A Fenugreek extract marketed as Libifem by Gencor was linked to significant improvements in athletic performance and body composition in a population of 84 women between the ages of 25 and 45 when used in conjunction with a resistance training program, in a study published in Frontiers in Nutrition.
 
In the study, participants either received a daily dose of 300 or 600 milligrams of Libifem daily, or a matching placebo for eight weeks. During that time, all of the groups participated in the same whole-body exercise program three times weekly throughout the study duration.
 
At baseline, and again at weeks four and eight, all participants were tested for muscle strength and endurance, functional threshold power, body composition, and hormones.
 
There were significant differences in strength (p=0.045), lean muscle mass (p=0.011), and decreases in total fat and trunk fat mass (0.96 kg loss compared to 0.09 kg gain in placebo group) in the group of women who supplemented with 600 mg of Libifem daily, compared to both groups.
 
“The major outcomes from this study can be applied to women’s resistance training, as there is a need for natural products that benefit body composition. Despite the potential variables involved in female-only exercise studies, the beneficial effects of Libifem following resistance training were evident, and the product was well tolerated,” the authors concluded.
 
They noted that there were several other studies preceding this which found that both men and women who supplemented with fenugreek at similar dosages saw similar benefits in measures of strength such as the 1RM leg press or bench press. “Although the present study focuses on females, the results of fenugreek on resistance training and body composition appear transferable between genders, with similar changes being seen across studies.”
 
“We are thrilled with the study outcomes and Libifem’s tremendous ability to support women in athletics,” said R.V. Venkatesh, co-founder of Gencor. “Libifem is helping to revolutionize the women’s sports and active nutrition categories by validating its ingredient with gold standard clinical research. We will continue to investigate Libifem and its impact on women’s health.”