What the evidence says. Graded none: the only placebo-controlled studies of turkesterone itself (a 4-week, 31-person RCT and an 11-person acute study) found no effect on muscle, IGF-1 or metabolism; the anabolic case rests on 1970s–80s rat studies and borrowed ecdysterone data. (No Evidence evidence: No credible human evidence supports the marketed claims — widely considered ineffective.)
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Health warning. Turkesterone's muscle-building claims are unproven in people, products often do not contain what the label says, and at least one case of liver injury has been reported.
What is Turkesterone?
Turkesterone (Ajuga turkestanica (ecdysteroid)) is a performance supplement marketed for muscle and strength gain. NutriDex grades the human evidence as No Evidence. Turkesterone is an ecdysteroid, a plant version of the insect moulting hormone, extracted mainly from the Central Asian herb Ajuga turkestanica and sold as a 'natural anabolic' for muscle growth. It is a close chemical cousin of ecdysterone (20-hydroxyecdysone), which has its own entry. The anabolic claims rest largely on Soviet-era rat studies and cell work; modern animal data are mixed, and a study in aging mice found an Ajuga extract did not change muscle mass or protein-synthesis signalling. Human evidence is thin and negative: a 4-week randomised trial of 500 mg/day in 31 active adults found no difference from placebo in lean mass, fat mass or body weight, and a small acute crossover study in 11 men found no significant change in IGF-1 or resting metabolic rate. No long-term training trial of turkesterone exists. Quality is a further problem: independent LC-MS testing of 13 ecdysteroid supplements found turkesterone content varied among 'standardised' products, and a 2025 trial's phytosteroid product held under 1% of its labelled ecdysterone.
Marketed Claims (unproven)
✕(Claimed) muscle and strength gain
✕(Claimed) 'natural anabolic' without hormonal side effects
✕(Claimed) faster recovery from training
✕Not supported: no body-composition benefit in the only RCT
Dosing & Compounds
Use & Legality
No evidence-based dose; products typically supply 500–1,000 mg/day of Ajuga turkestanica extract (often labelled '10% turkesterone'), and the only placebo-controlled trial used 500 mg/day for 4 weeks without effect.
Short trials (up to 4 weeks) reported no significant side effects, but long-term human safety data do not exist. A 2025 case report described drug-induced liver injury with autoimmune features, treated with steroids, in a man with a prior liver transplant after two months of use. Because content is often mislabelled and sports supplements can carry undeclared anabolic agents, tested athletes face risk; ecdysterone is on WADA's Monitoring Program, though not currently prohibited. No drug interactions are established; avoid in pregnancy, breastfeeding, liver disease and hormone-sensitive conditions. Educational only — always check with your doctor or pharmacist before combining Turkesterone with any medicine.
Turkesterone is most often marketed for (Claimed) muscle and strength gain, (Claimed) 'natural anabolic' without hormonal side effects, (Claimed) faster recovery from training, Not supported: no body-composition benefit in the only RCT. Ajuga plant steroid sold as a natural anabolic; human trials null.
Does Turkesterone work — what does the evidence say?
No Evidence evidence. No credible human evidence supports the marketed claims — widely considered ineffective. Turkesterone is an ecdysteroid, a plant version of the insect moulting hormone, extracted mainly from the Central Asian herb Ajuga turkestanica and sold as a 'natural anabolic' for muscle growth. It is a close chemical cousin of ecdysterone (20-hydroxyecdysone), which has its own entry. The anabolic claims rest largely on Soviet-era rat studies and cell work; modern animal data are mixed, and a study in aging mice found an Ajuga extract did not change muscle mass or protein-synthesis signalling. Human evidence is thin and negative: a 4-week randomised trial of 500 mg/day in 31 active adults found no difference from placebo in lean mass, fat mass or body weight, and a small acute crossover study in 11 men found no significant change in IGF-1 or resting metabolic rate. No long-term training trial of turkesterone exists. Quality is a further problem: independent LC-MS testing of 13 ecdysteroid supplements found turkesterone content varied among 'standardised' products, and a 2025 trial's phytosteroid product held under 1% of its labelled ecdysterone.
What is the typical dose of Turkesterone?
No evidence-based dose; products typically supply 500–1,000 mg/day of Ajuga turkestanica extract (often labelled '10% turkesterone'), and the only placebo-controlled trial used 500 mg/day for 4 weeks without effect.
Is Turkesterone safe? Any cautions or side effects?
Short trials (up to 4 weeks) reported no significant side effects, but long-term human safety data do not exist. A 2025 case report described drug-induced liver injury with autoimmune features, treated with steroids, in a man with a prior liver transplant after two months of use. Because content is often mislabelled and sports supplements can carry undeclared anabolic agents, tested athletes face risk; ecdysterone is on WADA's Monitoring Program, though not currently prohibited. No drug interactions are established; avoid in pregnancy, breastfeeding, liver disease and hormone-sensitive conditions.
How many studies support Turkesterone?
NutriDex cites 10 sources for Turkesterone, graded "No Evidence".
Cite this page
APA
Peh, D. (2026). Turkesterone (Ajuga turkestanica (ecdysteroid)): Benefits, Dosage, Side Effects & Evidence. NutriDex — The Supplement Research Compendium. Retrieved 18 Oct 2026, from https://nutridex.info/s/turkesterone
BibTeX
@misc{nutridex_turkesterone,
author = {Peh, Daryl},
title = {Turkesterone (Ajuga turkestanica (ecdysteroid)): Benefits, Dosage, Side Effects \& Evidence},
year = {2026},
howpublished = {NutriDex --- The Supplement Research Compendium},
url = {https://nutridex.info/s/turkesterone},
note = {Reviewed by Dr Daryl Peh, MBBS Singapore, MMed FM. Accessed 2026-10-18}
}
For medical claims, citing the underlying primary studies linked above is preferred. NutriDex is an educational reference, not medical advice.