USN goes broad with a sports-performance blend. Roman concentrates its formula around testosterone-focused botanicals and supporting nutrients. Here is how the formulas and research compare.
WHAT EACH PRODUCT IS BUILT TO DO
USN markets 17-Testo Methox Gold around testosterone, lean muscle, strength and workout performance. Roman takes a more concentrated approach around Tongkat Ali, Ashwagandha and Fenugreek, then adds nutrients that support the wider system.
FORMULA VS FORMULA
The important question is not how long the ingredient list is. It is which ingredients are used, how much is included, and what human research says about them.
| Ingredient | Roman | USN 17-Testo Gold |
|---|---|---|
| Tongkat Ali |
✓
400 mg
100:1 extract · daily serving |
✓
50 mg
100:1 extract · per 4 caps |
| Ashwagandha |
✓
300 mg
10:1 root extract · 2.5% withanolides |
— |
| Fenugreek |
✓
500 mg
8:1 seed extract · 53% saponins |
✓
176 mg
85% saponins · per 4 caps |
| Taurine |
✓
675 mg
daily serving |
— |
| Boron |
✓
3 mg
elemental |
— |
| Zinc |
✓
15 mg
elemental · bisglycinate |
✓
4.8 mg
elemental · monomethionine · per 4 caps |
| Vitamin D3 |
✓
1,000 IU
25 µg |
— |
| Vitamin K1 + K2 |
✓
120 µg
60 µg K1 + 60 µg K2 |
— |
| Tribulus terrestris | — |
✓
555 mg
4:1 extract · 40% saponins |
| Nettle root | — |
✓
250 mg
Urtica fissa · 20:1 extract |
| Oat straw | — |
✓
240 mg
Avena sativa · 10:1 extract |
| Chaste berry | — |
✓
240 mg
Vitex · 0.6% agnusides |
| Magnesium | — |
✓
110.4 mg
elemental · from magnesium L-aspartate |
| Ipriflavone | — |
✓
300 mg
per 4 caps |
| Resveratrol 50% | — |
✓
200 mg
as printed on USN label |
| 20-Hydroxyecdysterone | — |
✓
75 mg
90% · label also lists 27 mg beta-ecdysterones |
| Vitamin B6 | — |
✓
2.6 mg
from 3.2 mg pyridoxine HCl |
Serving note: Roman values are per daily 3-capsule serving. USN values are per 4-capsule dose. USN instructs adults to take 4 capsules 1–2 times a day, so the USN amounts shown can double at the maximum 8-capsule intake. The official label also instructs a 5-days-on / 2-days-off cycle for eight weeks, followed by a two-week break. Official USN directions →
HOW WE COMPARE THEM
A long formula can look impressive. We focus on the core ingredient, the dose, and whether the human evidence matches the outcome being sold.
USN sells strength, muscle growth and testosterone support. We check whether the evidence actually matches those outcomes.
Having the same ingredient is not the same as having the same dose. Tongkat Ali is a clear example here.
We separate human testosterone research from ingredients that are mainly included for general performance or traditional use.
WHAT THE HUMAN RESEARCH SAYS
USN includes several interesting performance ingredients. But when the goal is specifically testosterone support, the strongest comparison comes down to the ingredients with human testosterone evidence and the doses actually used.
A 2022 meta-analysis found a significant improvement in total testosterone across the included Eurycoma longifolia trials, although studies used different extracts and populations. Roman provides 400 mg of a 100:1 extract daily. USN provides 50 mg per 4-capsule dose, or 100 mg at its maximum 8-capsule daily intake.
Roman adds Ashwagandha, which gives the formula a second botanical with human evidence relevant to testosterone and stress hormones. A 2026 systematic review and meta-analysis examined hormonal outcomes across randomized controlled trials.
Tribulus is the largest herbal extract in USN's formula. A 2025 systematic review found no robust evidence that Tribulus reliably increases testosterone. It did find a low level of evidence for possible erectile-function benefits.
A 2026 meta-analysis found a small favourable signal for total testosterone from fenugreek preparations, but certainty was very low and results differed by extract. Roman uses 500 mg daily. USN uses 176 mg per 4-capsule dose, or 352 mg at the maximum 8-capsule intake. Their standardisations differ, so the percentages should not be treated as directly interchangeable.
Ecdysterone is one of USN's more interesting performance ingredients. A 2019 resistance-training study reported greater increases in muscle mass and bench-press performance. But an earlier 8-week trial using 200 mg/day found no significant advantage for strength, body composition or testosterone markers. The human evidence is therefore promising but not settled.
Zinc matters for normal male reproductive and hormone function, particularly when zinc status is low. Roman provides 15 mg elemental zinc per day. USN provides 4.8 mg per 4-capsule dose, or 9.6 mg at the maximum 8-capsule intake.
USN officially describes the product as a powerful testosterone booster and says it accelerates lean muscle gains, improves strength and male performance, and enhances creatine levels. Those are USN's product claims, not proof that the finished formula has produced those outcomes in a head-to-head clinical trial.
Magnesium is a genuine nutritional strength in USN's formula. It supports normal muscle, nerve and energy function. That makes it useful for a sports-focused product, even though magnesium is not the main reason to choose a testosterone-support formula.
WHERE EACH FORMULA IS STRONG
USN brings a wide range of performance-oriented compounds. Roman keeps the core more focused, while still covering stress, recovery and essential nutrient support.
Roman provides 400 mg of Tongkat Ali daily. USN provides 50 mg per dose and 100 mg at its maximum daily intake.
USN does not list Ashwagandha. Roman combines it with Tongkat Ali and Fenugreek rather than relying on one main botanical.
Roman also includes 3 mg boron, 15 mg zinc, 1,000 IU vitamin D3, taurine and vitamins K1 and K2.
Roman is taken as a daily 3-capsule serving. USN's own label uses a 5-days-on / 2-days-off routine and an 8-week cycle followed by a two-week break.
USN includes ecdysterone, magnesium, resveratrol and other compounds that make the product broader than a basic herbal testosterone formula.
One human resistance-training study found greater muscle-mass and bench-press gains with ecdysterone supplementation, although another trial found no significant benefit.
Roman
USN has a broad, sports-focused formula with some interesting performance ingredients. Ecdysterone and magnesium are fair strengths, and USN clearly builds the product around gym performance.
But for a product chosen specifically for testosterone support, Roman puts far more of the formula behind the ingredients with the most relevant human testosterone research. Roman provides 400 mg Tongkat Ali versus 50 mg per USN dose, adds 300 mg Ashwagandha that USN does not contain, and provides 500 mg Fenugreek versus 176 mg per USN dose.
USN's largest herbal ingredient is Tribulus. Current systematic-review evidence does not show robust testosterone increases from Tribulus in men. Roman therefore has the stronger testosterone-focused ingredient profile.
This is an ingredient-level comparison. Roman and USN 17-Testo Methox Gold have not been tested against each other in a head-to-head clinical trial.
USN formula and marketing claims are taken from its official South African product page and nutrition label. Ingredient research is based on published human studies and reviews. No head-to-head clinical trial has compared the finished Roman and USN products.
