Febugreek

This month's issue mentions fenugreek as a useful supplement for balancing hormones - in particular to boost testosterone.

As someone who's just starting to run over an hour in marathon training, I'm interested. This is mostly because want to retain as much of my cross-training muscle as I can (not that there's much, I just want to keep my cycling legs).

Does anyone have any opinions or experiences to share about fenugreek? 

Ironically, the main google search results talk you to Livestrong pages. They're no stranger to testosterone 

[How embarrassing - I've spelt the title wrong 

The one thing the study DIDN'T find was that testosterone was boosted. RW has, as usual, garbled or exaggerated the finding. In any case, it was for a specific drug based on fenugreek extract, not fenugreek itself.

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ptr.3360/abstract

If I were you I would stay away from herbal extracts and the like - who knows what weird chemicals they contain. Plants often want to protect themselves from being eaten by being poisonous, for example.  Most of your training sessions will still be under an hour so the point the study makes about long sessions is moot. Eat healthily, avoid processed foods and you'll be fine.

Thanks Steve.

Your advice is pretty much what I've always done. It's a funny thing that RW should be tempting me to dabble in this stuff against my better judgement. By which I mean it's a bad thing.

I'm quite new to this magazine. I think I'll be a bit wary of the tabloid nature of some of it's reporting in future.

stick to fenugreek in curries - much better for you that way

I love fenugreek leaves (kasoori methi). You'll also find them dried in most Indian groceries. All you need to do is to sprinkle a spoonful after you've finished cooking a curry or add them to flavour your rice, like in a pilau. Methi-mattar pulao (fenugreek leaves and peas) is a favourite in our household. It's very easy to grow them as well.