Study type: 

Non-randomised placebo-controlled clinical trial

Purpose:

To measure the effects of ecdysteroids (ecdysterone) on sports performance and body composition.

Interventions:

Ecdysterone supplement and 3 sessions of resistance training per week

Participants:

46 young men with at least 1 year of experience in weight-lifting (bench press, deadlift and squat)

Duration:

10 weeks

Results:

Compared to the placebo group, ecdysterone was correlated with significantly larger increases in muscle mass. The placebo group actually lost muscle mass.

Ecdysterone supplementation was also correlated with a significant increase in bench press and squat performance compared to the placebo group.

Importantly, biomarkers for liver or kidney toxicity did not increase after ecdysterone supplementation.

Year:

2019

Study sponsor:

WADA

Link:

https://doi.org/10.1007/s00204-019-02490-x   

Study type: 

Animal & cellular study

Purpose

To elucidate the anabolic potency of ecdysterone in comparison to other known anabolic agents and to support the hypothesis of ERβ mediated action by in-silico modelling.

Dose:

5 mg/kg/day of phytoecdysteroids for 10 days or 10 mg/kg/day of methylandrostenediol (Anabol) or nerobol (Dianabol) for 10 days.

Results:

In the rodent study, ecdysterone exhibited a strong hypertrophic effect on the fibre size of the soleus muscle that was found even stronger compared to dianabol (metandienone), trenbolox (estradienedione), and SARMS1, all administered in the same dose (5 mg/kg body weight, for 21 days). 

In the cellular study, ecdysterone (1 µM) induced a significant increase of the diameter of myotubes (a cell found in muscle fibres) comparable to dihydrotestosterone (1 µM) and IGF1 (Insulin-Like Growth Factor, 1.3 nM). 

Conclusion:

The anabolic potency of the ecdysterone was comparable or even higher than the anabolic androgenic steroids, SARMs or IGF-1. 

Year

2015

Link:

https://doi.org/10.5604/20831862.1144420 

Study type: 

Animal study (male rats)

Purpose

To compare the anabolic activity of phytoecdysteroids and steranabols (anabolic steroids). Specifically, ecdysterone and turkesterone were compared with methyandrostenediol (Anabol) and nerobol (Dianabol). The effect of phytoecdysteroids upon protein-anabolic processes were judged by changes in body weight and the weight of internal organs and skeletal muscles. 

Dose:

5 mg/kg/day of phytoecdysteroids for 10 days or 10 mg/kg/day of methylandrostenediol (Anabol) or nerobol (Dianabol) for 10 days.

Results:

The results showed that the anabolic activity of phytoecdysteroids outperformed anabolic steroids. 

As visible in the table below, puberal rodents experienced similar weight gain from ecdysterone similar to the anabolic steroid Anabol (methylandrostenediol). Intact impuberal rodents experienced greater weight gain from ecdysterone than from Anabol.

These results are significant for several reasons:

- Anabol leads to artificial weight gain due to water retention, unlike ecdysterone. 

- The phytoecdysteroids (ecdysterone and turkesterone) stimulated protein synthesis without adverse effects on the endocrine system.

Year

2000

Link:

https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02524596 

Study type: 

Cellular study

Purpose

To study the mechanism of action of phytoecdysteroids in mammalian tissue.

Results:

In human primary myotubes (cells found in muscle fibres), phytoecdysteroids increased protein synthesis by up to 20%.

Year

2008

Link:

https://doi.org/10.1021/jf073059z 

Study type: 

Cellular study

Purpose

To evaluate whether phytoecdysteroids increase protein synthesis.

Results:

20-hydroxyecdysone (ecdysterone), a common phytoecdysteroid in both insects and plants, increased protein synthesis in myotubes (cells found in muscle fibres) by up to 16%.

Year

2010

Link:

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.steroids.2010.03.008