The use of plant steroids to improve physical health and performance is becoming increasingly
popular. One of these plant steroids is diosgenin, which is mainly available in fenugreek.
As a result, some studies have been conducted to improve physical health. Fenugreek
extracts are also becoming increasingly popular in the context of athletic performance.
Based on these assumptions, a systematic review with meta-analysis was conducted to
evaluate the promoting effects of fenugreek on strength performance, body composition,
and hormone concentration. Four databases were screened according to Preferred Reporting
Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. The current version
of ReviewManager (RevMan) was used for the statistical evaluation. Seven studies with
449 participants (378 male, 71 female) met the inclusion criteria. A small effect
of fenugreek was detected for total testosterone (standard mean difference (SMD):
0.32; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.09 0.55), free testosterone (SMD: 0.24; 95%
CI: -0.04, 0.52), lean body mass (SMD: 0.19; 95% CI: -0.10, 0.49), fat mass (SMD:
-0.19; 95% CI: -0.44, 0.05), and leg press performance (SMD: 0.22; 95% CI: -0.02,
0.47), in male athletes. The meta-analysis shows that chronic application of fenugreek
has performance-enhancing and anabolic effects in male athletes, but no statements
can be made for female athletes.
