Maca for Men Over 40: What the Clinical Research Actually Shows

Maca for Men Over 40: What the Clinical Research Actually Shows

I’ve spent three decades in newsrooms covering everything from breaking news to medical advances, and one thing I’ve learned is that health claims often travel faster than the evidence supporting them. Walk into any health food store or scroll through wellness forums, and you’ll hear remarkable promises about maca root—a Peruvian plant that’s become something of a celebrity supplement. Men over 40, particularly, seem drawn to it with the kind of hope usually reserved for lottery tickets.

Related: cognitive biases guide

Last updated: 2026-03-23

But what does the actual clinical research tell us? That’s the question I wanted to investigate thoroughly. After decades of interviewing scientists, reading peer-reviewed studies, and learning to distinguish signal from noise, I thought it was time to examine maca with the same skeptical eye I’d apply to any major health claim. The answer, as with most things worth knowing, is more nuanced than the marketing suggests.

Let me be direct: I’m not here to sell you maca, nor am I here to dismiss it entirely. What I want to do is walk through what legitimate clinical research actually shows, acknowledge what remains uncertain, and help you make an informed decision based on evidence rather than hope.

Understanding Maca: The Plant Behind the Promises

Maca is a root vegetable native to the high Andes of Peru, where it’s been cultivated for at least 2,000 years. During my KATUSA service, I learned that soldiers often trust folk remedies from their posting countries, and Peruvian maca held something of a legendary status in certain circles—rumored to increase stamina and virility. Centuries before modern supplements, Peruvian warriors supposedly consumed maca for endurance and strength.

The plant itself contains various compounds: amino acids, fatty acids, vitamins, and minerals. It comes in several varieties—red, black, and cream maca—each with slightly different nutrient profiles. The root is typically dried and powdered, then packaged into capsules or sold as a powder to mix into drinks. None of this is inherently suspicious; many traditional foods have real nutritional value. The question is whether maca delivers the specific health benefits men over 40 are typically seeking.

The Clinical Evidence on Sexual Function and Desire

This is where most men’s interest begins, and it’s reasonable to examine it first. The most common claim about maca for men over 40 revolves around erectile function and sexual desire. It’s also where we have the most clinical research—which is telling in itself.

Several peer-reviewed studies have examined this question. A 2009 meta-analysis published in BMC Complementary Medicine reviewed four randomized controlled trials on maca and sexual function. The researchers found that maca did show some benefit for sexual desire and erectile function, though the effect sizes were modest. Two of the studies showed statistically significant improvements; two did not. Perhaps most importantly, the studies were small (ranging from 20 to 50 participants), had relatively short durations (12-16 weeks), and used varying doses and preparation methods.¹

A 2010 study in Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine found that maca improved sperm count and motility in men with fertility issues. This is interesting—and for men concerned about reproductive health after 40, potentially relevant. However, again, the sample was small (60 men), the duration was modest (24 weeks), and the clinical significance for the average healthy man remains unclear.

Here’s what strikes me most forcefully after reading these studies: the improvements, when they occurred, were real but modest. We’re not talking about dramatic transformation. We’re talking about small to moderate effect sizes—the kind that might translate to improved satisfaction but probably won’t resolve serious erectile dysfunction without other interventions.

Stamina, Energy, and Athletic Performance

Men over 40 often express concern about declining energy and athletic performance. If sexual function is the primary selling point for maca, athletic performance and endurance run a close second. During my years covering sports medicine stories, I noticed that athletes—particularly those over 40—are eager for any competitive edge that comes from natural sources.

The research here is thinner and less conclusive. A 2015 study published in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition examined maca’s effects on athletic performance in trained cyclists. The study found no significant improvements in cycling power output, oxygen utilization, or other performance metrics. The authors noted that while maca is marketed for athletic performance, the current evidence base is insufficient.²

Some studies have looked at maca and general energy or fatigue. Results have been mixed. A few small trials suggested improvement in self-reported energy levels, but we have to be careful here: self-reported energy is susceptible to placebo effects, which can be quite powerful, particularly with supplements where belief and expectation play significant psychological roles.

The honest assessment: if you’re hoping maca will meaningfully boost your athletic performance or reverse age-related decline in endurance, the clinical evidence doesn’t strongly support that. That doesn’t mean it won’t help—it means we simply don’t have strong evidence that it will.

Cardiovascular Health and Blood Pressure

For men over 40, cardiovascular health becomes increasingly important. Heart disease remains the leading cause of death for men in this age group, so any supplement claiming cardiovascular benefits deserves scrutiny. Some proponents of maca suggest it supports vascular function and heart health.

A 2015 study examining maca and cardiovascular health found that regular consumption was associated with improvements in some markers of vascular function in healthy volunteers. However, the study was observational, not a randomized controlled trial, which means we cannot establish causation. Were the improvements from maca, or from the general health consciousness of people choosing to consume maca?

More recent research has suggested that maca’s antioxidant properties might have some cardiovascular benefit, but we’re talking about theoretical mechanisms, not proven outcomes. For established cardiovascular disease, the evidence is essentially absent—and that’s important to acknowledge. If you have heart disease or significant cardiovascular risk factors, maca should not be considered a substitute for proven interventions like exercise, appropriate medications, and dietary changes.

Safety, Interactions, and What We Don’t Know

During my decades as a journalist, I learned that responsible health reporting requires discussing not just benefits but risks. The good news: maca appears to be generally well-tolerated. Most people experience no serious adverse effects from the doses typically consumed.

The more nuanced news: we don’t have extensive long-term safety data, particularly for men on medications. Maca can theoretically interact with blood pressure medications, diabetes medications, and certain anticoagulants. If you’re taking any regular medications—and most men over 40 are—you should discuss maca supplementation with your doctor. This isn’t overcautious; it’s responsible medicine.

Some men report mild gastrointestinal upset, insomnia, or other effects. These are generally not serious and tend to resolve with discontinued use. More concerning would be any interaction with your specific medical situation, which you’re best positioned to identify with your healthcare provider’s input.

Here’s what genuinely frustrates me as someone who spent three decades evaluating evidence: we simply don’t have large, long-term, well-designed trials of maca. This means that for many health conditions and in many populations, we’re essentially in a state of “not proven either way.” That’s not the same as proven safe, and it’s not the same as proven ineffective. It’s simply uncertainty.

The Bigger Picture: Lifestyle Factors That Actually Matter

If I’m being honest—and I believe that’s the only way to write about health—the most important things for men over 40 have nothing to do with maca. They have everything to do with fundamentals: sleep, exercise, stress management, meaningful relationships, and a reasonable diet.

During my KATUSA service, I observed that the soldiers most vital and energetic weren’t those taking the most supplements. They were those who slept adequately, maintained physical training, and had strong unit cohesion and purpose. That observation has only been reinforced by decades covering health and medicine.

The clinical research on exercise for men over 40 is robust and unambiguous: regular, varied physical activity—particularly strength training combined with cardiovascular exercise—improves sexual function, energy, cardiovascular health, mental well-being, and longevity. The effect sizes are large. The evidence is overwhelming. And yet, many men over 40 will spend money on maca before they’ll invest in a gym membership.

Sleep quality shows similarly strong effects on virtually everything maca is claimed to improve. Social connection, particularly meaningful male friendships and partnerships, has measurable effects on health and lifespan. Stress management through meditation, time in nature, or simple breathing practices has clinical evidence behind it.

None of this means maca is worthless. It means that if you’re considering maca, you should first honestly assess: Are you sleeping seven to nine hours nightly? Are you exercising regularly, with both strength and cardiovascular components? Are you managing stress? Are you eating reasonably? Are you maintaining meaningful relationships?

If the answer to most of these is no, then sorting out those fundamentals will almost certainly improve your health more profoundly than any supplement, including maca.

Making a Thoughtful Decision

So, should a man over 40 consider maca? Here’s how I’d frame the decision:

The clinical evidence suggests that maca may provide modest improvements in sexual desire and possibly sexual function, though the evidence is not robust. For other claimed benefits—athletic performance, dramatic energy increases, significant cardiovascular improvements—the evidence is weaker or absent. Maca appears generally safe for most men, though drug interactions are possible, and long-term safety data is limited.

If you’re considering maca, I’d suggest thinking about it this way: Are the fundamentals of your health already reasonably solid? If yes, and if you’re particularly interested in sexual function and willing to try something with modest evidence of benefit and generally good safety, then a trial of maca (with your doctor’s approval, particularly if you take medications) is a reasonable experiment. Give it two to three months. Pay attention to whether you notice any benefits. If you do, continue; if you don’t, that’s also valuable information.

But be honest with yourself about what you’re trying to accomplish. If you’re hoping maca will compensate for poor sleep, sedentary living, and chronic stress, you’re likely to be disappointed. The supplement cannot do what lifestyle changes can.

In my experience as both a journalist and someone now reflecting on health in my own aging, the men over 40 who seem most vital and satisfied aren’t those taking the most supplements. They’re those who’ve accepted that their bodies require different investment at this stage of life—more consistent exercise, better sleep prioritization, stronger emotional connections, and meaningful engagement with the world around them. Maca might provide a small boost. But it’s the foundation that matters.