Head to head
Ecdysterone against Creatine
A plant steroid with one positive controlled trial against the most studied supplement there is. Creatine has a solid strength effect, a smaller hypertrophy effect than marketing implies, and a cognition claim a regulator has formally rejected.
Column A
EcdysteroneEcdysterone (20-hydroxyecdysone), plant and insect ecdysteroid
The one ecdysteroid with a positive controlled human trial: more muscle mass and more bench press strength, with the authors recommending it be added to the doping ban list.
Column B
CreatineCreatine monohydrate
The most studied supplement there is, with a solid strength effect, a smaller hypertrophy effect than marketing implies, and a cognition claim a regulator has formally rejected.
Side by side, on the facts we can check
| Attribute | Ecdysterone | Creatine |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Muscle & Performance | Muscle & Performance |
| FDA status | Sold as a dietary supplement in the United States. Not an approved drug. Its pharmaceutical form, BIO101, is investigational. | Sold as a dietary supplement. Not an approved drug for any indication. |
| Half-life | Short, with oral bioavailability generally reported as poor, which is the main obstacle to translating cell and animal results. No single agreed human figure was resolved in the sources loaded. | About 3 hours in plasma; muscle stores deplete over roughly 4 to 6 weeks after stopping |
| Molecular weight | 480.6 Da. A polyhydroxylated steroid, not a peptide. | 131.1 Da |
| Mechanism | A polyhydroxylated steroid that does not bind the androgen receptor, which is the mechanistic reason it is proposed to build muscle without androgenic effects. The best-supported route is signalling through the estrogen receptor beta, activating the phosphoinositide 3-kinase and Akt and mTOR pathway to increase muscle protein synthesis. In its pharmaceutical development it is described as an activator of the MAS receptor, part of the protective arm of the renin-angiotensin system, which is a different proposed mechanism for the same molecule. That two credible mechanisms are offered for one compound is worth noting as a sign the pathway is not settled. | Loads muscle phosphocreatine, which regenerates ATP from ADP during high intensity work lasting seconds. That raises work capacity per session, and the extra work done over months is the likely route to most of the strength gain rather than any direct anabolic action. |
| Human studies cited | 3 | 2 |
| Legal status, US | Sold as a supplement | Sold as a dietary supplement |
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between Ecdysterone and Creatine?
Ecdysterone: The one ecdysteroid with a positive controlled human trial: more muscle mass and more bench press strength, with the authors recommending it be added to the doping ban list. Creatine: The most studied supplement there is, with a solid strength effect, a smaller hypertrophy effect than marketing implies, and a cognition claim a regulator has formally rejected.
Which has stronger research evidence, Ecdysterone or Creatine?
This database does not grade compounds. It counts what was run in people: 3 of the 3 studies cited on the Ecdysterone profile were human work, against 2 of 4 for Creatine. Those counts are of our own citation lists and understate any larger literature, and neither is a recommendation.
Are Ecdysterone and Creatine FDA-approved?
Ecdysterone: Sold as a dietary supplement in the United States. Not an approved drug. Its pharmaceutical form, BIO101, is investigational.. Creatine: Sold as a dietary supplement. Not an approved drug for any indication..
Reviewed Sep 2026. This page sets two published records side by side. It is educational, it is not medical advice, and it contains no dosing protocols or recommendations for personal use.