Supplement analysis backed by scientific evidence · PT

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Limited evidencePhysical performance

Laxogenin

Sold as a natural plant anabolic, the compound in these products is a synthetic steroid with zero human trials. The only in vivo test found no anabolic effect at all, and this corner of the market has a documented adulteration problem.

What the science says

  • It is a natural plant compound Limited evidence

    False as sold. The ingredient in commercial products is 5-alpha-hydroxy-laxogenin, a synthetic spirostane-type steroid that has been shown not to occur naturally; laxogenin itself is a plant sapogenin used mainly as a plant growth regulator. Analytical surveys of bodybuilding supplements using time-of-flight mass spectrometry have repeatedly found spirostane content that does not match label declarations.

  • Builds muscle without hormonal side effects Limited evidence

    No human trial of any size or design exists. In the standard preclinical test, castrated rats dosed with 5-alpha-hydroxy-laxogenin for two weeks showed no increase in prostate, seminal vesicle, penis, levator ani or hindlimb muscle weights at any dose. At the highest dose (36 mg/kg body weight) several target tissues showed significantly greater atrophy than controls, the opposite of an anabolic result.

  • It is non-hormonal Limited evidence

    In vitro, 5-alpha-hydroxy-laxogenin trans-activated the androgen receptor in human prostate cells in a dose-dependent, biphasic way, antagonistic at low concentrations and agonistic at high ones, and in silico docking supports receptor binding. Whatever the in vivo result, the marketing claim that it is not hormonal is not supported by the data.

  • It is legal and safe to buy Limited evidence

    It is not an approved dietary ingredient and sits in a gray market alongside designer steroids, where analytical testing has repeatedly found undeclared compounds. Its own toxicology has never been characterised in humans, so the honest position is that both efficacy and safety are unknown.

Dosage & safety

Studied doseLabels typically instruct 50-100 mg/day for 4-8 week cycles, sometimes with liver support products. These numbers come from marketing, not research: no human pharmacokinetic or dosing study has ever been published, and metabolite identification work is only now being done for anti-doping purposes.
SafetyUnapproved as a dietary ingredient and sold in a category with a documented record of adulteration with undeclared designer anabolic steroids, several of which have caused cholestatic liver injury. Androgen receptor activity in vitro means hormonal effects cannot be excluded. Athletes face a substantial risk of an anti-doping rule violation from contaminated products, and anti-doping laboratories are actively developing detection methods for its metabolites. Not appropriate for anyone under 18, pregnant or breastfeeding, or with liver disease. There is no medical monitoring protocol because there is no human data to base one on.

Scientific references

Where to buy

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