Ecdysterone is marketed as an anabolic agent that promotes muscle growth and increases testosterone levels. Ecdysterone has shown good results in improving muscle growth and strength in mice (2). In experiments with human muscle cells, the presence of ecdysterone increases protein synthesis (3). It is believed that ecdysterone may exert a testosterone-like effect on humans, although this is thought to occur by an unconventional route – ecdysterone does not bind to the human testosterone receptor. This is considered promising because it would allow an athlete to gain mass while avoiding the side effects associated with anabolic steroid supplementation (4,5). Ecdysterone (or 20-hydroxyecdysone) is an insect hormone that plays a role in controlling ecdysis, another name for the molting and metamorphosis process in insects and some crustaceans. It also occurs naturally in a number of plants that are believed to produce ecdysterone to disrupt the life cycle of their insect predators and protect them from attack. Ecdysterone is a member of the ecdysteroid family. These are fat-soluble steroid hormones produced by altering cholesterol, and they have a similarity to human androgens such as testosterone. There are several safe and legal alternatives to steroids. These are usually derived from foods or herbal ingredients and are believed to increase the natural level of testosterone production in the body.
Many of these have been covered in detail in our two-part article “Testosterone Support Supplements (Part 1)” and “Testosterone Support Supplements (Part 2)” as well as in our article “Aromatase Inhibitors”. Here are some examples of testosterone-boosting ingredients to watch out for: In countries like Australia, the United States, and the United Kingdom, steroids are considered controlled drugs or substances. According to the Australian Institute of Criminology, “the possession, use and supply of steroids, except on prescription from a doctor, dentist or veterinarian, is illegal throughout Australia, as is unauthorised importation.” In other words, it is illegal to have steroids from abroad or try to ship them. Researchers have also found that ecdysterone can help lower blood sugar levels without altering insulin levels (Yoshida et al., 1971; Chen et al., 2005). In a recent study, ecdysterone lowered blood sugar levels when it was in the normal (5.5 mmol/L) and moderate (11.1-16.7 mmol/L) range, but not when it was in the high range (22.2 mmol/L). Therefore, it could be beneficial in treating type II diabetes and aid in weight loss. Ecdysterone may also exert antitumor properties (Konovolova et al., 2002) and act as a potent adaptogen and antioxidant (Kuzmenko et al., 1997; Weil`Menko, 1999). Ecdysterone is produced by a number of glands in insect larvae. It is estimated that ecdysteroids are found in up to 6% of all plants. Well-known plant sources of ecdysterone include Rhaponticum (Leuzea) carthamoides, or Maral, a plant grown in the subalpine regions of Russia and Eastern Europe, and Pfaffia paniculata, also known as Brazilian ginseng or suma, which grows throughout South America, where it is used as a health tonic. There are more than two hundred known ecdysteroids, including turesterone, which is a derivative of ecdysterone and is also used as a dietary supplement (1). There is almost no scientific evidence that ecdysterone has an effect on humans.
Although laboratory studies show that ecdysterone increases protein synthesis in muscle cells, it may not have led to strength gains in the one human study conducted (6). Only one study has been conducted on the purported testosterone-boosting properties of ecdysterone in humans, which has not resulted in any changes in testosterone levels or body composition (4). In addition, ecdysterone had no effect on lipid metabolism or liver enzymes in male athletes (6). It is anecdotally believed that the concentration of ecdysterone used in these studies may have been too low to see an effect. Further research is needed before conclusions can be drawn. In the same year, another group of Russian researchers (Simakin et al., 1998) studied the combined effects of ecdysterone and a high-protein diet. They found that when athletes combined a high-protein diet with ecdysterone, muscle mass increased by 6 to 7 percent and body fat decreased by 10 percent. There is no fixed dose for ecdysterone supplementation. Many animal studies use 5 mg/kg/day, which equates to 500 mg per day for a 100 kg person, although this is considered low by some.
Bodybuilders have reported positive effects on a dose of 1 g per day, divided into four doses of 250 mg. Ecdysterone is non-toxic in mice, and it would be difficult to consume the lethal oral dose of 9 g per kg of body weight. (1) Dinan L. Phytoecdysteroids, biological aspects. Phytochemistry. (2001) (2) Dinan L, Lafont R.Effects and applications of arthropod steroid hormones (ecdysteroids) in mammals. J Endocrinol. (2006) (3) Gorelick-Feldman J, Maclean D, Ilic N, Poulev A, Lila MA, Cheng D, Raskin I. Phytoecdysteroids increase protein synthesis in skeletal muscle cells. 2008 May 28;56(10):3532-7. (4) Bathori M, Toth N, Hunyadi A, Marki A, Zador E. Structure and effects of phytoecdysteroids and anabolic androgenic steroids on humans.
Curr Med Chem. 2008;15(1):75-91. (5) Bucci LR. Selected herbs and human training performance. At J Clin Nutr. (2000). (6) Wilborn CD et al. Effects of methoxyisoflavone, ecdysterone and sulfopolysaccharide supplementation on training adaptations in resistance-trained men.
J Int Soc Sports Nutr (2006). Early research by Russian researchers Syrov and Kurmukov (1976) revealed that ecdysterone had anabolic activity and increased protein synthesis. Animal studies in rats and Japanese quail have shown significant anabolic effects (Slama et al., 1996; Dinan, 2001). Ecdysterone is also believed to have an anabolic effect in humans (Chermynkh et al., 1988; Simakin et al., 1988; Bizec et al., 2002; Chen et al., 2005). “In terms of doping prevention, the high anabolic efficacy of ecdysterone justifies its classification as an anabolic agent and should therefore be included in the category “S1 anabolic steroids” of the World Anti-Doping Agency`s list of prohibited substances. Beta ecdysterone is a well-known plant steroid that has flown under the radar with the popularity of Turkesterone. It is an ecdysteroid that occurs naturally in plants and insects and plays an important structural and functional role for both. With its use in Middle Eastern countries and historically used by the Russians, it is not exactly new. In the 1980s, the most active phytoecdysteroid, ecdysterone, was suspected of being used by Russian Olympic athletes.
This is subject to a reservation, as permits, permits or documents may be required for importation. As a result, individuals who attempt to self-import run the risk of having their ecdysterone confiscated upon entry into Australia. Beta-ecdysterone is 100% legal (as of December 2021). It`s worth mentioning that this particular compound is actually on the list of things that should be banned by WADA! The following statement comes from a study conducted to investigate the effects of ecdysteroids. Ecdysterone, also known as beta-ecdysterone or 20-hydroxyecdysone) is a plant extract (or plant sterol, sometimes called ecdysteriod) derived from Rhaponticum carthamoides. It exists as a compound in herbs such as Rhaponticum / Leuzeae and Cyanotis vaga. More than 150 ecdysteroids have been identified in many plants and insects. Ecdysterone evolved from Russia. The Russians gave it to their athletes before competitions to maximize the performance of anabolic steroids. Some studies have suggested that ecdysterone is a powerful anabolic agent that can improve protein synthesis, increase nitrogen retention and thus increase muscle size.
This is another small supplement category with only a handful of choices. When this first launched, it was heavily touted as the next big thing, but never really followed up with supplement users and now, although still available, it doesn`t hold the high place it once had. However, any product related to protein synthesis is worth a look, as protein synthesis is crucial for muscle growth. A number of benefits have been attributed to ecdysterone. It has traditionally been used in Europe and South America and is classified as an “adaptogen” – an interesting and controversial definition that is not accepted in Western medicine and is often applied to herbal remedies in terms of their ability to promote physical balance and reduce cellular stress. Many benefits have been attributed to ecdysterone, including lowering blood sugar, reducing fat deposits and cholesterol, increasing protein synthesis and strength, increasing testosterone, improving toxicity recovery, and wound repair, although these are largely anecdotal. I live in Adelaide, Australia, and I ordered ecdysterone from Arizona. He arrived in Australia from America in 2 days, then remained stranded in Sydney, Australia, since July 16. Then, today, I received a letter saying that it had been confiscated. Have idiots even watched or don`t they know what it is? They thought it was anabolic steroids or Sarms. How the fucking no guy. I sent them a form saying they were wrong, it`s legal in Australia.
Because the first two benefits are so strongly linked to muscle growth, ecdysterone may have powerful muscle-enhancing properties. What is protein and nitrogen synthesis and why are they so important for muscle growth? Protein synthesis refers to the method used to build muscle – quite important! Nitrogen is a component of protein and binds to the body`s protein balance, commonly referred to as positive or negative nitrogen balance – do you have enough to justify muscle growth, or do you have too little, resulting in a catabolic environment that leads to muscle tissue loss? So if we can support protein synthesis, we can support muscle growth, and if we can support nitrogen retention, we can help set up the environment for muscle growth.