2022's breakout 'natural steroid' — except it doesn't bind the androgen receptor, human trials found nothing, and many products were fake.
Turkesterone, an ecdysteroid extracted from the Ajuga turkestanica plant, was marketed as a near-anabolic compound — 'nature's answer to steroids' — that builds muscle and supports testosterone without the side effects of real anabolics.
Turkesterone became the breakout supplement of 2022, propelled almost entirely by fitness influencers and TikTok. The pitch was irresistible: steroid-like muscle gains, no needles, no shutdown, no legal risk. Sales exploded, dozens of brands appeared overnight, and — as later testing revealed — many products contained little or no actual turkesterone, because the raw ingredient was scarce and expensive. A lot of people were paying for capsules of filler.
The mechanism story falls apart on inspection. Unlike anabolic steroids, turkesterone does not bind the human androgen receptor at all — so the 'natural steroid' framing is biologically misleading. When proper randomised human trials finally arrived in 2024–2025, they found no effect on muscle mass, strength, free testosterone or cortisol versus placebo. The earlier excitement rested on insect and rodent studies plus a much-cited but methodologically weak older study.
Ecdysteroids like turkesterone are genuinely intriguing molecules: they're moulting hormones in insects, and in some animal models they do show anabolic-like and adaptogenic effects through a non-androgen pathway (possibly involving estrogen-receptor-beta signalling). That's real biology — but 'interesting in insects and rodents' is a very long way from 'works in a human gym-goer', and the human trials closed that gap with a clear no.
Creatine monohydrate and adequate protein are cheap, proven and backed by hundreds of human studies — the exact opposite of turkesterone's evidence profile.
Turkesterone was the hype supplement of its moment, but human trials found no benefit for muscle or testosterone, it doesn't even act like a steroid, and many products were under-dosed or fake. Your money goes much further on creatine and protein. Any use is at your own risk; consult your doctor.
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Based on guidance from the NHS, NICE, Cleveland Clinic and peer-reviewed research.
General information, not a substitute for personal medical advice — always consult your doctor or a qualified health professional before making health decisions. If you are pregnant, breastfeeding, trying to conceive, under 18, or taking medication, speak to your doctor before starting any supplement.