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Limited evidencePhysical performance

Turkesterone

There is no published randomised controlled trial of turkesterone in humans for muscle, strength or any other outcome; the entire case is rodent data plus extrapolation from its chemical cousin ecdysterone. Independent testing also finds many products contain little or no actual turkesterone.

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What the science says

  • Muscle mass and strength in humans Limited evidence

    No human RCT of isolated turkesterone has been published. Reviews of ecdysteroids in sport and nutrition describe the preclinical rationale while noting the absence of clinical data for turkesterone specifically; every hypertrophy claim is borrowed from rodent studies or from the single small ecdysterone trial.

  • Preclinical anabolic activity Limited evidence

    Rodent and in vitro work with Ajuga turkestanica extracts shows increased protein synthesis and muscle fibre size, with a proposed estrogen receptor beta mechanism. Animal-to-human translation for anabolic agents is historically poor, and oral bioavailability of ecdysteroids in humans appears low.

  • Product content and label accuracy Limited evidence

    Analytical profiling of ecdysteroid supplements finds wide deviation between labelled and measured content, and independent tests of turkesterone-labelled products have found predominantly ecdysterone, other ecdysteroids, or negligible active material. Ajuga turkestanica is a niche plant and genuine standardised extract is scarce.

  • Safety profile Limited evidence

    There are published case reports of drug-induced liver injury in young men taking turkesterone-labelled supplements. Whether the injury is caused by turkesterone itself or by adulterants in poorly controlled products is unresolved, which is itself a reason for caution.

Dosage & safety

Studied doseNo evidence-based dose exists, because no human dose-finding study has been done. Commercial products commonly supply 500 mg/day of a turkesterone 10% hydroxypropyl-beta-cyclodextrin complex, a figure with no clinical basis whatsoever.
SafetyHuman safety data are essentially absent. Case reports of hepatotoxicity associated with turkesterone-containing supplements have appeared in the literature and in national adverse-event reporting; anyone using it should stop immediately at any sign of jaundice, dark urine, or right upper quadrant pain. Effects in women, adolescents and with long-term use are entirely unknown. Not currently on the WADA Prohibited List, though the related ecdysterone sits on the Monitoring Program. Given no efficacy evidence, unreliable product content, and liver injury reports, we advise against it.

How to take it

TimingTiming does not matter — no human dose-finding study exists to base a schedule on.
With food?With food, on general tolerability grounds rather than any data.
Worth knowingStop immediately and see a doctor at any sign of jaundice, dark urine or right upper quadrant pain, given the hepatotoxicity case reports attached to this category.

Frequently asked questions

Does turkesterone work for muscle growth?

There is no published randomised controlled trial of turkesterone in humans for muscle, strength or any other outcome, so the evidence is limited to rodent data and extrapolation from ecdysterone. Animal-to-human translation for anabolic agents is historically poor.

Is turkesterone safe?

Human safety data on turkesterone are essentially absent, and there are case reports of liver injury in young men taking turkesterone-labelled supplements. Stop immediately and see a doctor at any sign of jaundice, dark urine or right upper quadrant pain; supp.science advises against using it.

Do turkesterone supplements contain what the label says?

Often not: independent tests of turkesterone-labelled products have found mostly ecdysterone, other ecdysteroids, or negligible active material. Genuine standardised Ajuga turkestanica extract is scarce.

How much turkesterone should I take?

No evidence-based turkesterone dose exists because no human dose-finding study has been done. The common 500 mg/day of a 10% cyclodextrin complex has no clinical basis whatsoever.

Scientific references

Where to buy

Codeage, Liposomal Turkesterone+ Sport, 120 Vegetable Capsules

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