The History of Laxogenin: How the Supplement Became Popular
Laxogenin, usually sold as "5-alpha-hydroxy-laxogenin", arrived on the sports supplement market in the mid-2010s and quickly became one of the most talked-about "natural anabolics". Its rise is a case study in how a plant compound with almost no human research can become a best-seller. Our editorial team traced its path from the laboratory to the shop shelf.
Origins in plant chemistry
Laxogenin is a spirostane, a type of plant steroid sapogenin. It is associated with plants of the Smilax genus, including Smilax sieboldii, a climbing plant used in East Asian traditional medicine. Related saponins occur in other plants of the lily and asparagus families.
Interest in such compounds grew from research into brassinosteroids — plant hormones that regulate growth. Brassinosteroids share a steroid backbone with animal hormones, but they act through entirely different receptors in plants.
Zullo and Adam reviewed brassinosteroid chemistry and bioactivity, noting their potent effects on plant growth and their potential agricultural applications. Some laboratories also began asking whether these molecules had effects in animals.
Laxogenin itself has been used in chemistry mainly as a starting material for synthesising brassinosteroid analogues, rather than as a studied anabolic agent.
The brassinosteroid connection
The scientific "hook" for marketers came from animal research on brassinosteroids. Esposito and colleagues reported in 2011 that homobrassinolide, a brassinosteroid, increased protein synthesis in muscle cells and improved physical performance and lean mass in rats, with low androgenic activity.
This study did not test laxogenin. However, supplement marketing often linked the two, describing laxogenin as a "brassinosteroid" or as having "anabolic properties without hormonal side effects".
Strictly speaking, laxogenin is a precursor used in synthesis and is structurally related, but it is not the same molecule that was tested. No published randomised controlled trials have examined laxogenin's effects on muscle mass or strength in humans.
This gap between the available evidence and the marketing claims is the central fact of the laxogenin story.
| Claim often seen | What the evidence shows |
|---|---|
| "Natural anabolic" | Based on animal data on a different brassinosteroid |
| "Increases protein synthesis by up to 200%" | Not supported by human studies of laxogenin |
| "No hormonal side effects" | Not studied in human trials |
| "Safe for drug-tested athletes" | Depends on product purity; contamination risk exists |
How it became popular
Several factors came together around 2015–2018. Many prohormones had been banned in the United States under the Designer Anabolic Steroid Control Act of 2014, leaving demand for "legal alternatives" in the bodybuilding market.
Laxogenin fitted the gap perfectly: a plant-derived steroid-like molecule, legally sold, with a scientific-sounding story borrowed from brassinosteroid research. Forums, influencers and online stores amplified the message.
Synthetic modifications followed. Products appeared containing "5-alpha-hydroxy-laxogenin" and esterified versions claimed to have better absorption, although the chemistry and the health effects of these variants had not been studied clinically.
The pattern was familiar from earlier supplement trends: a plausible mechanism, an animal study, attractive labelling and very little human data.
- 2011: animal study on homobrassinolide draws attention to brassinosteroids.
- 2014: tightened US rules on prohormones.
- Mid-2010s: laxogenin products appear in sports supplement markets.
- Late 2010s: synthetic and esterified variants are marketed.
Quality, safety and anti-doping concerns
Without human trials, the long-term safety of laxogenin is unknown. Users report few acute side effects, but anecdote cannot detect rare or delayed problems.
Product quality is a bigger documented issue across the supplement industry. Cohen and colleagues have repeatedly described supplements containing undeclared or experimental compounds, including a methamphetamine analogue found in a mainstream product. Geyer and co-workers showed contamination of supplements with anabolic steroids.
Laxogenin is not explicitly named on the WADA Prohibited List, but the list includes a catch-all for "other anabolic agents" and substances with similar chemical structures or biological effects. Combined with contamination risks, this makes laxogenin products a poor choice for tested athletes.
In the UK, such products are sold as food supplements, so there is no pre-market evaluation of safety or efficacy. Cohen has argued that this regulatory model relies on spotting harm only after it occurs.
Editorial conclusions
Laxogenin's popularity was built on a plausible story rather than human evidence: research on a different brassinosteroid in rats, combined with demand for legal alternatives to prohormones.
More than a decade after interest began, there are still no published controlled trials showing that laxogenin builds muscle in humans, and long-term safety is unknown.
For tested athletes, both the uncertain anti-doping status and the documented contamination of supplements argue strongly against using it.
If you found this useful, see also our articles on the history of prohormones, on ecdysteroids such as turkesterone, and on how to check supplements for anti-doping risk.
References
- Esposito D, Komarnytsky S, Shapses S, Raskin I. Anabolic effect of plant brassinosteroid. FASEB J. 2011;25(10):3708–3719.
- Zullo MAT, Adam G. Brassinosteroid phytohormones — structure, bioactivity and applications. Braz J Plant Physiol. 2002;14(3):143–181.
- Cohen PA. Hazards of hindsight — monitoring the safety of nutritional supplements. N Engl J Med. 2014;370(14):1277–1280.
- Cohen PA, Travis JC, Venhuis BJ. A methamphetamine analog (N,α-diethyl-phenylethylamine) identified in a mainstream dietary supplement. Drug Test Anal. 2014;6(7–8):805–807.
- Geyer H, Parr MK, Mareck U, et al. Analysis of non-hormonal nutritional supplements for anabolic-androgenic steroids — results of an international study. Int J Sports Med. 2004;25(2):124–129.
- Maughan RJ, Burke LM, Dvorak J, et al. IOC consensus statement: dietary supplements and the high-performance athlete. Br J Sports Med. 2018;52(7):439–455.
