Renata Leite Tavares^{1, 2}, Maria da Conceição Rodrigues Gonçalves^{1, 2}, Jailane de Souza Aquino^{1, 2}, Raquel Suelen Brito da Silva^{3, 4}, Alexandre Sérgio Silva^{3, 4,}

Mucuna pruriens is an Indian legume composed by high amounts of proteins and carbohydrates and small concentration of lipids. It has been used ethnopharmacologically as hipoglicemic, anti-inflammatory, diuretic, hypolipidemic and mainly to Parkinson Disease treatment. Since Mucuna pruriens improves spermatogenesis, testis weight and increased the production of testosterone in rats, it has been assumed that mucuna has anabolic potential for muscle hypertrophy, so it has been commercially exploited as an ergogenic aid. This mini-review shows, in addition to promoting increased testosterone, increase in epididymal protein, thus confirming that its extracts may have influence on androgenic aspect. Despite this, it is necessary to confirm these findings in humans, since the studies analyzed were made only in animal model.

legume, anabolism, hypertrophy, strength, exercise