What does the research show about turkesterone and ecdysterone?

Turkesterone and ecdysterone

No turkesterone trial was located. In a WADA-funded 10-week ecdysterone trial in 46 young men, those dosed gained more muscle mass and bench press. An 8-week trial of 200 mg a day found no change in strength, body composition or hormones. Of 8 turkesterone products tested, 4 had none detectable and 4 held 0.1% of label or less.

Add to Bio HackChecked 2026-11-09

Status: Sold as dietary supplements in the US.
Also called: turkesterone, ecdysterone, 20-hydroxyecdysone, 20-HE, beta-ecdysterone, ecdysteroids, phytoecdysteroids, Ajuga turkestanica, Cyanotis arachnoidea, Rhaponticum carthamoides, natural anabolic
Taken for: muscle growth, strength, natural anabolic, testosterone-free gains, recovery, athletic performance

Strong several reviews agree · Moderate one review or consistent trials · Limited one or a few small studies · Untested no study in people, listed with what it rests on

Shown to help0

No benefit shown in research yet.

Reported risks2

ModerateProduct tests found 4 of 8 turkesterone products had no turkesterone, and the rest held 0.1% or less of the labeled amount.
LimitedAuthors of a WADA-funded trial suggested adding ecdysterone to the prohibited anabolic agents. In elite athlete urine, 0.4% of samples tested positive.

What people take it for, and what was found

Mixed results1

LimitedStudied in men

Muscle mass and strength with ecdysterone

Small trials found mixed results: one found more muscle and bench press gains with ecdysterone, and another found no change in muscle or strength.

The numbers and sources

Effect: In a 10-week strength training study of 46 young men given different doses of ecdysterone-containing supplements, participants dosed with ecdysterone had significantly larger increases in muscle mass and in one-repetition bench press than other participants. Urine was screened for prohibited substances and the supplement was tested for anabolic steroid contamination before use [1]. In 45 resistance-trained men, 200 mg of 20-hydroxyecdysone a day for 8 weeks did not change fat-free mass, body fat, bench press, leg press or sprint power compared with placebo [2]. In 20 men doing supervised resistance training for 12 weeks, 30 mg a day of asparagus-derived 20-hydroxyecdysone lowered arm fat more than placebo. Leg and abdominal fat fell within the ecdysterone group, and fasting insulin fell and QUICKI insulin sensitivity rose from baseline [3].
Population: 46 young men in a strength training study [1]; resistance-trained men in the US [2]; 20 healthy young men doing supervised resistance training three times a week [3].
Sources: [1], [2], [3]
Caveats: Sources disagree. The abstract of [1] does not give effect sizes or doses. [1] was funded by WADA [1]. [2] was funded by MuscleTech Research & Development, Inc. [2]. The 12-week trial reports p-values only, and its abstract does not report lean mass [3].

Not shown to help2

LimitedStudied in men

Testosterone and cortisol

One trial found ecdysterone did not change testosterone or cortisol in resistance-trained men over 8 weeks.

The numbers and sources

Effect: In the 8-week trial, 200 mg of ecdysterone a day did not change active or free testosterone, cortisol or the testosterone to cortisol ratio compared with placebo [2].
Population: 45 resistance-trained men [2].
Sources: [2]
Caveats: One trial.

LimitedStudied in men

Muscle growth with turkesterone

One small study found no significant change in IGF-1 or resting metabolic rate within 24 hours of turkesterone in 11 young men. No muscle growth trial was located.

Compared with placebo [8]

The numbers and sources

Effect: In 11 healthy men, mean age 23, turkesterone did not significantly change serum IGF-1, resting metabolic rate, or blood lipid and carbohydrate measures at 3 or 24 hours against placebo. IGF-1 rose non-significantly on both turkesterone conditions [8].
Population: 11 healthy young men, with samples before and 3 and 24 hours after doses [8].
Sources: [8]
Caveats: One small, short study of single doses. IGF-1 and metabolic rate are markers, not muscle growth, and no training was involved [8]. Tested turkesterone products often held little or none of the labeled ingredient (see Risks) [4].

Doses studied

The 8-week trial used 200 mg of 20-hydroxyecdysone a day [2], and a 12-week trial used 30 mg a day from asparagus [3]. The 10-week trial gave different doses of ecdysterone-containing supplements, and its abstract does not state them [1]. Turkesterone products tested in the US were labeled at 300 to 550 mg of Ajuga turkestanica extract or turkesterone per serving [4].

Risks

Reported risks2

Moderate

Products contain little or none of the labeled ingredient

Product tests found 4 of 8 turkesterone products had no turkesterone, and the rest held 0.1% or less of the labeled amount.

The numbers and sources

Effect: Of 8 turkesterone products bought online, 4 had no detectable turkesterone. The other 4 contained 0.01 to 0.1 mg per serving, which was 0.02% to 0.1% of the labeled amount where a quantity was stated. Across all 57 botanical sports supplements in the study, 7 contained at least one FDA-prohibited drug, none of them turkesterone products [4]. Of 12 supplements labeled to contain ecdysterone, actual content was generally much lower than labeled [5]. Of 16 easily available supplements tested in one anti-doping study, 5 had detectable ecdysterone, ranging up to 2.3 mg per capsule [6]. German supplements labeled as spinach extract were found to be made from Cyanotis arachnoidea extract instead [7].
Population: Products bought online in the US [4]; commercial supplements [5][6]; German products [7].
Sources: [4], [5], [6], [7]
Caveats: One sample per brand was tested in [4]. [5] was funded by WADA.

Limited

Anti-doping position of the research

Authors of a WADA-funded trial suggested adding ecdysterone to the prohibited anabolic agents. In elite athlete urine, 0.4% of samples tested positive.

The numbers and sources

Effect: The authors of the WADA-funded trial concluded that their results strongly suggest including ecdysterone among prohibited "other anabolic agents" in class S1.2 [1]. In 1,000 urine samples from elite athletes, 4 were positive for ecdysterone, an estimated prevalence of use of 0.4% [6]. After a single dose, ecdysterone and its metabolite were detectable in human urine for up to 96 and 48 hours [6].
Population: Elite athlete urine samples and one volunteer [6]; trial authors [1].
Sources: [1], [6]
Caveats: This reports the authors' recommendation. WADA's own list was not consulted for this page.

Checked, no increase found1

LimitedStudied in men

Liver and kidney markers

Small trials found no rise in liver or kidney markers in young men over 8 to 10 weeks.

The numbers and sources

Effect: In the 10-week trial, biomarkers for liver or kidney toxicity did not rise [1]. In the 8-week trial, urea nitrogen and creatinine did not differ from placebo [2].
Population: Young and resistance-trained men [1][2].
Sources: [1], [2]
Caveats: Short trials. No human safety data for turkesterone were located.

Claims tested and not found

That ecdysterone raises testosterone. Active and free testosterone did not change compared with placebo over 8 weeks [2].
That turkesterone products deliver their labeled dose. Four of 8 had none detectable, and the rest held 0.1% of label or less [4].

Sources

Isenmann E, Ambrosio G, Joseph JF, et al. Ecdysteroids as non-conventional anabolic agent: performance enhancement by ecdysterone supplementation in humans. Archives of Toxicology. 2019. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00204-019-02490-x
Wilborn CD, Taylor LW, Campbell BI, et al. Effects of Methoxyisoflavone, Ecdysterone, and Sulfo-Polysaccharide Supplementation on Training Adaptations in Resistance-Trained Males. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition. 2006. https://doi.org/10.1186/1550-2783-3-2-19
Sripinyowanich S, Denben B, Satapoomin P, et al. Effects of Asparagus-Derived 20-Hydroxyecdysone Supplementation on Fat Oxidation and Insulin Sensitivity in Resistance-Trained Males. Journal of Nutritional Science and Vitaminology. 2025. https://doi.org/10.3177/jnsv.71.526
Cohen PA, Avula B, Katragunta K, et al. Presence and Quantity of Botanical Ingredients With Purported Performance-Enhancing Properties in Sports Supplements. JAMA Network Open. 2023. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2023.23879
Ambrosio G, Wirth D, Joseph JF, et al. How reliable is dietary supplement labelling? Experiences from the analysis of ecdysterone supplements. Journal of Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Analysis. 2020. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpba.2019.112877
Kraiem S, Al-Jaber MY, Al-Mohammed H, et al. Analytical strategy for the detection of ecdysterone and its metabolites in vivo in uPA(+/+)-SCID mice with humanized liver, human urine samples, and estimation of prevalence of its use in anti-doping samples. Drug Testing and Analysis. 2021. https://doi.org/10.1002/dta.3032
Hunyadi A, Herke I, Lengyel K, et al. Ecdysteroid-containing food supplements from Cyanotis arachnoidea on the European market: evidence for spinach product counterfeiting. Scientific Reports. 2016. https://doi.org/10.1038/srep37322
Harris DR, Chapman-Lopez T, Machek SB, et al. The Effects of Multiple Acute Turkesterone Doses on Indirect Measures of Hypertrophy and Metabolic Measures: A Preliminary Investigation. Muscles. 2024. https://doi.org/10.3390/muscles3040031

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