Summary

Yohimbine hydrochloride (HCl) is a prescription stimulant that is most commonly known to help fight against erectile dysfunction. [1] More recently, bodybuilders have been seen using yohimbine for fat loss. [2] [3]

Benefits and Effects

Treating Erectile Dysfunction

Short-term treatment with an oral combination of yohimbine and L-arginine improved mild to moderate symptoms of erectile dysfunction in a cohort of married adult males. [4] In another human study, a third of the male subjects experienced either partial or full restoration of sustained erections after two to three weeks of oral yohimbine treatment. [5]

Heightening Libido

In two separate rat studies, yohimbine supplementation increased sexual arousal, sexual motivation, and frequency of ejaculation. [6] [7]

Female rat and human studies did not observe any significant effect on sexual behaviour following yohimbine treatment. [8] [9] Yohimbine did not increase or decrease sexual desire in female human participants. [9]

Accelerating Weight Loss

Oral yohimbine administration in healthy adult males resulted in the most significant increase in lipid mobilization when compared with other alpha-adrenoreceptor antagonists. [3]

Intensifying Cardiovascular Benefit

In conjunction with a hypocaloric diet, the addition of yohimbine increased cardiac load during dynamic exercise in obese women. [10] This means that the cardiovascular benefits of aerobic physical activity are enhanced as a consequence of yohimbine intake.

Elevating Energy Levels

In the case of yohimbine, its effects stimulate the sympathetic nervous system—also known as the fight or flight response. [11] [12]

Trained endurance athletes may opt to take yohimbine pre-workout to elevate their energy levels and heighten their physiological responses to physical exertion. [13]

Reducing Fear and Social Anxiety

Preliminary animal research findings report that yohimbine treatment successfully facilitated fear extinction in conditionally feared mice. [14]

Managing Diabetes

A prescription for yohimbine could help treat the symptoms of people living with type 2 diabetes. The onset of type 2 diabetes has been associated with an alpha-adrenergic receptor. [15] [16]

Decreasing Risk of Blood Clots

Dietary supplementation with yohimbine may also inhibit epinephrine-induced blood clotting. [17] Yohimbine promotes the conversion of epinephrine to norepinephrine, thus reducing the risk of blood clots. [17]

How Yohimbine Works

Yohimbine is a naturally occurring indole alkaloid found within the bark of the yohimbe tree. [18] [19] Indole alkaloids execute metabolic functions that affect both the central and peripheral nervous systems; yohimbine acts primarily on the peripheral system. [12]

According to pharmacological analysis, half-life of yohimbine is rapid, between half a minute to eighteen minutes after consumption. [20] The effects of yohimbine are likely to last anywhere from a quarter of an hour to two and a half hours, at most. [20]

Dosage

Recommendation yohimbine-HCl dosage is 0.2mg/kg of bodyweight.

The maximum yohimbine dosage for erectile dysfunction is 42mg. [5]

An appropriate yohimbine dosage for fat loss is 20mg/day, divided into two equal portions. [21] It is recommended that you take your doses before a meal to offset any fluctuations in insulin levels, as a result of the yohimbine.

Side Effects

Most common yohimbine hydrochloride side effects include anxiety, headache, dizziness, elevated blood pressure, and rapid heartbeat. [11]

At higher doses, yohimbine can even cause psychotropic effects, like hallucinations. Individuals who suffer from any kind of heart condition and/or high or low blood pressure should not take yohimbine.

The potential for drastic changes in heart rate and/or blood pressure could put your health in severe danger. [23] Never combine yohimbine with an anti-depression medication unless you have been told otherwise by a healthcare professional.

Stacks

A popular stack combination is L-arginine glutamate and yohimbine hydrochloride. [4] [22] The combined oral administration of these stacked supplements has been shown to be a safe and effective short-term solution to erectile dysfunction. [22]