Shilajit Benefits for Men: What the Science Says in 2026

Last updated: September 26, 2026 · Originally published August 2, 2026 · Published by Eternal Elixir

Edited by Elaine Fletcher, Researcher

Disclosure: Eternal Elixir makes and sells Shilajit 1000mg, which this article mentions. Study details come from the published papers, linked in the sources at the end. How we write and review content.

The shilajit benefits for men that have been tested in people come down to a handful of small trials. One 90-day placebo-controlled study found higher testosterone in healthy middle-aged men. Another found that strength held up better after a fatiguing workout in young men taking 500 mg a day. A third looked at gene activity in muscle. Most of what else is claimed, from energy to “vitality,” rests on traditional use, lab work or animal studies.

That is enough to make shilajit worth understanding and not enough to justify the marketing. It also matters which shilajit you buy: every human trial used a purified, characterized preparation, while social media sells raw resin, a material with a documented heavy metal problem. Below is what each study measured, how the doses compare with what is on sale, and who should skip it.

Shilajit Benefits for Men at a Glance

Each row gives the claim, the best human evidence we found, and how much weight that evidence can bear.

What Happens When a Man Takes Shilajit?

In the short term, probably nothing you would notice. Shilajit is not a stimulant, and the trials that found effects ran for 8 to 13 weeks and measured them in blood tests and strength machines, not in how people felt. Over those periods, a purified shilajit was linked to higher testosterone in healthy men aged 45 to 55, and to better strength retention after hard exercise in young men at 500 mg a day.

Those are real findings, but they come from single trials that have not been widely repeated, and each used a specific characterized preparation. The results do not transfer automatically to a different product, including ours.

Testosterone: What the 90-Day Trial Found

The study behind most shilajit testosterone claims is Pandit and colleagues, published in Andrologia in 2016. Healthy men aged 45 to 55 took 250 mg of purified shilajit twice a day, 500 mg in total, or a placebo for 90 consecutive days. Against placebo, total testosterone, free testosterone and DHEA-S all rose significantly, while the pituitary hormones LH and FSH stayed steady.

Three limits apply. The published abstract does not say how many men took part. The men were healthy, so the result says nothing about men with a diagnosed hormone problem, who should be under a doctor’s care anyway. And it tested one purified material, not shilajit in general.

Evidence level: one randomized, placebo-controlled trial. Promising, not settled. For how shilajit compares with tongkat ali and other options on this measure, see our ranking of the best natural testosterone boosters.

Strength, Fatigue and Muscle

The best exercise data come from Keller and colleagues, published in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition in 2019. Sixty-three recreationally active men, about 21 years old on average, took 250 mg or 500 mg a day of a purified shilajit (PrimaVie) or a placebo for 8 weeks, in groups of 21. They then did a strength test, 100 hard leg extensions and a second strength test.

Across the whole group there was no headline effect. In the stronger half of the men, those on 500 mg lost less strength after the fatiguing sets (an 8.9% decline) than those on placebo (16.0%) or 250 mg (17.0%). The 500 mg group also had lower levels of hydroxyproline, a marker of collagen breakdown. The 250 mg dose did no better than placebo.

A 2016 study by Das and colleagues gave overweight adults 250 mg of purified shilajit twice a day for 8 weeks, then 4 more weeks with exercise, and took muscle biopsies. A cluster of 17 genes tied to the muscle’s connective tissue was more active after 8 weeks than at the start. Blood sugar, blood fats and muscle damage markers did not change. There was no placebo group, so this is an early signal, not proof of a benefit.

Evidence level: one placebo-controlled trial with a subgroup result, plus one uncontrolled study. The dose that worked in the controlled trial was 500 mg a day.

Sperm and Fertility Claims

You will see shilajit sold for male fertility. The only trial behind this, Biswas and colleagues in 2010, enrolled 35 men with a diagnosed low sperm count, of whom 28 finished 90 days of 100 mg processed shilajit twice a day. Semen measures and testosterone changed from their starting values, but there was no placebo group, so there is no way to separate the supplement from time, lifestyle changes or chance.

Because it studied a medical population without a control group, it is not evidence of a benefit for men without a diagnosed problem. If you are dealing with a fertility concern, see your doctor rather than self-supplementing.

Fulvic Acid, Energy and the “Adaptogen” Label

Ask why shilajit should work and you will usually hear “fulvic acid.” Shilajit is rich in fulvic acid and related compounds called dibenzo-alpha-pyrones, and a 2014 review by Stohs linked these constituents to antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and energy-related effects. The same review noted that relatively few well-controlled human studies exist and that most of the mechanistic support comes from animal and lab systems.

So the energy story is plausible but mostly untested in people. The one controlled trial with a performance outcome measured strength retention, not energy or fatigue as you would feel it. If energy is your main goal rather than hormones, ginseng has more human fatigue data, although the effects there are also small. Our guide to ginseng benefits for men covers it.

Raw Resin vs Standardized Capsules: The Purity Problem

Social media sells shilajit as raw, tar-like resin, and the rawer the better. The trials above all used purified or processed preparations. The marketing and the evidence are describing two different materials.

That matters because shilajit forms in rock. A 2024 review in Biological Trace Element Research (Hussain et al.) reported that shilajit can contain around 65 metals, including lead, arsenic, cadmium and mercury. Most studies it reviewed found levels within accepted limits for herbal products, but a few found them exceeded, and the authors concluded that taking shilajit without knowing its metal levels is not safe. The wider Ayurvedic market has the same issue: a 2008 study in JAMA bought 193 Ayurvedic products online and found detectable lead, mercury or arsenic in 20.7% of them (Saper et al.).

Capsules are not automatically clean either. The format gives you a fixed dose and usually a declared marker, but heavy metal safety depends on testing, whatever the format. That is why a lot certificate of analysis with metal results is the most useful document a shilajit seller can show you.

What to Check on a Shilajit Label

1. An extract ratio. A figure such as 20:1 tells you how concentrated the extract is compared with the starting material.
2. A composition marker. Usually fulvic acid as a percentage. It describes what is in the material rather than how much of it there is.
3. A serving in milligrams. So that one serving means something fixed.
4. A lot certificate of analysis with heavy metal results. For this ingredient, the most important of the four.

Our Shilajit 1000mg meets the first three: a 20:1 extract, standardized to 20% fulvic acid, 1,000 mg per 2-capsule serving, with hypromellose capsules, vegetable magnesium stearate and silica as the only other ingredients. Our product page does not link a lot certificate of analysis, so we won’t claim one here. If lot-level metal results are a deciding factor for you, ask any seller, us included, for the certificate for your batch before you buy. Our shilajit supplement comparison ranks the products we checked on dose, marker and price.

How Men Take Shilajit: Dose, Timing and How Long

Dose. The controlled trials used 500 mg a day of purified shilajit, taken as 250 mg twice a day in the testosterone trial and as a 500 mg daily dose in the strength trial, where 250 mg a day did no better than placebo. The uncontrolled fertility study used 200 mg a day. Our capsule serving is 1,000 mg of 20:1 extract, twice the 500 mg used in the trials by weight. It is not the same preparation, so a larger number is not a promise of a larger effect. Follow the serving on the label of the product you buy.

Timing. No trial compared morning with evening. The testosterone study split the dose across the day and the fertility study gave it after main meals, so taking it with food is a reasonable default. What the trials had in common was daily use.

How long. The trials ran 8 to 13 weeks. Judging shilajit after a week or two tells you very little. If you try it, give it at least two to three months, and if testosterone is the reason, a blood test before and after is the only way to know what changed.

Cycling. The trials dosed continuously for their full length. There is no evidence either way on cycling, so a break after a few months is a personal choice rather than a research finding.

If you want to see how our label doses compare with trial doses across the range, our supplement dose gap report sets them side by side.

Is Shilajit Good Before Bed?

No study has tested shilajit’s effect on sleep or compared bedtime with daytime doses. It is not a stimulant, so an evening dose is unlikely to keep most people awake, but there is also no evidence that it helps sleep. Pick the time you will remember every day, ideally with a meal.

Does Shilajit Have Side Effects?

In the trials, purified shilajit was well tolerated. The muscle study found no change in blood sugar, blood fats or muscle damage markers over 12 weeks, and the fertility study reported unchanged liver and kidney tests after 90 days. The 2014 review by Stohs described shilajit’s safety as well documented in animal and human studies, while noting that well-controlled human trials are few.

The bigger risk is the product, not the ingredient. The safety record belongs to purified, tested material. An untested raw resin carries metal risks the trials never measured.

Skip shilajit or check with your doctor first if any of these apply:

• You are under 18, pregnant or breastfeeding. There is no safety data for these groups.
• You take prescription medication. No interaction studies have been published.
• You have a hormone-sensitive condition or take prescribed testosterone, because shilajit raised testosterone in the 90-day trial.
• You have been told to limit your exposure to metals, or you cannot find heavy metal results for the product you are considering.

Stacking Shilajit With Tongkat Ali or Ginseng

Shilajit is often paired with tongkat ali, which has several human testosterone trials of its own, or with ginseng for energy. No trial has tested either combination, so there is no evidence that a stack beats one ingredient alone, and none of a problem either. If you combine them, start one at a time a couple of weeks apart so you can tell which product is doing what.

Our Tongkat Ali 200:1 gives 2,000 mg of extract per 3-capsule serving, and our Korean Panax Ginseng 1600mg is standardized to a minimum of 5% ginsenosides. Our tongkat ali comparison covers that ingredient in depth, and our best supplements for men over 40 guide looks at a wider routine.

If your interest is healthy aging more broadly rather than hormones, other ingredients have their own evidence. Our NMN supplement comparison, the NMN vs resveratrol breakdown and our review of what the Ca-AKG evidence shows are good places to start. For cellular energy specifically, our methylene blue dosage guide explains how supplement servings differ from clinical doses, and we sell methylene blue capsules for readers who have discussed it with their doctor.

Frequently Asked Questions About Shilajit Benefits for Men

What happens when a man takes shilajit?

Over 8 to 13 weeks, purified shilajit has been linked in trials to higher testosterone in healthy men aged 45 to 55 (500 mg a day for 90 days) and to better strength retention after hard exercise in young men (500 mg a day for 8 weeks). Day to day, most men should not expect to feel much. It is not a stimulant, and the effects in the research were measured over months.

Can shilajit increase size?

No study has measured penis size in people taking shilajit, and nothing in the trial results suggests it would change. The research covers hormone levels, strength and gene activity in muscle.

Is shilajit good before bed?

No trial has studied shilajit and sleep or compared evening with morning doses. It is not a stimulant, so an evening dose is unlikely to keep you awake, but there is no evidence it helps sleep either. Consistency mattered in the trials, not the hour.

Does shilajit have side effects?

Purified shilajit was well tolerated in the trials, with no changes in blood sugar, blood fats, muscle damage markers or liver and kidney tests. The main risk is heavy metal contamination in untested products, so choose one with metal results you can see. Talk to your doctor first if you take prescription medication or have a hormone-sensitive condition, and do not use it if you are pregnant, breastfeeding or under 18.

How long does shilajit take to work?

The trials ran 8 to 13 weeks, so plan on two to three months before judging it. A blood test before and after is the only reliable way to see a hormone change.

How much shilajit should a man take per day?

The controlled trials used 500 mg a day of purified shilajit, and 250 mg a day did no better than placebo in the strength trial. Store products vary widely in extract ratio and purity, so follow the serving on your label. Our serving is 1,000 mg of 20:1 extract, twice the trial amount by weight but a different preparation.

Is it safe to take shilajit every day?

The trials dosed daily for up to 90 days without safety problems in the tests they ran. There is no long-term data beyond that. Daily use of an untested raw resin is a different matter, because the trial safety data don’t cover it.

Can you take shilajit and tongkat ali together?

Many men do. No trial has tested the combination, so there is no evidence it works better than either alone, and no evidence of a problem. Introduce them one at a time so you can tell them apart.

Does the fulvic acid percentage on the label matter?

It is the only common label figure that describes what is in the material rather than how much of it you get. It helps you compare products, but it does not tell you about heavy metals, which need a separate test.

What is the best shilajit supplement for men?

Our pick is Eternal Elixir Shilajit 1000mg: a 20:1 extract standardized to 20% fulvic acid, 1,000 mg per 2-capsule serving, 30 servings for $44.99. It is not the exact purified material used in the trials, and no store product we know of is. Our best shilajit supplements guide compares it with other brands on dose, marker and price.

Add Shilajit 1000mg to cart · $44.99

The Bottom Line on Shilajit for Men

Shilajit has more human evidence than its critics assume and much less than its marketing suggests. One 90-day trial found higher testosterone in healthy middle-aged men, and one 8-week trial found better strength retention at 500 mg a day. Both used a purified preparation. If you try it, choose a standardized product with a fixed dose, look for heavy metal results, give it two to three months, and treat it as one part of a routine that starts with sleep, training and a doctor’s blood test.

Related Guides

• Best shilajit supplements compared
• Best natural testosterone boosters
• Ginseng benefits and dosage
• Shop the Eternal Elixir range

Sources

1. Pandit S, et al. Clinical evaluation of purified Shilajit on testosterone levels in healthy volunteers. Andrologia. 2016. PubMed 26395129
2. Keller JL, et al. The effects of Shilajit supplementation on fatigue-induced decreases in muscular strength and serum hydroxyproline levels. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2019. PubMed 30728074
3. Das A, et al. The Human Skeletal Muscle Transcriptome in Response to Oral Shilajit Supplementation. J Med Food. 2016. PubMed 27414521
4. Biswas TK, et al. Clinical evaluation of spermatogenic activity of processed Shilajit in oligospermia. Andrologia. 2010. PubMed 20078516
5. Stohs SJ. Safety and efficacy of shilajit (mumie, moomiyo). Phytother Res. 2014. PubMed 23733436
6. Hussain A, et al. Hazardous or Advantageous: Uncovering the Roles of Heavy Metals and Humic Substances in Shilajit. Biol Trace Elem Res. 2024. PubMed 38393486
7. Saper RB, et al. Lead, mercury, and arsenic in US- and Indian-manufactured Ayurvedic medicines sold via the Internet. JAMA. 2008. PubMed 18728265

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.