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Explore selected scientific research on maca, organized by topic. This directory includes human clinical studies, systematic reviews, animal research, and laboratory research covering maca’s traditional use, chemistry, vitality, performance, mood, midlife wellness, cognition, reproductive research, and more.
The PubMed database contains a substantial body of published research related to maca (Lepidium meyenii). Researchers have studied maca from many different angles, including its traditional use, plant chemistry, nutrition, physical performance, mood, cognition, reproductive biology, and other areas.
We have selected useful studies and reviews and organized them by topic below. Whenever possible, links take you directly to PubMed or PubMed Central so you can examine the research yourself.
This page is intended as a research directory. For our interpretation of what the evidence currently does and does not support, visit our Maca Benefits guide.
The studies listed here vary considerably in design, size, population, preparation, and the type of maca studied. Some involve humans, while others use animals, laboratory models, or isolated plant compounds.
Animal and laboratory findings should not be interpreted as establishing the same effects in humans. Likewise, research involving a particular maca preparation does not establish that every maca product will produce the same result.
This information is provided for general educational purposes and is not medical advice. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. Dietary supplements are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
Exploring the chemical and pharmacological variability of Lepidium meyenii: a comprehensive review of the effects of maca
Ulloa Del Carpio N, Alvarado-Corella D, Quiñones-Laveriano DM, Araya-Sibaja A, Vega-Baudrit J, Monagas-Juan M, Navarro-Hoyos M, Villar-López M. 2024.
This recent review provides a broad overview of maca chemistry, biological research, and human studies and is a useful starting point for understanding how wide the maca literature has become.
Ethnobiology and Ethnopharmacology of Lepidium meyenii (Maca), a Plant from the Peruvian Highlands
Gonzales GF.
Lepidium meyenii (Maca): a plant from the highlands of Peru — from tradition to science
Gonzales GF, Gonzales C, Gonzales-Castañeda C.
Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled human study of maca in men over age 40
Shin D, Jeon SH, Piao J, Park HJ, Tian WJ, Moon DG, et al. 2023.
This 12-week randomized trial evaluated several age-related and quality-of-life measures in 80 men over age 40.
Effects of Maca (Lepidium meyenii Walp.) on Physical Performance in Animals and Humans: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Published in Nutrients, 2024.
This systematic review examined 21 studies and included 16 in its meta-analysis. The overall literature suggested favorable performance and fatigue-related findings, but much of the underlying evidence came from animal research rather than large human trials.
Twenty healthy men received maca or placebo for 12 weeks before exhaustive endurance exercise. Researchers found a difference in one immune-response marker after exercise, while the study was not designed to establish maca as a general performance enhancer.
The Impact of Lepidium meyenii (Maca) Supplementation on Basketball-related Performance and Antifatigue Ability: A Double-blind Crossover Study
Wu PS, Wu SH, Jiang RS, Chen CH, Chen BW, Chiu CH. 2025.
This randomized crossover study involved 10 well-trained male basketball players. Two weeks of maca supplementation did not significantly improve jumping, shooting accuracy, repeated sprint performance, fatigue index, or blood lactate clearance compared with placebo.
A pilot investigation into the effect of maca supplementation on physical activity and drive in sportsmen
Stone M, Ibarra A, Roller M, Zangara A, Stevenson E.
Research context: The newer evidence is useful precisely because it is not uniformly positive. Human performance research remains relatively small, and results depend on the outcome being measured.
Controlled human study of maca, psychological well-being, and midlife measures
Brooks NA, Wilcox G, Walker KZ, Ashton JF, Cox MB, Stojanovska L.
Systematic review of randomized maca trials involving midlife women
Lee MS, Shin BC, Yang EJ, Lim HJ, Ernst E.
Effect of three different cultivars of Lepidium meyenii (Maca) on learning and depression-related measures in ovariectomized mice
Rubio J, Caldas M, Dávila S, Gasco M, Gonzales GF.
Research context: The Brooks study and systematic review include human evidence. The Rubio study involved mice and should not be interpreted as demonstrating the same effect in people.
Evaluation of the effect of Lepidium meyenii Walpers in infertile patients: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial
Melnikovova I, Russo D, Fait T, Kolarova M, Tauchen J, Kushniruk N, Falabella R, Milella L, Fernández Cusimamani E. 2021.
This 16-week randomized trial included 50 participants. The observed changes were not statistically sufficient to establish effectiveness, and the authors concluded that additional research was needed.
Systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized human trials examining maca and male reproductive measures
Published in Frontiers in Pharmacology, 2022.
The review found mixed results across human trials and did not establish a clear overall benefit for the primary reproductive measure evaluated.
Effect of maca supplementation on bovine reproductive quantity and quality followed over two cycles
Clément C, Kneubühler J, Urwyler A, Witschi U, Kreuzer M.
Research context: The first two sources above concern human research. The Clément study involved cattle and should be considered preclinical evidence.
Neuroprotective effects of Lepidium meyenii (Maca)
Pino-Figueroa A, Nguyen D, Maher TJ.
Dose-response effect of black maca (Lepidium meyenii) in mice with experimentally induced memory impairment
Rubio J, Yucra S, Gasco M, Gonzales GF.
Aqueous extract of black maca (Lepidium meyenii) and memory impairment induced by ovariectomy in mice
Rubio J, Qiong W, Liu X, Jiang Z, Dang H, Chen SL, Gonzales GF.
Research context: Much of maca’s cognition and memory research remains preclinical. Findings in animal models are scientifically interesting but do not establish that maca improves memory in humans.
Maca (Lepidium meyenii) as a Functional Food and Dietary Supplement: A Review on Analytical Studies
Wasilewicz A, Grienke U. Foods. 2026;15(2):306.
This 2026 review examined analytical studies published from 2000 through 2025. It covers major maca compound classes including macamides, macaenes, glucosinolates, and alkaloids, as well as modern analytical techniques used for identification, authentication, and quality control.
Influence of colour type and previous cultivation on secondary metabolites in hypocotyls and leaves of maca (Lepidium meyenii Walpers)
Clément C, Diaz Grados DA, Avula B, Khan IA, Mayer AC, Ponce Aguirre DD, Manrique I, Kreuzer M.
Exploring the chemical and pharmacological variability of Lepidium meyenii: a comprehensive review of the effects of maca
Ulloa Del Carpio N, et al. 2024.
This is an especially important research category for us because maca cannot necessarily be treated as a chemically identical ingredient across colors, cultivars, origins, and processing methods.
Several important areas of maca research remain dominated by animal or laboratory studies. We include selected examples here because they help show where researchers are looking, but these studies should not be presented as proof of equivalent benefits in people.
This systematic review included 11 studies and eight in the meta-analysis. The authors reported favorable effects on several oxidative-stress markers but also emphasized that human evidence was scarce.
Effects of different varieties of Maca (Lepidium meyenii) on bone structure in ovariectomized rats
Gonzales C, Cárdenas-Valencia I, Leiva-Revilla J, Anza-Ramirez C, Rubio J, Gonzales GF.
Influence of Lepidium meyenii Walp. on lipid and bone mass in ovariectomized rats
Wang Z, Yang J, Wang G, Bian L.
Effect of red maca (Lepidium meyenii) on prostate zinc levels in an animal model
Gonzales C, Leiva-Revilla J, Rubio J, Gasco M, Gonzales GF.
Study of red maca and prostate biology in adult mice
Gonzales GF, Gasco M, Malheiros-Pereira A, Gonzales-Castañeda C.
Photoprotection against UVB-induced oxidative stress and epidermal damage in mice using leaves of three varieties of maca
Gonzales-Castañeda C, Rivera V, Chirinos AL, Evelson P, Gonzales GF.
Hypocotyls of Lepidium meyenii (maca) and ultraviolet-induced skin damage in rats
Gonzales-Castañeda C, Gonzales GF.
Simple takeaway: Preclinical research can reveal interesting biological activity and help guide future human studies. It cannot tell us by itself that a person taking maca will experience the same outcome.
Systematic review of randomized maca trials involving drive and related wellness measures
Shin BC, Lee MS, Yang EJ, Lim HS, Ernst E.
Randomized, double-blind human trial examining maca extract and well-being in adult men
Zenico T, Cicero AF, Valmorri L, Mercuriali M, Bercovich E.
Randomized pilot dose-finding study of maca root in adults taking SSRIs
Dording CM, Fisher L, Papakostas G, Farabaugh A, Sonawalla S, Fava M, Mischoulon D.
Research is one part of understanding maca. Continue through the main sections of our Maca Guide for the practical context behind the studies.
Our Maca Benefits guide translates the research into a clearer picture of what human evidence supports, what remains preliminary, and where popular claims have gotten ahead of the science.
