2024-04-29 00:30:03
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The FAQs were updated and additional information added. With most research being done in animals and no meta-analyses, the effects of ecdysteroids in humans remains uncertain.
Ecdysteroids
•Last Updated: April 29, 2024
Ecdysteroids are a type of steroid hormone found in arthropods, where they are responsible for reproduction and molting. Evidence for the use of ecdysteroids in humans is lacking, but they are often used to improve athletic performance and to stimulate muscle growth and are purported to have multiple other health benefits.
Ecdysteroids is most often used for
Last Updated:April 29, 2024
Ecdysteroids are polyhydroxylated ketosteroids that are similar to androgens and are primarily found in insects for molting and in certain plants for protection against herbivores. They differ from human androgens in structure and do not produce the same hormone-related side effects; phytoecdysteroids are more commonly used in supplements.
Ecdysteroids are primarily recognized for their potential benefits in enhancing athletic performance and muscle growth, and some evidence from studies on humans and animals supports these claims. Additionally, they may have antiobesity effects, improve metabolic health, and show promise in cancer treatment, though further research in humans is necessary to confirm these benefits.
The main drawbacks of ecdysteroids include a lack of research on human dosing and uncertain safety, despite some studies that showed no significant adverse effects in young men and other mammals. Additionally, commercially available ecdysteroid products are unregulated, which raises concerns about their content and dosage accuracy.
Ecdysteroids work in mammals through various mechanisms, including binding to G-protein coupled receptors in the renin-angiotensin system, which may enhance muscle protein synthesis, and activating estrogen receptor beta, which is also associated with muscle growth. Additionally, ecdysterone increases calcium influx and Akt phosphorylation, which further contribute to its potential effects on muscle development.
Note that Ecdysteroids is also known as:
- Ecdysterone
- Turkesterone
- Ecdisten
- Ecdysone
- 20-hydroxyecdysone (20HE)
- Beta-ecdysterone
There is not enough research to recommend a specific dosage for each possible use of ecdysteroids, and most of the available research has been done on animals.
Studies seem to show a dose-dependent response for hyperglycemia (high blood sugar). In in vivo liver cells from both diabetic and nondiabetic rats, higher doses of ecdysone resulted in a greater suppression of glucose production. However, research in humans is lacking, and there is not enough evidence to recommend a specific dose for people with diabetes.[1][2]
For use in athletes, one study suggested 5 mg per kg of body weight as an effective dose but also noted that higher doses showed greater improvements in strength.[3] Another study found that 200 mg daily was ineffective for improving body composition.[4]
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- ^Kizelsztein P, Govorko D, Komarnytsky S, Evans A, Wang Z, Cefalu WT, Raskin I20-Hydroxyecdysone decreases weight and hyperglycemia in a diet-induced obesity mice model.Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab.(2009 Mar)
- ^Sundaram R, Naresh R, Shanthi P, Sachdanandam PEfficacy of 20-OH-ecdysone on hepatic key enzymes of carbohydrate metabolism in streptozotocin induced diabetic rats.Phytomedicine.(2012 Jun 15)
- ^Isenmann E, Ambrosio G, Joseph JF, Mazzarino M, de la Torre X, Zimmer P, Kazlauskas R, Goebel C, Botrè F, Diel P, Parr MKEcdysteroids as non-conventional anabolic agent: performance enhancement by ecdysterone supplementation in humans.Arch Toxicol.(2019 Jul)
- ^Wilborn CD, Taylor LW, Campbell BI, Kerksick C, Rasmussen CJ, Greenwood M, Kreider RBEffects of methoxyisoflavone, ecdysterone, and sulfo-polysaccharide supplementation on training adaptations in resistance-trained malesJ Int Soc Sports Nutr.(2006 Dec 13)
- ^Das N, Mishra SK, Bishayee A, Ali ES, Bishayee AThe phytochemical, biological, and medicinal attributes of phytoecdysteroids: An updated review.Acta Pharm Sin B.(2021 Jul)
- ^Martins JP, Silva LC, Nunes MS, Rübensam G, Oliveira JR, Silva RBM, Campos MMCombined Effects of Exercise and Phytoanabolic Extracts in Castrated Male and Female Mice.Nutrients.(2021 Apr 2)
- ^Dinan L, Dioh W, Veillet S, Lafont R20-Hydroxyecdysone, from Plant Extracts to Clinical Use: Therapeutic Potential for the Treatment of Neuromuscular, Cardio-Metabolic and Respiratory Diseases.Biomedicines.(2021 Apr 29)
- ^Gorelick-Feldman J, Maclean D, Ilic N, Poulev A, Lila MA, Cheng D, Raskin IPhytoecdysteroids increase protein synthesis in skeletal muscle cells.J Agric Food Chem.(2008 May 28)
- ^Zwetsloot KA, Shanely RA, Godwin JS, Hodgman CFPhytoecdysteroids Accelerate Recovery of Skeletal Muscle Function Following in vivo Eccentric Contraction-Induced Injury in Adult and Old Mice.Front Rehabil Sci.(2021)
- ^Báthori M, Tóth N, Hunyadi A, Márki A, Zádor EPhytoecdysteroids and anabolic-androgenic steroids--structure and effects on humans.Curr Med Chem.(2008)
- ^Olanow CW, Calne DDoes selegiline monotherapy in Parkinson's disease act by symptomatic or protective mechanisms?Neurology.(1992 Apr)
- ^Seidlova-Wuttke D, Ehrhardt C, Wuttke WMetabolic effects of 20-OH-ecdysone in ovariectomized rats.J Steroid Biochem Mol Biol.(2010 Apr)
- ^Vestergaard PVarying effects of psychotropic medications on fracture risk in older people.Evid Based Ment Health.(2009 Feb)
- ^Kapur P, Wuttke W, Jarry H, Seidlova-Wuttke DBeneficial effects of beta-Ecdysone on the joint, epiphyseal cartilage tissue and trabecular bone in ovariectomized rats.Phytomedicine.(2010 Apr)
- ^Carme B, Mbitsi A, Moudzeo H, Ndinga M, Eozenou PDrug resistance of Plasmodium falciparum in the Congo. 2. Comparative study in vivo of chloroquine and amodiaquine in Brazzaville schoolchildren (November 1986).Bull Soc Pathol Exot Filiales.(1987)
- ^Farrugia M, Cutajar C, Agius JC, Wismayer PSSteroids-has the time come to extend their use to AML?J Egypt Natl Canc Inst.(2021 Mar 4)
- ^ Lafont, R et alEcdysteroidsEncyclopedia.(2021-12)
- ^Hunyadi A, Herke I, Lengyel K, Báthori M, Kele Z, Simon A, Tóth G, Szendrei KEcdysteroid-containing food supplements from Cyanotis arachnoidea on the European market: evidence for spinach product counterfeiting.Sci Rep.(2016 Dec 8)
- ^Lafont R, Serova M, Didry-Barca B, Raynal S, Guibout L, Dinan L, Veillet S, Latil M, Dioh W, Dilda PJ20-Hydroxyecdysone activates the protective arm of the RAAS via the MAS receptor.J Mol Endocrinol.(2021 Dec 23)
- ^Gorelick-Feldman J, Cohick W, Raskin IEcdysteroids elicit a rapid Ca2+ flux leading to Akt activation and increased protein synthesis in skeletal muscle cells.Steroids.(2010 Oct)
- ^Parr MK, Botrè F, Naß A, Hengevoss J, Diel P, Wolber GEcdysteroids: A novel class of anabolic agents?Biol Sport.(2015 Jun)
- ^Parr, M et alEcdysteroids as non-conventional anabolic agents: Pharmacodynamics, pharmacokinetics, and detection of ecdysterone, cited Apr 2024(2015)
- Testosterone - Wilborn CD, Taylor LW, Campbell BI, Kerksick C, Rasmussen CJ, Greenwood M, Kreider RBEffects of methoxyisoflavone, ecdysterone, and sulfo-polysaccharide supplementation on training adaptations in resistance-trained malesJ Int Soc Sports Nutr.(2006 Dec 13)