Ecdysterone for Men: A Natural Androgen to Boost Your Performance

If you want to increase your testosterone levels naturally, the first thing to tweak is your lifestyle. Sleep well, exercise, eat healthy—that may be boring advice, but it definitely goes a long way. Then, focus on minerals and nutrients with scientifically confirmed testosterone-boosting properties: magnesium, selenium, boron, and zinc are some of the most important ones. To step up your game even further, you can take natural performance boosters like ecdysterone.

Ecdysterone, also called beta-ecdysterone, is a natural compound found in some insects, aquatic animals, and wild plants.

Some of the richest sources of ecdysterone are the Chinese plant Cyanotis arachnoidea and marine animals sources like the zoanthids that live in coral reefs.

But what's in it for you, exactly? What makes top ecdysterone supplements so awesome for athletes, bodybuilders—and us men in general?

Let's dig into the details.

Ecdysterone is a compound that's structurally similar to human androgens. In insects and plants, it serves as a growth factor. The class of chemicals that ecdysterone belongs to earned part of its name (ecdy-) from the molting process in insects, ecdysis.

This compound goes by the molecular formula C44H27O7 and has a molecular weight of 480.6 g/mol.

Early research on ecdysterone suggests:

Additionally, recent studies have shown that the performance-enhancing effects of ecdysterone are caused by its ability to bind with estrogen receptors.

This ability of ecdysterone to interact with estrogen receptors is likely the reason why beta-ecdysterone alleviates symptoms of osteoporosis with minimal side effects, according to animal studies.

Recently, the World Anti-Doping Agency agreed that ecdysterone has significant ergogenic (performance-boosting) properties and decided to include it in its 2020 Monitoring List. So, while ecdysterone isn't in the List of Prohibited Substances yet, sports authorities are keeping an eye on. Chances are, the stuff will soon get banned for good.

Ever heard about the Russian scandal in the Olympic Games back in the 1980s? As the story goes, many Russian athletes took ecdysterone to boost their results.

A recent German study fed rats with beta-ecdysterone for one month, then measured the thickness of their joint cartilage and the intensity of their regeneration. The experts concluded that beta-ecdysterone may be a promising candidate drug for the treatment of osteoporosis but more testing is necessary before it can be approved for human treatment.

In the average Western diet, the level of ecdysteroids intake is usually lower than 1 mg per day. Compare this amount with the doses used by bodybuilders ranging up to 1000 mg per day.

Laboratory animals got ecdysterone according to their body weight. In a certain study, the mice were given 5 mg/kg body weight for 21 days.

In people, the effects of ecdysterone and its plant sources seems to be dose-related. Experts suggest a daily dose of 200 mg for anabolic effects.

Some people would rather mimic the dosage given to rats in experiments – that is, 5 mg/kg of body weight. The compound is apparently non-toxic anyway, so it’s probably safe to have a bit more than the amount recommended.

So, if you weigh 80 kg, multiply the number by 5. That will give you 400, and you are to consume 400 mg per day. For heavier guys, this dose can reach up to 600 mg.

In any case, it's always a good idea to discuss the matter with your physician, just to be safe.

In a clinical study on ecdysterone, methoxyisoflavone, and sulfo-polysaccharide supplementation in resistance-trained males, the researchers reported the following:

Post-study questionnaires’ analysis yielded results entailing subjects’ experience in the trial. They have withstood the protocols of the supplements without any accounts of arising symptoms indicative of medical problems.

In other words, nope, it seems that ecdysterone has no side effects. Well, at least none that the medical and scientific community know of so far.

If you’re wary of taking supplements, or you just want to know if consuming natural sources will also be effective, consider the following food items:

Two phytoecdysteroids are found in spinach – dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) and ecdysterone, the latter being more powerful. Spinach also contains nitrates, which are good for blood circulation.

You can get 18 mg of ecdysterone from every 50-mg serving of quinoa, a food item that is also rich in saponins—plant compounds with multiple health benefits.

Try cooking quinoa recipes that include garlic for an additional T-boosting effect.

There isn't a lot of dietary sources of ecdysterone, but you can opt for powerful combinations with ecdysterone-containing food items and testosterone-boosting foods.

Examples include wild oats, celery, almonds, olive oil, brazil nuts, raw eggs, celery, fava beans, coconut oil, onions and pine pollen.

Ecdysterone also has non-hormonal biological effects. For example, it's beneficial against degenerative and chornic diseases, such as cancer, Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, diabetes and rheumatoid arthritis.

Ecdysterone also has adaptogenic properties, meaning it protects the body against the detrimental effects of stress. This is based with the compound’s antioxidant, gastroprotective, and anabolic effects.