great for appetite suppression, and larger doses provided greater suppression.
- "energy" is not a highlight of Yohimbine, I would heavily recommend stacking Yohimbine with caffeine for energy.
- Studies done on Yohimbine (like in my first post) show that it does indeed work but its effects are not necessarily effects you can "feel" .
- MAN sports Yohimbine HCI is a great source of this stimulant, I recommend it over yohimbe due to the side effects yohimbe has been reported to cause.

Ratings (based on criteria on bottle):
Appetite suppression :
energy: like I said not a highlight, not really an energy supplement imo. 5/10
Fat loss: good. I saw fat was coming off stubborn areas at a good rate. 8.5/10
appetite suppression: excellent, the highlight of the product. I've preached about this quality through the whole log, it beats caffeine and all other stims I've taken in this area. 10/10

Overall: I would say this product is a great product by man sports. The source is great and it is a good quality Yohimbine. In the future if I choose this product again I would no doubt stack the product with other supplements like caffeine and carnitine. If you are trying to make your own fatburner I'd highly recommend this product. The price is also fantastic.

Please note my picture is from only a month or so of cutting. I am not done with my cut just yet.

[MustangManGT]

Fantastic job man! I can only imagine what the results would be like from a 2 month run! Thanks for running this log for me, I really appreciate it!

[HughBurtis]

Fantastic job man! I can only imagine what the results would be like from a 2 month run! Thanks for running this log for me, I really appreciate it!

Hey, I have a question. I tried sending an e-mail to you since you're a rep but I don't think it went through. Anyhow, is Man Sports Yohimbine HCL a hydrochloride?