Yohimbine is a fat-burning Nutraceutical with a dark side that is worth the attention of those seeking to sculpt themselves into an Adonis or those intent on reincarnating a tribal African chief's libido.
Although I would not recommend this potent performance enhancer to everyone, there are a couple of specific use cases that it's quite good for, which this article will explain.
This article will mostly focus on decoding what the human studies are saying about Yohimbine and how this squares up with the anecdotal experiences of Biohackers online.
History
Yohimbine vs Yohimbe
Yohimbine is a supplement derived from the bark of the Corynanthe Yohimbe West African tree, that no doubt was infamous among African medicine men since time immemorial as an aphrodisiac (Afro-disiac?) Proto-Viagra.
Scientific Research
It has over 40 human clinical trials conducted in the past 10 years, even though it's of African origin the majority of the good science was done in the United States and other Western countries.
Unleashing Your Inner Incubus
When I was a young dude chasing skirts in Denver almost every night, one of my friends started dating a real-life witch. No, she did not ride a broomstick or sacrifice cats but she did cast various spells and perform rituals with candles and pentagrams. Even though I don't really believe in that sort of thing I asked her one time...
Is there a special spell you could cast that would result in me having some kind of intensely pleasurable sexual experience?
She responded that she was willing to cast just such a spell that would give me the kind of peak sexual experience I was curious about but there would be a major downside...
If, after enjoying a metaphysically potent sexual romp, I betrayed the spirit of the spell by disregarding or disrespecting whoever I slept with I would have a steep cost to pay in bad karma or rotten luck.
I'm not very superstitious and my sex life was not bad at the time so I decided not to take the chance that her magic might backfire.
Upon reading or listening to numerous guys' anecdotal accounts of Yohimbine I got the eerie impression that it's similarly a high-reward, high-risk hack for peak sexual hedonism.
It enhances the sexual sensations and intensity of orgasms, quite a bit for some guys, sometimes.
Men anecdotally report that it makes you very horny and aggressive, I would only use it if I was sure I was going to have sex. It might not be a good supplement for guys who are really committed to no fapping.
It might cause premature ejaculation, so make sure to practice those Kegels!
It takes effect pretty quickly and you would want to take it within about 2 hours of having sex, so perhaps add a bit of Yohimbine to your date night stack.
Although, this clever dude advises using it for morning sex because it is a stimulant that will disrupt your sleep if taken within a few hours of bed.
It's also worth the attention of guys who want to treat erectile dysfunction. A meta-analysis of 7 Yohimbine studies out of a prestigious university concluded:
The benefit of yohimbine medication for erectile dysfunction seems to outweigh its risks. Therefore, yohimbine is believed to be a reasonable therapeutic option for erectile dysfunction that should be considered as initial pharmacological intervention.
According to another study of 18 American men struggling with erectile dysfunction, it increased penile girth. So it makes your penis just slightly girthier (which is a word according to urbandictionary.com!) Yohimbine might just make your boners great again!
A Powerful Fat Burner
Its most notable effect is fat loss, although I'm not sure if the scientific research supports the notion of the average chubby couch potato using Yohimbine to lose weight.
One of the more notable human studies was conducted with 20 soccer players in Serbia. They gave 10 milligrams to the athletes twice a day. The study concluded
The results of the current study indicate that supplementation with yohimbine combined with resistance training does not significantly alter the body mass, muscle mass, or performance indicators in professional soccer players. Nonetheless, yohimbine supplementation appears to be suitable as a fat loss strategy in elite athletes.
Yohimbine has a novel mechanism that burns stubborn fat in areas of the body that are usually hard to lose weight. Perhaps you've been exerting herculean efforts in the gym for years or months but frustratingly you have some determined-to-stay fat on your lower stomach that prevents you from developing a sexy six-pack, Yohimbine might help!
Anecdotally, pretty close to 100% of the users are reporting that it worked as advertised for weight loss combined with serious exercise. If you're willing to do work to lose weight Yohimbine will help.
A Fasting "Cofactor"
It only works if you use it while fasting - if you are eating within a few hours of dosing Yohimbine it won't burn any of your fat. You would want to use Yohimbine in combination with...
Intermittent fasting - Spending 14-16 hours a day NOT eating or snacking. Often means eating a late dinner, skipping breakfast, and eating a late lunch.
Or
A 24-hour fast - Easiest when done between lunch and the next day's lunch.
I would NOT use it during a two or three-day fast, as it is very stimulating, during a multiple-day fast you don't want to be really stimulated and burning a lot of calories.
This excellent interview explains why fasting is crucial to a holistic biohacker's lifestyle and long-term health.
Appetite Suppressant
Some animal studies suggest that it eradicates appetite which may make it doubly effective as a weight-loss measure. There's no good human research on this though.
Pre-Workout
It's used by bodybuilders as a pre-workout supplement because many find it extremely stimulating...
Sleep
An older Canadian study found that 10 milligrams of Yohimbine supplementation by women did not affect their sleep hormone levels. However, several of the anecdotal accounts advise against using it before sleep as it may keep you up. I used it myself several times in the early evenings before a gym session and lower doses of 5 milligrams later in the evenings before sex and I didn't notice it hurting my sleep quality or keeping me up.
Experiential
Watching the Youtube testimonials of Yohimbine is pretty entertaining and will give you a good idea of what to expect from this very experiential performance enhancer although a lot of these guys are clearly pitching products or playing cartoonish characters.
Testosterone Enhancer?
You might think that Yohimbine is a testosterone promoter. It's not, a 2002 American study of 18 men found it did not affect testosterone.
Mechanism of Action
This alkaloid burns fat and energizes our biology via several mechanisms
Release of adrenalin and noradrenalin are the survival neurotransmitters of panic and aggression.
Vasodilation increasing blood flow throughout the body.
Inhibits the Alpha2 fat receptors responsible for the stubborn fat around your belly
Sources
There's an important distinction to be made between Yohimbe and Yohimbine HCL.
Yohimbine HCL is the specific molecule that has been demonstrated in human clinical trials to have the kinds of beneficial effects on fat loss, libido, and energy levels praised by all those giant guys on YouTube.
Yohimbe is just the name of the tree bark that it is derived from, like anything in nature it contains numerous other pharmacologically active molecules. Despite what the marketing or the product labeling claims you really have no idea how much Yohimbine HCL is contained in a Yohimbe supplement. It may be none, it may be way too much and give you an unpleasant panic attack.
You are really playing Russian roulette if you just pick up a random Yohimbe or Yohimbine supplement from the shelves of your local pharmacy or take it as part of a branded pre-workout product. This is why I highly recommend that you get your Yohimbine HCL from...
A pharmaceutical-grade source that isolates the Yohimbine HCL.
A vendor that provides a credible 3rd party certificate of analysis.
Or at least a reputable, highly recommended vendor that stands behind their products.
Like RUPharma, that's where I got mine from.
Downloadable Yohimbine?
You may be interested in taking it as an infoceutical - a non-pharmacological, side-effect-free version of the supplement that takes advantage of the phenomenon of water memory - which is imprinted on water via quantum collocation and electromagnetism using this device...
Infocueticals typically have 1/3 or half the effect of the actual medicine being imprinted. If you're skeptical of Infopathy that's understandable, it's a game-changing application of a little-known scientific phenomenon. But I'd urge you to evaluate the scientific evidence (presented in my biohacker review) that downloadable medicine is no longer science fiction...
Side Effects
Large doses can cause anxiety and panic attacks. You want to be conservative with the dosage or else you're going to have a bad time. If you are stimulant-sensitive or have had issues with stimulants stay away from Yohimbine!
For people with bipolar disorder, it may cause manic psychosis and even suicidal episodes.
Risk Grade: C+
If you have medium to high tolerance to stimulating supplements and are willing to keep the dosage low you'll likely find the Yohimbine's side effects very manageable.
It's non-addictive and does not really have a habit-forming mechanism but you would still want to be meticulous about cycling and using it sparingly.
It stimulates the anxiety hormones so if you have any kind of anxiety issues stay away from it.
An American 2011 study noted that it seemed to increase the cravings of alcoholics in recovery. So if you've had problems with booze stay away from Yohimbine.
Anyone with mental health challenges would want to avoid it!
An (idiotic!) bodybuilder once took 5000 milligrams and almost died of seizures.
Apparently, there was a recent American study where they analyzed 49 different brands of Yohimbine supplements and it turned out that the actual quantity of Yohimbine varies vastly from what was advertised on the label. Shamefully some Yohimbine supplements contained NO Yohimbine!
Is Yohimbine a Nootropic?
Obesity will definitely make you less limitless, obesity is linked to cognitive decline. So in the long term, it could be great for the vitality of your mind, however...
An older Japanese study reported that it slightly retarded cognition and a more recent American study found it reduced cerebral blood flow. This should have an anti-Nootropic effect.
Although, it's frequently reported that it makes you quite energetic and restless which may make it a productivity and mood enhancer for some but there are a lot better Nootropic options out there for improving productivity and mood.
If you have some intellectually demanding tasks in the next few hours I would stay away from Yohimbine.
Cofactors
I would not tempt entropy by combining Yohimbine with a bunch of different things. I would stack it with one or two other supplements maximum.
Horny Goat Weed
A couple of guys report combining Yohimbine with the granddaddy of herbal male performance enhancers resulted in some explosive sexual episodes. Horny Goat Weed is a more conservative libido enhancer, so it's worth trying to spice things up in the bedroom as long as you keep the Yohimbine dose conservative.
You'll frequently find supplemental male vitality products that combine Horny Goat Weed and Yohimbine, again you have no idea how much Yohimbine these actually contain, so avoid them.
Anxiolytics
Some biohackers suggest that because it's such an anxiety-causing stimulant, you might take it with another Nootropic that is soothing or tranquilizing like Phenibut or Ashwagandha. This seems like a good idea to me!
Caffeine
A number of bodybuilders wash their Yohimbine down with black coffee because the caffeine has a synergistic effect in burning fat and energizing you for an epic gym session, but this is combining two stimulants so keep the dosage conservative.
Viagra
It's synergistic with the little blue pill, according to an Egyptian animal study. A few of the bros on YouTube report combining the two without disaster ensuing. If you're tempted to take Viagra, DON'T! Or at least listen to my recent interview with researcher Mark Sloan first.
Usage & Dosage
Usage
Take it while fasted, on an empty stomach, 4 hours from a meal
Dosage
The proper dose is very specific
0.2 milligrams per kilogram of body weight
So for a person weighing...
250 pounds 22 milligrams
200 pounds 18 milligrams
150 pounds 14 milligrams
125 pounds 11 milligrams
If you're starting with Yohimbine I'd recommend being very conservative
Start with a dose as low as 2.5 milligrams
See how you respond and increase it to 5 milligrams
30 milligrams is the extreme high end. Unless you're the Hulk stay away from this end of the dosage spectrum.
Conclusion...
There is certainly some risk in using Yohimbine but it's a very predictable risk since I have a medium stimulant tolerance and am willing to be disciplined and conservative with the dosage I think I'll try it. I could see how this could be a secret weapon of hardcore lifehackers who want to drop 5 or 10 milligrams before some hot morning sex and then go kill it in the gym a few times a week.
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The Incubus-Adonis Herb from Africa