For over 2000 years, horny goat weed has been used in China as a medicinal herb to boost libido and treat impotence - but does it work or is Horney Goat Weed just a catchy name? The answer is yes it does and it does this in three ways which we are going to look at in this article. Here are the 3 ways Horny Goat Weed increases sex drive and boosts libido. 1. It Acts as an Adaptogen Horny goat weed works as an adaptogen by increasing levels of epinephrine, norepinephrine, serotonin, and dopamine when they are low which enhances mood, putting us in the mood for sex.