A plant compound (an ecdysteroid) extracted from Ajuga turkestanica, a herb from Central Asia.
Why it’s used: Studied for its role in muscle and performance; human evidence is very limited.
Turkesterone is a plant compound from a group called ecdysteroids. It is extracted from Ajuga turkestanica, a flowering herb that grows in the mountains of Uzbekistan and Tajikistan in Central Asia. Ecdysteroids act as moulting hormones in insects, and some plants make them too. Despite the name, turkesterone is not an anabolic steroid and does not act on the body in the same way.
Turkesterone is studied for its role in muscle and performance, mainly because of animal and laboratory research on ecdysteroids. Human evidence is very limited. One 2019 trial of a related compound, ecdysterone, reported gains in men doing strength training, but trials testing turkesterone or Ajuga extracts directly have so far found no clear difference compared with placebo.
Label accuracy is a real issue. A 2025 study found that one commercial phytosteroid product contained less than 1% of the ecdysterone it claimed. In late 2025 the European Commission's Novel Food Catalogue was updated to list both Ajuga turkestanica and turkesterone as unauthorised novel foods in the EU.
2 findings behind this ingredient. Hover a card for the detail and the source.
Mouse study; 20-month-old male mice ate chow with Ajuga turkestanica extract (50 mg/kg/day) or vehicle for 28 days. The extract increased Notch and Wnt signalling markers in muscle satellite cells.
Mouse study of Ajuga turkestanica, Eurycoma longifolia and Urtica dioica extracts, alone or combined, with resistance exercise. Ajuga turkestanica enhanced grip strength in castrated males.
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Not in the anabolic steroid sense. Turkesterone is an ecdysteroid, a plant and insect compound with a similar ring structure to some hormones. Ecdysteroids do not appear to bind the androgen receptor in the way anabolic steroids do, and human research on turkesterone itself is still very limited.
The human evidence is weak. A 2019 trial of ecdysterone, a related compound, reported gains alongside training, but a 2024 trial of an Ajuga extract and a 2025 trial of a commercial phytosteroid product both found no clear difference compared with placebo. Larger, independent studies are needed.
In the EU, the Novel Food Catalogue lists Ajuga turkestanica and turkesterone as unauthorised novel foods, which means they need approval before sale. Great Britain runs its own novel food system under the Food Standards Agency, so check current FSA guidance.
Information only, not medical advice. If you take medication, are pregnant or breastfeeding, speak to your GP or pharmacist first.
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