Doctor Reviews: King Maker

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It’s hard to understand exactly what King Maker by Top Shelf Grind is claiming to help with, given the ridiculous claims of being a “formula designed to dramatically improve all components of the modern males life.” What does that even mean? They even suggest it can enhance physiognomy and boost social status. So now you’re telling me a pill can make you more attractive and popular?

But aside from these crazy claims, the biggest question is what exactly does this supplement do? King Maker appears to contain a group of compounds known as ecdysteroids. But what are ecdysteroids, and what effects do they have?

What are ecdysteroids?

Ecdysteroids are compounds believed to help build muscle in mammals. Unlike mammals, which don’t produce these compounds, ecdysteroids are found in arthropods and plants. In creatures like shrimp and spiders, ecdysteroids aid in processes such as molting, development, and reproduction. For plants, they act as protective chemicals against insects.

You can find ecdysteroids in various herbs and some produce, with spinach being a notable example. Spinach contains the highest amount of ecdysteroids among fresh produce, about 0.01% by fresh weight. So, a 30-gram serving of raw spinach has roughly 3 mg of ecdysteroids.

Understanding the role of ecdysteroids helps us see how supplements like King Maker might work to enhance muscle growth and overall vitality.

Benefits of ecdysteroids

King Maker contains small amounts of ecdysteroids from bugle extract (Ajuga turkestanica) and Cyanotis vaga extract. These compounds resemble testosterone, sparking interest in their potential for muscle growth and libido enhancement in men. However, while studies on mice and rats show promise, human research is less convincing.

For instance, one study gave trained male athletes an ecdysteroid supplement but saw no increase in muscle size or strength. On the other hand, another study focusing on strength training showed minor improvements in muscle size and strength with an ecdysteroid from spinach. Similarly, another study using spinach extracts high in ecdysteroids found an increase in muscle strength during exercise.

From the limited human research on ecdysteroids, three key points emerge. Firstly, there’s no evidence to suggest that ecdysteroids can enhance libido in men, so we can dismiss that claim. Secondly, ecdysteroids may slightly improve muscle strength if you’re actively weight training, but they won’t help if you’re not exercising. Finally, studies showing benefits used ecdysteroids from spinach extracts. This contrasts with the study that found no benefits, which used ecdysteroids from a herbal source similar to King Maker’s ingredients. This suggests the beneficial effects might come from other compounds in spinach extracts, not just the ecdysteroids.

In summary, ecdysteroids’ benefits in humans are inconsistent. They may offer some advantage for muscle growth during exercise, but these benefits might be more related to the overall nutrition in spinach rather than ecdysteroids alone. Outside of muscle growth, ecdysteroids haven’t been studied for other purposes, and there’s no evidence that they affect testosterone levels in humans.

Ingredients of King Maker

Let’s take a closer look at the other ingredients in King Maker. Each capsule contains specific doses, and the recommended daily dose is five capsules. We’ll analyze these doses to see if they use active compounds that can help with exercise performance or improve libido. We’ve already covered ecdysteroids, so let’s move on to the rest.

Vitamin D, magnesium, zinc, and boron

If you’re into intense exercise routines, you’ve likely heard that Vitamin D, magnesium, zinc, and boron are essential for supporting healthy muscle growth and performance. But do supplements with these nutrients really boost muscle growth and athletic performance?

• Vitamin D – Vitamin D is crucial for overall health, but its impact on athletic performance is questionable. For example, a study gave young athletes a high dose of 50,000 IU of Vitamin D3, but it didn’t improve their physical performance. Similarly, another study provided large doses of Vitamin D to middle-aged and elderly individuals, yet found no enhancement in muscle strength.
• Magnesium – Magnesium is another essential nutrient, yet its supplementation seems to have limited effects on athletic performance. Various studies on different forms of magnesium indicate that taking extra magnesium doesn’t significantly affect athletic outcomes.
• Zinc – Zinc is important for many bodily functions, including immune support and metabolism. However, in a study where participants on a weight loss program were given zinc and selenium, there were no noticeable changes in body composition or exercise performance.
• Boron – Boron is often touted for its potential benefits in bodybuilding. Nonetheless, a small study involving male bodybuilders found that boron supplementation did not increase lean body mass, muscle mass, or testosterone levels compared to a placebo.

If these nutrients are vital for exercise, why don’t supplements seem to help? The answer lies in moderation. While it’s crucial to maintain a diet rich in these nutrients during training, taking more than you need through supplements doesn’t lead to additional muscle growth or performance improvements. Balance is key—ensure you get enough of these nutrients from a varied diet to support your training effectively.

Grape and Apple seed

When it comes to grape and apple seed polyphenols, there’s no solid evidence showing they boost muscle growth or strength. A study involving healthy men who took a supplement called Vinitrox, which contains 250 mg of apple and grape polyphenols, found mixed results.

The supplement did not improve most measurements of cardiorespiratory fitness. Surprisingly, it even extended the time needed to recover from exercise. However, it did have one positive effect: it increased the exercise time before exhaustion by about 10%.

While this suggests a minor benefit in endurance, the overall impact on muscle growth and strength appears limited.

Beet juice

Beet juice and concentrates are well-known for their benefits on exercise performance and recovery. By increasing nitric oxide levels, they improve blood flow and oxygen delivery, making them especially useful for aerobic exercises.

Studies indicate that beetroot juice can enhance cardiorespiratory endurance in athletes. It also helps reduce muscle soreness and increase pain tolerance during aerobic activities, enabling longer and more effective workouts.

However, beetroot juice doesn’t seem to help much with high-intensity anaerobic workouts like weightlifting. Research on elite athletes, including cyclists, runners, sprinters, and water polo players, also showed no significant performance benefits.

In summary, beetroot juice is more effective for improving aerobic exercise performance and recovery among non-professional athletes. It’s less effective for high-intensity or elite-level performance.

Most studies used large amounts of beetroot juice, typically between 1/4 to 1/2 cup (60 to 120 grams). While powdered beetroot hasn’t been studied as extensively, it’s estimated that 10 grams of beetroot juice is roughly equivalent to 1 gram of beetroot powder. Therefore, 60 to 120 grams of beetroot juice is about the same as 6 to 12 grams of beetroot powder.

Also, King Maker uses only a few hundred milligrams of powdered beetroot. This amount is far too little to have any significant effect on exercise performance.

Fadogia agrestis

Fadogia Agrestis is an herb traditionally used to boost libido in men. However, there isn’t any evidence from human trials to support its effectiveness for this purpose or its use in exercise.

Black Maca

Maca, a root vegetable, has been used in traditional medicine to enhance energy levels. A small clinical study suggests that taking 2500 mg of black maca twice daily for 8 weeks might improve certain aspects of physical performance. However, this study lacks a control group and doesn’t account for the placebo effect, making its findings unreliable. Additionally, King Maker contains far less than the dose used in the study.

Maca is also traditionally linked to boosting male fertility. However, research shows that it does not improve sperm concentration in males.

Horse chestnut

There’s no evidence that horse chestnut extracts can enhance exercise performance. Some limited research suggests that escin, a compound found in horse chestnut, might slightly increase sperm density in men suffering from infertility. However, there’s no evidence it helps healthy men without fertility issues.

Tongkat Ali

Tongkat Ali, also known as Eurycoma Longifolia or Longjack, is a tree native to Southeast Asia. Researchers have studied it for potential benefits on athletic performance, but the results are mostly disappointing.

In one small study, male athletes who took 150 mg of Tongkat Ali daily saw no improvement in running performance compared to a placebo group. Another study tested 300 mg of a specific Tongkat Ali extract daily in men and found no enhancement in physical fitness. However, this same study did note an improvement in libido scores.

Some believe that Tongkat Ali might slightly boost testosterone levels. However, this boost doesn’t seem to affect libido in healthy, younger men. The benefits appear mainly in older men who already have libido issues. So, if you don’t have any libido problems, Tongkat Ali might not do much for you.

It’s important to note that the doses used in these studies are much higher than what you’ll find in King Maker. This means that even if Tongkat Ali has some benefits, the amount in King Maker may not be sufficient to see any significant effects.

Is King Maker Effective?

When we break down the ingredients of King Maker, it becomes clear that this supplement won’t make you more attractive or popular. It also likely doesn’t help with exercise performance or libido in men.

Supplements like King Maker often use unethical tactics to target a specific audience: insecure young men. These men, driven by feelings of inadequacy or low self-esteem, are more susceptible to marketing strategies that promise quick fixes or miraculous results. They may be desperate for change and overlook the lack of evidence or logical inconsistencies in these claims. Just look at some of the claims made by King Maker:

• “The matrix wants you weak.”
• “They want to marginalize masculinity and maximize estrogenic.”
• “King Maker represents the truth.”
• “King Maker represents the acceptance of your limitless potential.”

What do these even mean? They sound like taglines from a sci-fi movie. The reality is that King Maker seems to aim at enhancing exercise performance and male libido. However, most of its ingredients lack solid research in humans. The studies that do exist are weak or limited to animal research. King Maker uses uncommon ingredients to stand out, but there’s a reason these ingredients are uncommon—they simply don’t work well, as the lack of evidence suggests.

Additionally, the high cost of this supplement can trap users in the sunk cost fallacy. Young men who invest heavily in King Maker may feel a stronger attachment to it. They see the cost as a symbol of their dedication to self-improvement. Admitting the supplement isn’t effective would mean admitting to wasted money and failure, which can be particularly devastating for those already struggling with insecurity.

Overall rating

Rating King Maker by effectiveness for improving exercise performance or improving libido, I’m giving it an D. It doesn’t affect libido, and while some ingredients have been studied for exercise performance, the supporting evidence and doses used are too weak to be effective.

Rating it by cost, I’m giving it an F. It can be easily replicated at a much cheaper cost by taking the individual ingredients.

Rating it for safety, I’m giving it a C. Many of these herbs are not well studied in humans, and as a result, cannot guarantee it’s safe to take long-term.

Overall rating, I’m giving an F. I would recommend you stay away from it.

Top alternatives to King Maker

• Beetroot – 1 to 2 caps / day
• Multivitamin (women) – 1 cap / day
• Spinach powder – 1 to 2 scoops / day

Learn more about

• Best exercises to lose belly fat
• Supplement reviews

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