Yes, don't go and throw out your tren just yet! Lol.
That's one of the few semi-decent studies done on resistance trained athletes. Although if you read the paper, in the discussion you'll see findings from the 1980s that demonstrated positive effects. Really, we need more studies. It could well be that the single ecdysterooid studied in that article (20-hydroxyecdysone) doesn't work well alone or without a combination with others. Or it could be other studies were poorly designed. FWIW Quinoa naturally contains loads of ecdysteroids, as do the other compounds that were tested and showed positive results.
The positive findings regarding bone and cartilage anabolism probably have stronger support given the proposed model of oestrogen-receptor mediation.
Anyway, since I have all these in vitro and rat papers sitting around, I'll post them up anyway and you can make up your own minds...
Biol Sport. 2015 Jun;32(2):169-73. doi: 10.5604/20831862.1144420. Epub 2015 Mar 15.
Ecdysteroids: A novel class of anabolic agents?
Parr MK1, Botrè F2, Naß A1, Hengevoss J3, Diel P3, Wolber G1.
Abstract
Increasing numbers of dietary supplements with ecdysteroids are marketed as "natural anabolic agents". Results of recent studies suggested that their anabolic effect is mediated by estrogen receptor (ER) binding. Within this study the anabolic potency of ecdysterone was compared to well characterized anabolic substances. Effects on the fiber sizes of the soleus muscle in rats as well the diameter of C2C12 derived myotubes were used as biological readouts.
Ecdysterone exhibited a strong hypertrophic effect on the fiber size of rat soleus muscle that was found even stronger compared to the test compounds metandienone (dianabol), estradienedione (trenbolox), and SARM S 1, all administered in the same dose (5 mg/kg body weight, for 21 days). In C2C12 myotubes ecdysterone (1 µM) induced a significant increase of the diameter comparable to dihydrotestosterone (1 µM) and IGF 1 (1.3 nM). Molecular docking experiments supported the ERβ mediated action of ecdysterone. To clarify its status in sports, ecdysterone should be considered to be included in the class "S1.2 Other Anabolic Agents" of the list of prohibited substances of the World Anti-Doping Agency.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26060342
J Agric Food Chem. 2008 May 28;56(10):3532-7. doi: 10.1021/jf073059z. Epub 2008 Apr 30.
[h=1]
Phytoecdysteroids increase protein synthesis in skeletal muscle cells.[/h]
Gorelick-Feldman J1,
Maclean D,
Ilic N,
Poulev A,
Lila MA,
Cheng D,
Raskin I.
[h=3]Abstract
Phytoecdysteroids, which are structurally similar or identical to insect molting hormones, produce a range of effects in mammals, including increasing growth and physical performance. To study the mechanism of action of phytoecdysteroids in mammalian tissue, an in vitro cellular assay of protein synthesis was developed.
In C2C12 murine myotubes and human primary myotubes, phytoecdysteroids increased protein synthesis by up to 20%. In vivo, ecdysteroids increased rat grip strength. Ecdysteroid-containing plant extracts produced similar results. The effect was inhibited by a phosphoinositide kinase-3 inhibitor, which suggests a PI3K-mediated mechanism.[/h]
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18444661
Mol Nutr Food Res. 2014 Sep;58(9):1861-72. doi: 10.1002/mnfr.201300806. Epub 2014 Jun 27.
[h=1]
Estrogen receptor beta is involved in skeletal muscle hypertrophy induced by the phytoecdysteroid ecdysterone.[/h]
Parr MK1,
Zhao P,
Haupt O,
Ngueu ST,
Hengevoss J,
Fritzemeier KH,
Piechotta M,
Schlörer N,
Muhn P,
Zheng WY,
Xie MY,
Diel P.
[h=3]Abstract[/h][h=4]SCOPE:
The phytoectysteroid ecdysterone (Ecdy) was reported to stimulate protein synthesis and enhance physical performance. The aim of this study was to investigate underlying molecular mechanisms particularly the role of ER beta (ERβ).[/h][h=4]RESULTS:
In male rats,
Ecdy treatment increased muscle fiber size, serum IGF-1 increased, and corticosteron and 17β-estradiol (E2) decreased. In differentiated C2C12 myoblastoma cells, treatment with Ecdy, dihydrotestosterone, IGF-1 but also E2 results in hypertrophy. Hypertrophy induced by E2 and Ecdy could be antagonized with an antiestrogen but not by an antiandrogen. In HEK293 cells transfected with ER alpha (ERα) or ERβ, Ecdy treatment transactivated a reporter gene. To elucidate the role of ERβ in Ecdy-mediated muscle hypertrophy, C2C12 myotubes were treated with ERα (ALPHA) and ERβ (BETA) selective ligands. Ecdy and BETA treatment but not ALPHA induced hypertrophy. The effect of Ecdy, E2, and BETA could be antagonized by an ERβ-selective antagonist (ANTIBETA).
In summary, our results indicate that ERβ is involved in the mediation of the anabolic activity of the Ecdy.[/h][h=4]CONCLUSION:
These findings provide new therapeutic perspectives for the treatment of muscle injuries, sarcopenia, and cachectic disease, but also imply that such a substance could be abused for doping purposes.[/h]
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24974955
Phytother Res. 2013 Jan;27(1):107-11. doi: 10.1002/ptr.4679. Epub 2012 Apr 12.
[h=1]
Continuous infusion of 20-hydroxyecdysone increased mass of triceps brachii in C57BL/6 mice.[/h]
Cheng DM1,
Kutzler LW,
Boler DD,
Drnevich J,
Killefer J,
Lila MA.
[h=3]Abstract
Phytoecdysteroids have been attributed with numerous pharmacological properties in animals, including increasing muscle mass, and 20-hydroxyecdysone (20E) is one of the most abundant phytoecdysteroids produced by plants. In this study, the physiological and gene expression effects of 20E were analyzed in C57BL/6 mice given a continuous infusion of saline or 20E (5 mg/kg/day) for 5 or 15 days using subcutaneously implanted Alzet® osmotic pumps. The masses of the total body, muscle groups and organs were determined. There was a significant increase ( p = 0.01) in the mass of triceps brachii in mice treated with 20E for 5 days (115 ± 8 mg) compared with mice treated with saline for 5 days (88 ± 3 mg), however, there were no differences in the other measured parameters. To determine potential mechanisms of 20E in skeletal muscle, Illumina's Mouse Whole Genome-6 v2.0 Expression BeadChips were used to evaluate changes in gene expression of the triceps brachii after 20E infusion. Ingenuity Pathways Analysis was used to identify genes with the most evidence for differential expression, of which, 16 genes involved in the skeletal and muscular system were identified. Overall,
the data suggest that 20E does not have potent anabolic properties, however, a muscle-specific increase was observed and genes were identified to provide an explanation for the muscle accretion.[/h]
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22495969
Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab. 2009 Mar;296(3):E433-9. doi: 10.1152/ajpendo.90772.2008. Epub 2009 Jan 6.
[h=1]
20-Hydroxyecdysone decreases weight and hyperglycemia in a diet-induced obesity mice model.[/h]
Kizelsztein P1,
Govorko D,
Komarnytsky S,
Evans A,
Wang Z,
Cefalu WT,
Raskin I.
[h=3]Abstract
The steroid hormone 20-hydroxyecdysone (20HE) is an essential signaling molecule that modulates molting response in insects and may function as a putative anabolic factor in vertebrate animals, although no mammalian 20HE receptor has been identified. Here we show that in H4IIE cell culture, 20HE treatment decreased expression of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PEPCK) and glucose-6-phosphatase (G6Pase), reduced glucose production, and induced Akt2 phosphorylation sensitive to the phosphoinositide-3 kinase pathway-specific inhibitor LY-294002.
Daily oral administration of 20HE (10 mg/kg for 13 wk) ameliorated obesity and insulin resistance in C57BL/6J mice fed a high-fat diet and produced a significant decrease of body weight gain and body fat mass compared with nontreated animals as demonstrated by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry analysis. In addition, plasma insulin levels and glucose tolerance were significantly lowered by 20HE treatment.
These changes were accompanied by the reduced hepatic expression of PEPCK and G6Pase and increased adiponectin production by visceral fat tissue. These studies demonstrate the anti-obesity and anti-diabetic effects of 20HE and begin to elucidate its putative cellular targets both in vitro and in vivo.[/h]
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19126784
Phytomedicine. 2008 Sep;15(9):691-8. doi: 10.1016/j.phymed.2008.04.015. Epub 2008 Jun 26.
[h=1]
20-Hydroxyecdysone increases fiber size in a muscle-specific fashion in rat.[/h]
Tóth N1,
Szabó A,
Kacsala P,
Héger J,
Zádor E.
[h=3]Abstract
20-Hydroxyecdysone (20E) is an ecdysteroid hormone that regulates moulting in insects. Interestingly,
20E is also found most abundantly in plant species and has anabolic effects in vertebrates, i.e. increasing muscle size without androgen influence. The effect of 20E on slow and fast fiber types of skeletal muscle has not been reported yet. Here we present that
20E affects the size (cross-sectional area, CSA) of the different fiber types in a muscle-specific manner. The effect on fiber size was modified by the distance from the site of the treatment and the presence of a regenerating soleus muscle in the animal.
Besides the fiber size, 20E also increased the myonuclear number in the fibers of normal and regenerating muscles, suggesting the activation of satellite cells. According to our results 20E may provide an alternative for substitution of anabolic-androgenic steroids in therapeutic treatments against muscle atrophy[/h]
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18585021
