Turkesterone is hyped to be as anabolic as SARMs or steroids by some influencers. Some claim to have witnessed insane results with this relatively novel supplement.
Big time content creators have even begun to sell their own brands of Turkesterone.
And this has led to much disagreement within the lifting world, with controversies arising over various influencers bickering as to whether it is the real deal or just a placebo.
There are some very mixed reviews online from Turkesterone, so I will offer you my experience.
What is Turkesterone
Turkesterone, an exciting new supplement in the fitness world, is one of the primary bioactive compounds naturally occurring in Marla Root, Leuzea plant or Ajuga turkestanica — a plant with a long history of use in traditional medicine for its anabolic, adaptogenic, hepatoprotective and hypoglycemic activity.
Having a presence in central Asia, particularly Uzbekistan and Tadzhikistan, the Ajuga turkestanica plant has had its beneficial effects on muscle strength and growth as the center of attention in the past few months as various fitness influencers have extensively covered this exciting new anabolic supplement.
Turkesterone is an ecdysteroid — like ecdysterone — which promotes muscle growth but does not bind to the androgen receptor, which anabolic steroids and SARMs do.
“Ecdysteroids are the steroid hormones of arthropods and possibly of other invertebrate phyla too.” [R]
And out of all ecdysteroids, Turkesterone appears to be the most anabolic compound.
Turkesterone Review
I decided to run a medium dose of Turkesterone of 2 capsules of German Pharma per day for 90 days.
I am an experienced lifter and a former national-level powerlifter.
My starting weight is 218lb and my height is 6´1.5.
I have visible abs, but I used to be obese so my loose skin makes it hard to accurately gauge my body fat percentage.
My goal is to get to sub 10% bodyfat while preserving as much muscle mass as possible.
Currently supplementing:
- Zeus Juice (my preworkout brand)
- ZMA
- Vitamin D
- Maca Root
- Black Seed Oil
- Fenugreek
- Boron
- Shilajit
- Ashwagandha
After taking Turkesterone for 90 days, I haven’t noticed any side effects unlike other performance enhancing supplements.
There is no suppression and my libido is higher (could be attributed to lower body fat and other supplementation run concurrently with Turkesterone).
My strength increased slightly in some areas — but this could be due to moving around gyms and using new equipment and my technique improving on these pieces of equipment such as the Hammer Strength Decline Press.
My appetite increased — again, this could be due to the fact that I’m leaner.
My energy levels increased, but it is very difficult to say if it was due to the Turkesterone itself.
Other supplements I have consumed in the past have had more of a pronounced effect in terms of muscularity and strength gains — even in a calorie deficit.
In terms of a proper chronology for this review, there were no prominent side effects or noticeable gains to be had.
But I would say that Turkesterone is not worth its price tag.
Creatine, in my opinion, did a lot more to improve my performance in the gym than Turkesterone.
Turkesterone Final Words
I honestly can’t say Turkesterone is all that it is meant to be. Yes, I am in a deep calorie deficit, but my training has not changed.
If anything, I have visibly lost muscle mass on this cut, despite my strength levels remaining the same. (It could also be attributed to other factors such as the involuntary cessation of creatine consumption and a restriction in carbohydrates).
It may be different for an intermediate or beginner lifter.
And even as a placebo, it could be useful for somebody who struggles with motivation at the gym.
But to suggest that Turkesterone is as anabolic as SARMs or steroids is absurd.
I appreciate the theory behind its anabolic-ness — as we have written in our article on ecdysterone — but you’re not going to become the second Ronnie Coleman by taking Turkesterone.
For those considering Turkesterone, I wouldn’t recommend it purely on what it did for me, but I would stress that I am an experienced lifter in a calorie deficit looking to maintain muscle mass, so my results may be skewed. I would recommend going for a more traditional alternative, take creatine, or to stay natural as long as possible.
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