Best Supplement for Sports: Why Runners in Singapore Are Turning to Tongkat Ali as a Natural Supplement

At 5:30 a.m., before the humidity settles into the air, East Coast Park is already alive with movement. Headlamps flicker along the paths, Garmin watches beep softly, and clusters of runners move in steady rhythm against the backdrop of the sea. Among them is Jonathan, a 38-year-old corporate lawyer training for the Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon. His weekday schedule is relentless, yet he rarely misses a run.

“I don’t struggle to start,” he says. “I struggle to recover.”

This sentiment captures a shift within Singapore’s running culture. While participation in endurance sports continues to grow, the conversation has moved beyond mileage and pace. Increasingly, runners are asking how to sustain performance without compromising long-term health. Within this evolving landscape, Tongkat Ali (Eurycoma longifolia), a traditional Southeast Asian botanical, has begun to attract attention — not as a stimulant, but as a regulator of recovery, fatigue, and physiological resilience.

The Rise of Marathon Culture in Singapore

Distance running in Singapore is no longer a niche pursuit. Over the past decade, events such as the Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon and the Sundown Marathon have transformed the city into a hub for endurance athletes. Corporate professionals, students, and retirees alike now structure their routines around training cycles, long runs, and race-day goals.

This surge in participation reflects more than a fitness trend. It speaks to a broader cultural alignment with discipline, resilience, and self-optimisation. However, the demands of endurance training — particularly in Singapore’s tropical climate — introduce unique physiological challenges.

Running in high heat and humidity accelerates fluid loss, increases cardiovascular strain, and amplifies perceived exertion. Over time, these stressors contribute not only to physical fatigue but also to hormonal imbalances, particularly involving cortisol, the body’s primary stress hormone.

For runners like Melissa, a 32-year-old marketing executive, the issue is not motivation but sustainability.

“I can push through a long run,” she explains, “but by midweek, I feel drained. It’s like my body hasn’t caught up.”

Her experience highlights a critical reality: performance is not determined solely by training intensity, but by the body’s ability to recover and adapt.

Recovery and Endurance: The Overlooked Variables

In endurance sports, recovery is often misunderstood as passive rest. In reality, it is an active biological process involving muscle repair, hormonal regulation, and nervous system recalibration. When recovery is insufficient, fatigue accumulates, performance plateaus, and the risk of injury increases.

At the centre of this process lies cortisol. While essential for acute stress responses, chronically elevated cortisol can impair muscle recovery, disrupt sleep, and reduce overall energy availability. For runners balancing demanding careers with intensive training, this hormonal imbalance is not uncommon.

Scientific literature suggests that Tongkat Ali may influence cortisol dynamics. In a 2013 randomised controlled trial by Talbott et al. published in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 200 mg/day of standardised Physta® extract over four weeks was associated with a 16% reduction in cortisol and a 37% increase in testosterone in moderately stressed individuals. Although the study population was not limited to athletes, the implications are directly relevant to endurance runners, whose training imposes both physical and psychological stress.

More directly relevant to active populations: a 2014 pilot study by Henkel et al. in Phytotherapy Research examined 400 mg/day of standardised Tongkat Ali extract for five weeks in physically active men and women over the age of 57. The trial reported significant increases in total and free testosterone concentration and muscular force in both sexes, without adverse events — providing the strongest published evidence for the upper end of the daily dosing range in active populations.

By modulating cortisol and supporting testosterone availability, Tongkat Ali may help create a physiological environment more conducive to recovery. This, in turn, could support more consistent training and improved endurance over time.

From Stimulation to Regulation: A Shift in Supplementation

For decades, sports supplementation has been dominated by synthetic compounds designed to enhance immediate performance. Pre-workout formulas, energy gels, and caffeine-based drinks offer rapid increases in alertness and perceived energy. However, these benefits are often accompanied by trade-offs, including jitteriness, gastrointestinal discomfort, and post-exercise crashes.

In contrast, Tongkat Ali represents a different paradigm. Rather than stimulating the central nervous system, it appears to work by regulating internal systems, particularly those related to stress and hormonal balance.

This distinction is not merely theoretical. It reflects a broader shift among athletes who are increasingly wary of over-reliance on synthetic interventions. In Singapore, where health literacy is high and access to information is widespread, runners are becoming more selective about what they consume.

“I used to take pre-workout before every long run,” says Daniel, a 40-year-old tech consultant. “It worked, but I felt wired. Now I’m more interested in staying balanced.”

This evolving mindset has created space for natural supplements that align with long-term performance goals rather than short-term gains.

The Role of Tongkat Ali in Endurance Performance

The potential benefits of Tongkat Ali for runners can be understood through several interconnected mechanisms. One of the most studied is its effect on testosterone. While often associated with strength and muscle mass, testosterone also plays a role in energy levels, motivation, and recovery.

Research suggests that Tongkat Ali may increase free testosterone by reducing the binding activity of sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG). This increase in bioavailable testosterone could support muscle repair and reduce fatigue, particularly in individuals experiencing stress-related hormonal suppression.

Additionally, Tongkat Ali has been linked to improvements in perceived energy and mood. These subjective outcomes are significant in endurance sports, where mental resilience often determines performance as much as physical capacity.

It is important to acknowledge, however, that the evidence is not uniformly conclusive. A 2024 study by Antonio et al. in Applied Sciences examining trained individuals found no significant changes in testosterone or cortisol levels following supplementation. This inconsistency suggests that Tongkat Ali’s effects may be context-dependent, with greater benefits observed in individuals experiencing higher baseline stress, fatigue, or hormonal suppression — and smaller or no effect in already-optimised hormonal profiles.

This leads to a plausible hypothesis: Tongkat Ali may function less as a performance enhancer in already-elite athletes, and more as a performance stabiliser, particularly in environments where recovery is compromised by life stress, sleep debt, or accumulated training load.

Fatigue Management in a Tropical Climate

Singapore’s climate introduces an additional layer of complexity to endurance training. High humidity reduces the efficiency of sweat evaporation, leading to greater thermal strain. As a result, runners often experience higher heart rates and faster onset of fatigue compared to those training in cooler environments.

This environmental stress interacts with internal physiological systems, amplifying the effects of cortisol and accelerating energy depletion. Over time, the cumulative burden can lead to what many runners describe as “invisible fatigue” — a persistent sense of tiredness that is not fully resolved by rest.

Tongkat Ali’s potential role in fatigue management lies in its ability to modulate this internal response. By supporting hormonal balance and reducing the impact of chronic stress, it may help runners maintain a more stable energy profile, even under challenging conditions.

Athlete Testimonials and Emerging Trends

Although large-scale clinical trials in athletic populations remain limited, anecdotal evidence from runners provides valuable insight into emerging trends. Online forums, running groups, and informal conversations reveal a growing interest in Tongkat Ali as part of a broader approach to natural supplementation.

Farid, a 45-year-old seasoned marathoner, describes his experience after incorporating Tongkat Ali into his routine:

“I didn’t feel a sudden boost, but over a few weeks, my recovery improved. I wasn’t as sore, and I felt more consistent in my runs.”

Similarly, Elaine, a recreational runner preparing for her first half marathon, notes:

“I used to rely on caffeine, but I didn’t like the ups and downs. With Tongkat Ali, it’s more subtle. I just feel less drained.”

These testimonials, while not scientifically definitive, align with the concept of gradual physiological regulation rather than immediate stimulation.

Natural vs Synthetic: A Question of Sustainability

The distinction between natural and synthetic supplements is often oversimplified, yet it remains relevant in the context of long-term athletic performance. Synthetic supplements are typically designed to produce rapid, measurable effects. While effective in the short term, they may not address underlying imbalances and can contribute to dependency.

Natural supplements, particularly adaptogens, operate on a different timescale. Their effects are often cumulative, reflecting changes in the body’s internal environment rather than direct stimulation.

In this sense, Tongkat Ali aligns with a more sustainable approach to performance — one that prioritises resilience over intensity. For runners navigating the dual demands of training and professional life, this approach may be particularly appealing.

Integrating Tongkat Ali into a Runner’s Routine

For those considering Tongkat Ali, it is essential to approach supplementation with realistic expectations. The effects are not immediate but develop over consistent use across several weeks.

The evidence-backed daily range for a standardised extract is 200–400 mg, with 200 mg the most-replicated baseline and 400 mg the upper end of the routinely-evidenced daily window. For endurance runners and other physically active populations, the upper end of the range (300–400 mg) is supported by the Henkel et al. (2014) study cited above, and is more likely to be physiologically relevant when training load is high. Around 600 mg sits at the upper clinical ceiling for shorter-term, cycled blocks during peak training phases; doses above 600 mg are experimental and lack long-term human data.

Timing matters more for runners than for sedentary users, because the herb’s cortisol-modulating and androgen-supporting effects can be deliberately timed to a session. Three windows are evidence-supported:

• In the morning — with or without food, aligned with the body’s cortisol-testosterone diurnal rhythm and the timing used in most published clinical trials. Suitable for early-morning training.
• Roughly 30 minutes before exercise on training days. Pre-workout dosing leverages the herb’s effects through the session itself, and is the timing favoured by serious athletes. Particularly useful before key sessions or long runs.
• In the evening — generally well-tolerated, with a 2022 RCT in healthy Japanese adults (Toyama et al., Japanese Pharmacology & Therapeutics) suggesting potential sleep-quality benefits. Useful for runners whose only training window is post-work. The one precaution: avoid dosing within an hour or two of bedtime, particularly in the first couple of weeks.

Equally important is the recognition that no supplement can replace foundational practices such as proper nutrition, hydration, sleep, and structured training. Tongkat Ali should be viewed as a complementary tool rather than a primary solution.

Conclusion: Redefining Performance in Singapore’s Running Community

As Singapore’s running culture continues to evolve, so too does the understanding of performance. The focus is shifting from isolated metrics to a more holistic perspective that encompasses recovery, resilience, and long-term sustainability.

Tongkat Ali, rooted in regional tradition and supported by emerging scientific evidence, represents one facet of this shift. It does not promise dramatic transformations or immediate results. Instead, it offers a more measured benefit — supporting the systems that enable consistent performance over time.

For runners like Jonathan, the goal is no longer simply to finish a race, but to do so while preserving the capacity to run again the next day, the next week, and the next year.

“I used to think performance was about pushing harder,” he reflects. “Now I think it’s about staying steady.”

In a climate that tests both body and mind, that distinction may make all the difference.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will Tongkat Ali help me run faster?

Not directly, and not immediately. Tongkat Ali is not a stimulant or an ergogenic aid in the way caffeine or beta-alanine are. Where it appears to help is on the recovery and resilience side — reducing cortisol load, supporting bioavailable testosterone, and helping maintain a steadier energy profile through high training volume. Faster times, where they appear, tend to come indirectly through better recovery and more consistent training, not through a single faster session.

How much Tongkat Ali should runners take daily?

The evidence-backed daily range for a standardised extract is 200–400 mg, with 200 mg the most-replicated baseline. For endurance athletes specifically, the upper end of that range (300–400 mg) is supported by the Henkel et al. (2014) trial in physically active seniors and is more likely to match training demand. Cycled blocks up to ~600 mg may be appropriate during peak training phases under clinical guidance.

When should I take Tongkat Ali — pre-run or other timing?

Three timing windows are evidence-supported, and runners can pick what fits their schedule. Morning (with or without food) aligns with the cortisol-testosterone diurnal rhythm and is the most-studied timing. About 30 minutes before training leverages the herb’s effects through the session itself and is favoured by serious athletes for key sessions or long runs. Evening is generally well-tolerated and may improve sleep quality (Toyama et al., 2022) — useful for runners who can only train post-work. The one precaution is to avoid dosing within an hour or two of bedtime in the first couple of weeks while you observe your own response.

How long until I feel a difference in recovery?

Most users report subjective improvements in recovery and sleep within two to four weeks of consistent daily use. Measurable hormonal changes (testosterone, cortisol) in the published trials typically register at four to twelve weeks. Anyone reporting transformation in days is almost certainly experiencing placebo or simultaneous lifestyle change.

Is Tongkat Ali tested or banned for competitive athletes?

Tongkat Ali itself is not on the WADA prohibited list and is widely used in tested athletic populations. The real risk for competitive athletes is adulteration of cheap or unverified products with banned substances (the HSA has documented Singapore-available Tongkat Ali products spiked with undeclared sildenafil analogues and anabolic steroids). Competitive athletes should choose products with NSF Certified for Sport or Informed Sport credentials to ensure no banned-substance contamination.

Can I take Tongkat Ali alongside my pre-workout?

Yes, in principle — they work on different mechanisms (caffeine on adenosine, Tongkat Ali on cortisol and SHBG). Many active users do exactly this. The practical question is whether you still need the full pre-workout dose; some users find that after several weeks on Tongkat Ali, their need for caffeine-based pre-workout reduces because their underlying energy and recovery are steadier.

References

Antonio, J., Evans, C., Ferrando, A. A., Stout, J. R., Antonio, B., Cinteo, H., Harty, P., Arent, S. M., Candow, D. G., Forbes, S. C., Kerksick, C. M., Pereira, F., Gonzalez, D., & Kreider, R. B. (2024). The effects of Tongkat Ali supplementation on body composition and performance: A systematic review. Applied Sciences, 14(11), 4372. https://doi.org/10.3390/app14114372

Chinnappan, S. M., George, A., Pandey, P., Narke, G., & Choudhary, Y. K. (2021). Effect of Eurycoma longifolia standardised aqueous root extract – Physta® on testosterone levels and quality of life in ageing male subjects: A randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled multicentre study. Food & Nutrition Research, 65. https://doi.org/10.29219/fnr.v65.5647

Henkel, R. R., Wang, R., Bassett, S. H., Chen, T., Liu, N., Zhu, Y., & Tambi, M. I. M. (2014). Tongkat Ali as a potential herbal supplement for physically active male and female seniors: A pilot study. Phytotherapy Research, 28(4), 544–550. https://doi.org/10.1002/ptr.5017

Ismail, S. B., Wan Mohammad, W. M. Z., George, A., Nik Hussain, N. H., Musthapa Kamal, Z. M., & Liske, E. (2012). Randomized clinical trial on the use of PHYSTA® freeze-dried water extract of Eurycoma longifolia for the improvement of quality of life and sexual well-being in men. Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 2012, 429268. https://doi.org/10.1155/2012/429268

Leisegang, K., Finelli, R., Sikka, S. C., & Iyer, S. (2022). Eurycoma longifolia (Jack) in men’s health: A review of its physiological, sexual, and ergogenic properties. Medicines, 9(5), 35. https://doi.org/10.3390/medicines9050035

Talbott, S. M., Talbott, J. A., George, A., & Pugh, M. (2013). Effect of Tongkat Ali on stress hormones and psychological mood state in moderately stressed subjects. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 10(1), 28. https://doi.org/10.1186/1550-2783-10-28

Toyama, H., Nakagawa, M., Iizuka, K., Kawatake, T., Toyama, T., & Tanaka, M. (2022). Randomized controlled trial of the effects of Tongkat Ali intake on stress markers and sleep quality in healthy Japanese adults. Japanese Pharmacology & Therapeutics, 50(5), 871. https://www.pieronline.jp/content/article/0386-3603/50050/871