Ecdysterone vs Creatine
Written by Aaron CuhaReviewed Sep 2026
The short answer
A plant steroid with one positive trial against a dummy, against the most studied supplement there is. Creatine has a solid effect on strength, a smaller effect on muscle size than the marketing says, and a claim about thinking that a regulator has formally turned down.
- Ecdysterone people
- 233
- Ecdysterone nulls
- 1
- Creatine people
- 168
- Creatine nulls
- 2
Dose
No human dose established
Amounts that were given in studies sit in Human evidence on this page. None of them is a personal dose.
3 completed trials, 233 people given it
Dose
No human dose established
Amounts that were given in studies sit in Human evidence on this page. None of them is a personal dose.
3 completed trials, 168 people given it
First-hand reports are counted on each profile and never added together. This page sets two published records side by side. It does not pick a winner.
Column A
EcdysteroneEcdysterone (20-hydroxyecdysone), plant and insect ecdysteroid
In a study in people, those taking ecdysterone gained more muscle and lifted more on the bench press. The researchers thought the effect was strong enough that sport should ban it.
Column B
CreatineCreatine monohydrate
One of the most studied supplements there is. It clearly boosts strength. Its effect on muscle size is smaller than the ads say, and a European regulator has rejected the claim that it helps thinking.
Side by side, on the facts we can check
| What we compare | Ecdysterone | Creatine |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Muscle & Performance | Muscle & Performance |
| FDA status | Sold as a dietary supplement in the United States. Not an approved drug. Its drug version, BIO101, is investigational, meaning still being tested. | Sold as a dietary supplement. Not an approved drug for any use. |
| 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 |
| How it works | Ecdysterone is shaped like a steroid, but it does not attach to the testosterone receptor. That is why people say it builds muscle without steroid side effects. The best supported idea is that it works through a different receptor, one of the estrogen receptors. That switches on the signals that tell muscle to build protein. The drug company that tested it describes a second route through a different receptor, called MAS, which is part of a system that guards against muscle loss. Two believable explanations for one molecule is a sign nobody has settled how it works. | It fills muscle with phosphocreatine, which refills ATP, the muscle's fast fuel, during hard efforts that last a few seconds. That lets you do more work each session. Most of the strength gain likely comes from that extra work over months, not from creatine building muscle directly. |
| Studies in people | 3 | 4 |
| Evidence | Moderate: 3 completed trials, 233 people given it | Moderate: 3 completed trials, 168 people given it |
| Legal status, US | Sold as a supplement | Sold as a dietary supplement |
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between Ecdysterone and Creatine?
Ecdysterone: In a study in people, those taking ecdysterone gained more muscle and lifted more on the bench press. The researchers thought the effect was strong enough that sport should ban it. Creatine: One of the most studied supplements there is. It clearly boosts strength. Its effect on muscle size is smaller than the ads say, and a European regulator has rejected the claim that it helps thinking.
Which has stronger research evidence, Ecdysterone or Creatine?
Each compound gets a band worked out from facts we counted, with the math shown. Ecdysterone is Moderate (3 completed trials, 233 people given it). Creatine is Moderate (3 completed trials, 168 people given it). That counts how much has been done in people. It does not rate whether either one works, and neither one is called the winner.
Are Ecdysterone and Creatine FDA-approved?
Ecdysterone: Sold as a dietary supplement in the United States. Not an approved drug. Its drug version, BIO101, is investigational, meaning still being tested.. Creatine: Sold as a dietary supplement. Not an approved drug for any use..
Reviewed Sep 2026. This page puts two published records side by side. It is for learning, and it is not medical advice. When this site shows a dose, it is the dose a trial or a clinic actually used, or what people say they did, with the source attached. None of it tells you what to take.