Substances in no official register

Seven registers were searched in full for the compound index — 15,651 substances between them. 17 of the substances Etalyn has graded appear in none of the seven. No medicines agency lists them, no supplement authority licenses them, no controlled-substances schedule names them, and no food regulator has ruled on a claim made for them.

That absence is the finding. It is not a gap in this index, and it is not a verdict on the substances. It means the ordinary way of checking a substance — look it up on a register and read what the authority says — returns nothing at all, for exactly the substances people most often want to check.

17In no register

7Registers searched in full

0Entries found for them

17Graded claims recorded

63Sources behind those grades

8Graded tier E — the weakest base

What absence from a register does and does not mean

It does mean no authority has stated a position

Nobody has assessed these substances and published the result. There is no approval to read, no refusal to read, and no schedule entry to read. A reader checking one of them against an official source finds nothing, which is easy to misread as nothing being wrong.

It does not mean unregulated, legal or safe

Several are prohibited from sale as supplements by general rules that never name an individual substance, and several carry a documented safety record. Absence from a list is a statement about the list. Each grade below records the regulatory position and the safety record separately, and neither follows from the other.

The 17 substances

Substance	Tier / provenance	Band	Retail band	Direction of the evidence	Sources
2,4-Dinitrophenol (DNP)	D / P2	6	Too little evidence yet	Supported	6
Andarine [S-4, GTx-007]	E / P0	6	Too little evidence yet	Insufficient	6
Cardarine (GW501516, GW1516, endurobol)	E / P0	6	Too little evidence yet	Insufficient	6
Collagen peptides	C / P1	3	Widely studied, poorly measured	Supported	3
Dietary nitrate (beetroot juice; NO₃⁻)	A / P3	4	Experts disagree	Contested	5
Ecdysterone (beta-ecdysterone / 20-hydroxyecdysone, from Cyanotis or spinach extract)	C / P3	4	Experts disagree	Contested	7
Epiandrosterone [3beta-androsterone, 3β-hydroxy-5α-androstan-17-one]	E / P0	6	Too little evidence yet	Insufficient	6
Exogenous ketones (ketone monoesters / beta-hydroxybutyrate salts)	B / P3	5	Evidence says no	Not supported	4
Follistatin-344 (delivered as rAAV1.CMV.huFS344 gene therapy)	E / P0	6	Too little evidence yet	Insufficient	4
IGF-1 LR3 (Long R3 IGF-1)	E / P0	6	Too little evidence yet	Insufficient	3
Ligandrol (LGD-4033, VK5211)	D / P4	6	Too little evidence yet	Supported	6
Phosphatidic acid	D / P3	5	Evidence says no	Not supported	4
Probiotics (Lactobacillus / Bifidobacterium strains) [live micro-organisms, single- and multi-strain]	B / P2	2	Moderate evidence	Supported	5
RAD-140 (testolone; developed as vosilasarm)	E / P0	6	Too little evidence yet	Insufficient	5
S-23	E / P0	6	Too little evidence yet	Insufficient	5
Tart cherry	B / P2	2	Moderate evidence	Supported	3
YK-11 [myostatin inhibitor]	E / P0	6	Too little evidence yet	Insufficient	5

Tier grades the strength of the evidence base. Provenance grades how well the underlying measurement was done. They are independent and are never merged. The retail band is derived from both by a fixed rule, stated under each substance.

Where they sit

Category as graded	Count	Substances
SARMs and research peptides	5	Cardarine (GW501516, GW1516, endurobol), Follistatin-344 (delivered as rAAV1.CMV.huFS344 gene therapy), IGF-1 LR3 (Long R3 IGF-1), Ligandrol (LGD-4033, VK5211), RAD-140 (testolone; developed as vosilasarm)
Prohormones, precursors and peptides	4	Andarine [S-4, GTx-007], Epiandrosterone [3beta-androsterone, 3β-hydroxy-5α-androstan-17-one], S-23, YK-11 [myostatin inhibitor]
Ergogenic supplements	4	Dietary nitrate (beetroot juice; NO₃⁻), Ecdysterone (beta-ecdysterone / 20-hydroxyecdysone, from Cyanotis or spinach extract), Exogenous ketones (ketone monoesters / beta-hydroxybutyrate salts), Phosphatidic acid
Recovery, sleep and adaptogens	2	Collagen peptides, Tart cherry
Pharmaceuticals, nootropics and controlled substances	1	2,4-Dinitrophenol (DNP)
Vitamins, minerals and recovery	1	Probiotics (Lactobacillus / Bifidobacterium strains) [live micro-organisms, single- and multi-strain]

Evidence tier	Count	Share
Tier A	1	6%
Tier B	3	18%
Tier C	2	12%
Tier D	3	18%
Tier E	8	47%

The registers searched, and what each returned

Register	Substances it lists	Of these 17
openFDA — National Drug Code directory and Drugs@FDA	7,548	0
European Medicines Agency — medicines report	1,949	0
European Medicines Agency — herbal medicines report	176	0
US DEA — Controlled Substances, alphabetical order	581	0
Health Canada — Licensed Natural Health Products Database	5,626	0
EU Register of nutrition and health claims	1,132	0
EU Novel Food catalogue	948	0

Matching is on names, using only the synonyms a register itself asserts, and the same matching that placed 15,651 substances into the index. A substance is recorded here only when every one of the seven returns nothing for it and for every synonym Etalyn holds. Registers change; each was current on the date it was retrieved and each is linked below.

Every record in full

Each card reproduces the graded record exactly as it appears in the graded register, with the evidence, the way it was measured, what was found, the regulatory position and the safety record kept in separate fields.

2,4-Dinitrophenol (DNP)

“DNP produces weight loss in obese adults”

Pharmaceuticals, nootropics and controlled substances · record D-05 · row in the graded register

6 Too little evidence yet

In none of the seven registers. No authority has stated a position on it.

What the evidence base is

ATSDR toxicological profile summary of the 1930s clinical literature, plus the modern mortality record from Grundlingh et al. (J Med Toxicol), Kamour et al. (Emerg Med J 2015) and the UK National Poisons Information Service

How it was measured

Historical, uncontrolled: 37 obese patients administered 1 mg/kg/day as the sodium salt for an average of 14 days; 159 patients administered ~3 mg/kg/day for 22–89 days; 170 patients of whom 100 took at least 4 mg/kg/day for at least 6 weeks (average 88 days); 4 volunteers administered ~4 mg/kg/day for 7–16 days — none placebo-controlled (ATSDR profile, NBK590059). Mortality: 62 published deaths reviewed (Grundlingh et al., PMC3550200); 30 systemic exposures 2007–2013 to the UK NPIS (Kamour et al., PMID 24957806); 148 NPIS cases since 2007 (NPIS Report 2022–23)

What was found

Average weight loss of 0.43 kg/week in the 37 obese patients; "Average weight losses of approximately 0.5–1 kg/week" across obese or psychiatric patients administered 2–4 mg/kg/day for 1 week to 18 months; average basal metabolic rate increased by approximately 11% for each 100 mg (1 mg/kg) increase in dose in the 159-patient series (ATSDR NBK590059). No confidence intervals or p-values exist in this literature. The modern review likewise states "Weight loss of up to 1.5 kg per week is reported" and "An average metabolic rate increase of 11% for every 100 mg of DNP when taken regularly" (PMC3550200)

Scope qualifier recorded by the grader

weight loss is real and dose-proportional; it is produced by uncontrolled mitochondrial uncoupling and is inseparable from the lethality below

Regulatory position

"The FDA has never approved 2,4-DNP as a pharmaceutical agent." "In 1938, the FDA declared DNP to be 'extremely dangerous' and 'not fit for human consumption'" (ATSDR NBK590059). UK: DNP was added to the regulated poisons list under the Control of Explosives Precursors and Poisons 2023; as of 1 October 2023 a member of the public must hold a Home Office Explosives Precursors and Poisons (EPP) licence to import, acquire, possess or use it, and "It is now a criminal offence to sell this substance to members of the public without a valid Home Office issued EPP licence" (UK Food Standards Agency)

Safety as recorded

Extreme — fatal. "There were five (17%, 95% CI 6.9% to 34%) fatalities" among 30 UK systemic exposures 2007–2013 (Kamour et al., PMID 24957806). "In total there have now been 148 cases of systemic DNP exposure discussed by phone with the NPIS since 2007… Of these, 26 (17.6%) are known to have died"; "there have been at least 33 DNP-related deaths in the UK since 2007, including 26 since January 2015"; "These effects can be fatal in spite of intensive medical treatment" (NPIS Report 2022–23). 62 published deaths, including 36 in one 1919 Paris munitions-factory report and 12 fatalities in 2001–2010; the lowest published lethal human oral dose was 4.3 mg/kg; doses in published acute/suicidal fatalities ranged 2.8 g to an estimated 5 g; average time to death 14 hours; "No patient has been recorded to be asymptomatic beyond 10 h after an acute overdose" (Grundlingh et al., PMC3550200). A recent Swedish fatal case died 4 hours after ingesting 5 g, with core temperature 40 °C, serum potassium 11 mmol/L and peri-mortem rigidity "consistent with catastrophic ATP depletion"; "nine forensically confirmed DNP-related deaths have occurred since 2010" in Sweden (PMC12756549). FSA: "DNP is poisonous to humans and can cause death"; "Taking DNP has resulted in a significant number of deaths in the UK" (FSA)

How the retail band follows

Tier D, provenance P2, direction Supported → band 6, Too little evidence yet (tier D or E).

Sources — 6

Indexed as ETA-C-000268 · methodology v0.1 · provisional, no reviewer appointed

Andarine [S-4, GTx-007]

“Increases lean muscle mass and reduces fat mass in healthy adults doing resistance training”

Prohormones, precursors and peptides · record P-01 · row in the graded register

6 Too little evidence yet

In none of the seven registers. No authority has stated a position on it.

What the evidence base is

No human efficacy study located for this claim. Nearest evidence is a castrated-rat study: S-4 at 3 or 10 mg/kg for 8 wk "restored soleus muscle mass and strength and levator ani muscle mass to that seen in intact animals" (Gao et al., Endocrinology, PMC2039881)

How it was measured

n.a. — no human trial found. ClinicalTrials.gov API v2 returned 0 registered studies with andarine as intervention (ClinicalTrials.gov API). Rat study used male Sprague Dawley rats, n = 7–8 per group, 8 wk daily subcutaneous dosing (PMC2039881)

What was found

No numeric effect reported in humans. Rat data only, reported as mean ± SD with ANOVA at P < 0.05; "Confidence intervals were not reported" (PMC2039881)

Regulatory position

Unapproved new drug. FDA warning letter to TITAN SARMS LLC (MARCS-CMS 719645, December 12, 2025) names "'S-4' (also referred to on your website as Andarine)" and states these products "are unapproved new drugs under section 505(a)" and that marketing them "violates sections 301(d) and 505(a) of the FD&C Act" (FDA warning letter). LiverTox lists "Dose Range used in Clinical Trials: Not reported" for andarine (LiverTox NBK619971)

Safety as recorded

FDA: "Life-threatening reactions, including liver toxicity, have occurred in people taking products containing SARMs. SARMs also have the potential to increase the risk of heart attack and stroke" (FDA warning letter). FDA consumer alert lists psychosis/hallucinations, sexual dysfunction, "Liver injury and acute liver failure", infertility, pregnancy miscarriage and testicular shrinkage (FDA safety communication). Class LiverTox likelihood score B, "Likely cause of clinically apparent liver injury with jaundice"; initial total bilirubin "generally 4.0 to 8.0 mg/dL", aminotransferases "2 to 5 times the upper limit of normal", severe cases with bilirubin "above 30 mg/dL" can develop renal dysfunction requiring temporary dialysis (LiverTox NBK619971). No andarine-specific case report was found in the 15-manuscript / 18-case systematic review (Eur J Clin Pharmacol, PMC10847181; PMC10204391)

How the retail band follows

Tier E, provenance P0, direction Insufficient → band 6, Too little evidence yet (direction Insufficient).

Sources — 6

Indexed as ETA-C-001519 · methodology v0.1 · provisional, no reviewer appointed

Cardarine (GW501516, GW1516, endurobol)

“Increases endurance / exercise capacity in humans”

SARMs and research peptides · record S-04 · row in the graded register

6 Too little evidence yet

In none of the seven registers. No authority has stated a position on it.

What the evidence base is

None for this claim. Human trials of GW501516 that were fetched measured lipids only, in hospitalised sedentary volunteers explicitly prohibited from rigorous physical activity (Sprecher 2007, ATVB). Endurance data are rodent only (PMC6475847; Wikipedia summary of the 2007 Cell mouse study)

How it was measured

n.a. for endurance. The fetched human study randomised n=24 healthy normolipidaemic men (placebo n=6; 2.5 mg n=9; 10 mg n=9) to once-daily oral dosing for 14 days, for lipid endpoints (ATVB)

What was found

no numeric effect reported for endurance or exercise capacity in humans

Regulatory position

Development terminated; "Clinical approval has not, and will not be given for this substance" (WADA alert). Not approved for medical use in Europe (EDQM MSSIP006.pdf/c816b3f9-11ab-a2bd-39ca-f4699440ecb1?t=1736258491590), which lists cardarine as a metabolic modulator in scope). WADA 2026 List S4.4.1 Metabolic Modulators, naming "(GW1516, GW501516)" as a PPARδ agonist (WADA)

Safety as recorded

CARCINOGENICITY IN TWO SPECIES. GSK abstracts report a rat carcinogenicity study and a mouse carcinogenicity study in which GW501516 caused cancer in rats and mice after 104 weeks of dosing; neither has been published as a full peer-reviewed paper (Mitchell & Bishop-Bailey, Pulmonary Circulation). WADA states the drug "was withdrawn from research by the pharmaceutical company and terminated when serious toxicities were discovered in pre-clinical studies", and took "the rare step of warning 'cheats'" because "the side effect of this chemical compound is so serious" (WADA alert). A secondary encyclopaedic source records the cancer as arising "rapidly in several organs, at dosages of 3 mg/kg/day in both mice and rats" (Wikipedia) — recorded here as a secondary attribution, not primary. Human carcinogenicity is not confirmed in humans (PMC6475847)

How the retail band follows

Tier E, provenance P0, direction Insufficient → band 6, Too little evidence yet (direction Insufficient).

Sources — 6

Indexed as ETA-C-003388 · methodology v0.1 · provisional, no reviewer appointed

Collagen peptides

“Reduces tendon or joint pain and improves joint function in active adults”

Recovery, sleep and adaptogens · record R-08 · row in the graded register

3 Widely studied, poorly measured

In none of the seven registers. No authority has stated a position on it.

What the evidence base is

Systematic review of RCTs, no meta-analysis performed (Khatri 2021, Amino Acids); strongest single trial is a double-blind placebo-controlled cross-over RCT in Achilles tendinopathy (Praet 2019, Nutrients)

How it was measured

Review: 15 RCTs, 656 participants (325 male, 276 female), 12 studies in recreational athletes; all double-blinded and placebo-controlled or isonitrogenous-controlled; no pooled quantitative estimate is reported. Trial: 20 patients, cross-over, ANZCTR#12615001035516

What was found

No pooled effect exists. Trial VISA-A improvement over first 3 months: collagen-first group 12.6 points, 95% CI 9.7–15.5 vs placebo-first group 5.3 points, 95% CI 2.3–8.3, against a stated MCID of 6.5 points; after crossover 5.9 points (95% CI 2.8–9.0) and 17.7 points (95% CI 14.6–20.7). Review-reported single-study effect sizes: knee joint pain when walking ES = 0.36; pain during activity Cohen's d = 0.30

Regulatory position

Non-authorised in the EU. "Collagen can/could contribute to the maintenance of the healthy function of joints" — Non-authorised, reason: "this claimed effect for this food has not been substantiated" (EFSA 2011;9(6):2247). Collagen hydrolysate wordings including "Contributes to improved joint functioning and joint mobility" and "Characteristic collagen peptide mixture (collagen hydrolysate) having a beneficial physiological effect on the maintenance of joint health in physically active people" are also Non-authorised (Reg. (EU) 379/2012)

Safety as recorded

No serious signal found in fetched sources. Note funding: the Achilles trial was financially supported by GELITA AG, Germany, the manufacturer of the tested product

How the retail band follows

Tier C, provenance P1, direction Supported → band 3, Widely studied, poorly measured (provenance cap at P1 or below).

Sources — 3

Indexed as ETA-C-004343 · methodology v0.1 · provisional, no reviewer appointed

Dietary nitrate (beetroot juice; NO₃⁻)

“Improves endurance performance in trained adults”

Ergogenic supplements · record E-04 · row in the graded register

4 Experts disagree

In none of the seven registers. No authority has stated a position on it.

What the evidence base is

Umbrella review of systematic reviews with meta-analyses plus re-pooled primary RCTs (PMC12106159); supporting SR/MA of 73 RCTs (JISSN 2021) and the closed-end 45 s–8 min meta-analysis (PMC5422435)

How it was measured

20 systematic reviews with meta-analyses, 180 primary studies, 2672 unique participants (PMC12106159); 73 RCTs, n = 1061 (JISSN 2021); 5 studies, 66 subjects, 8 tests (PMC5422435)

What was found

Time to exhaustion: SMD 0.33, 95% CI 0.19 to 0.47, p < 0.001 (k = 41); time trial: SMD −0.03, 95% CI −0.14 to 0.09, p = 0.65 (k = 42); VO₂max: SMD −0.10, 95% CI −0.26 to 0.05; muscular endurance SMD 0.48, 95% CI 0.23 to 0.74 (PMC12106159). 73-RCT review: time to exhaustion MD 25.27 s, 95% CI 12.69 to 37.84 (low-quality evidence); time-trial performance MD −1.98 s, 95% CI −4.37 to 0.41, p = 0.1 (JISSN 2021). Closed-end 45 s–8 min: d = 0.19, 95% CI −0.03 to 0.40, p = 0.09, with the authors stating nitrate "appears most relevant for non-elite athletes or athletes with modest aerobic power" (PMC5422435)

Regulatory position

No authorised EU claim: no nitrate entry exists in the EU Register, and all beetroot (Beta vulgaris) entries relate to digestion, gut flora and immune function and are Non-authorised (entries 2401, 3072, 3073, 3074) (EU Register). WADA status not stated on the fetched Prohibited List page (WADA)

Safety as recorded

No serious harm signal found for performance doses. EFSA's acceptable daily intake for nitrate is 3.7 mg/kg body weight/day, and EFSA concluded nitrates added to food at permitted levels are safe (EFSA). Adverse gastrointestinal effects with some formulations were flagged by the 73-RCT review (JISSN 2021)

How the retail band follows

Tier A, provenance P3, direction Contested → band 4, Experts disagree (direction Contested).

Sources — 5

Indexed as ETA-C-005089 · methodology v0.1 · provisional, no reviewer appointed

Ecdysterone (beta-ecdysterone / 20-hydroxyecdysone, from Cyanotis or spinach extract)

“Builds muscle mass and increases bench-press strength in resistance-training young men”

Ergogenic supplements · record G-04 · row in the graded register

4 Experts disagree

In none of the seven registers. No authority has stated a position on it.

What the evidence base is

No meta-analysis exists. Best single source is one 10-week controlled intervention study (Isenmann 2019, Arch Toxicol, PubMed 31123801; publisher record); contradicted by an 8-week double-blind placebo-controlled RCT (Wilborn 2006, PMC2129166); a separate 12-week double-blind placebo-controlled RCT of a spinach extract in older adults (Pérez-Piñero 2021, PMC8706266)

How it was measured

Isenmann: 46 young men (mean age 25.6 ± 3.7 y), 10 weeks of strength training; 20 men took 200 mg/day 20-hydroxyecdysone, 10 took 800 mg/day, 12 received placebo, plus a 12-volunteer non-training control on 200 mg — capsules contained 6 mg ecdysterone plus 100 mg leucine each (PubMed 31123801; group breakdown and capsule composition per PMC11085066 and PMC8706266). Wilborn: 45 resistance-trained males, double-blind placebo-controlled parallel groups matched on fat-free mass, 8 weeks; the ecdysterone arm received 100 mg/day of Polypodium vulgare/suma root standardised for 30 mg of 20-hydroxyecdysone (PMC2129166). Pérez-Piñero: 51 randomised, 45 completing (23 spinach extract / 22 placebo), men and postmenopausal women aged 50–75, 2 g/day of spinach extract for 12 weeks with supervised training (PMC8706266)

What was found

no numeric effect reported on any page fetched for the headline claim. Isenmann states only that "significantly higher increases in muscle mass were observed in those participants that were dosed with ecdysterone" and "significantly more pronounced increases in one-repetition bench press performance were observed" — no means, no confidence intervals and no p-values appear on the abstract or publisher record, and the full text could not be retrieved (PubMed 31123801; Springer). Wilborn, by contrast: "No changes were observed in training adaptation and in anabolic/catabolic effect" (PMC2129166; PMC11085066). Spinach extract in over-50s beat placebo on knee-extension peak torque at 180° s⁻¹ (72.4 ± 19.3 vs 64.2 ± 12.9 Nm, time × product interaction p = 0.002) and isometric peak torque (p = 0.005), but not on maximal dynamic force 1RM (60.1 ± 16.7 vs 57.3 ± 15.1 kg, p = 0.729) or handgrip strength (right hand p = 0.449) (PMC8706266)

Regulatory position

Ecdysterone as an isolated substance has no EU health claim and no entry in the EU Register (EU Register). A peer-reviewed regulatory review states that "ecdysterone (or other ecdysteroids) as isolated substance was not mentioned in the RASFF panel, likewise in EU Novel Food Catalogue" and that "ecdysterone not include in the EFSA Novel food catalogue", while Rhaponticum carthamoides, one plant source, is catalogued as non-novel; the same review notes that "EFSA Emerging Risks Exchange Network (EREN) briefed a note on possible emerging health risks, concerns the use of ecdysterone in food supplements for anabolic purposes" (Food Reviews International 2023)

Safety as recorded

None found in the fetched trials: Isenmann reported "no increase in biomarkers for liver or kidney toxicity was noticed" (PubMed 31123801), and a review of the same trial records no adverse impact on creatinine, GGT, GOT or GPT and an unaffected steroid profile (PMC11085066)

How the retail band follows

Tier C, provenance P3, direction Contested → band 4, Experts disagree (direction Contested).

Sources — 7

Indexed as ETA-C-005386 · methodology v0.1 · provisional, no reviewer appointed

Epiandrosterone [3beta-androsterone, 3β-hydroxy-5α-androstan-17-one]

“Oral prohormone that increases strength, muscle hardness and libido in adults, acting as a dihydrotestosterone precursor”

Prohormones, precursors and peptides · record P-05 · row in the graded register

6 Too little evidence yet

In none of the seven registers. No authority has stated a position on it.

What the evidence base is

No human supplementation study located. The NCATS Inxight record reproduces the marketing claim — "Epiandrosterone is used as an anabolic agent (dietary supplement, a precursor to dihydrotestosterone) to increase strength, muscle hardness and also improves libido" — while its curator comment states "No human data available" and the record lists Approval Year: Unknown, Conditions: Unknown with no approved indication (NCATS Inxight 8TR252Z538)

How it was measured

n.a. — no human efficacy trial found. ClinicalTrials.gov returned 3 records matching "epiandrosterone", all dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) or adrenal-androgen assay studies (NCT02151006 DHEA in IVF, NCT05811507, NCT05903716), none an epiandrosterone supplementation trial (CT.gov API)

What was found

No numeric effect reported for the claim. The one human study surfaced under this heading tested a different product (astaxanthin plus Saw Palmetto berry lipid extract, "Alphastat® (Mytosterone™)", 42 men aged 37–70) and did not administer epiandrosterone at all (J Int Soc Sports Nutr, PubMed 18700016)

Regulatory position

No approval or regulatory decision could be sourced; the NCATS record shows no approved indication and no approval authority (NCATS Inxight). Epiandrosterone (3β-hydroxy-5α-androstan-17-one) does not appear in the list of anabolic steroids added by the Anabolic Steroid Control Act of 2004 (PLAW-108publ358) and did not appear in the enumerated clause list of the Designer Anabolic Steroid Control Act of 2014, which instead added a catch-all subparagraph for substances "substantially similar" to listed anabolic steroids marketed to promote muscle growth (PLAW-113publ260). Whether that catch-all captures epiandrosterone in a given product is a determination not made in any page fetched here — Not checked

Safety as recorded

No epiandrosterone-specific human safety data were located: no clinical trial, no case report, no regulator adverse-event finding. The NCATS record contains no human clinical safety data (NCATS Inxight). The only sourced safety inference is by class: FDA concluded of the closely related steroid precursor 4-androstenedione that the available reports "underscore its potential for serious reproductive, developmental, and cardiovascular toxicity, as well as carcinogenic potential" (FDA memorandum) — this is class-level and not epiandrosterone-specific

How the retail band follows

Tier E, provenance P0, direction Insufficient → band 6, Too little evidence yet (direction Insufficient).

Sources — 6

Indexed as ETA-C-005697 · methodology v0.1 · provisional, no reviewer appointed

Exogenous ketones (ketone monoesters / beta-hydroxybutyrate salts)

“Improves endurance exercise performance in trained athletes”

Ergogenic supplements · record G-08 · row in the graded register

5 Evidence says no

In none of the seven registers. No authority has stated a position on it.

What the evidence base is

Two independent systematic reviews with meta-analysis of randomised trials (IJSNEM 2022, Human Kinetics; IJSPP 2020, PubMed 32045881)

How it was measured

IJSNEM: 8 studies, 80 individuals (77 men, 3 women), all crossover, all trained athletes aged 25–38, sample sizes 8–12, published 2016–2020; ketone doses of approximately 500 to 922 mg/kg body weight were administered (IJSNEM 2022). IJSPP: 13 RCTs meeting inclusion criteria; total participants not stated on the record (PubMed 32045881)

What was found

Overall endurance performance Hedges' g = 0.136, 95% CI −0.195 to 0.467, p = .419 (I² = 56.888%); time to exhaustion g = −0.002, 95% CI −0.312 to 0.308, p = .989; time-trial completion g = 0.057, 95% CI −0.282 to 0.395, p = .744 (IJSNEM 2022). Independently: overall exercise performance g = −0.05, 95% CI −0.30 to 0.20, p = .68; endurance time trial g = −0.04, 95% CI −0.35 to 0.28, p = .82; ketone esters g = −0.07, 95% CI −0.38 to 0.24, p = .66; ketone salts g = −0.02, 95% CI −0.45 to 0.41, p = .93 — despite all studies confirming raised plasma ketone concentrations (PubMed 32045881)

Regulatory position

No EU health claim; no ketone, ketone ester or beta-hydroxybutyrate entry exists in the EU Register (EU Register). BHB salts are regulated as a novel food: EFSA's NDA Panel assessed sodium, magnesium and calcium BHB salts under Regulation (EU) 2015/2283 and concluded the applicant's identity, production and compositional data were "overall considered unsatisfactory", that "the Panel cannot establish a safe intake level of the NF", and that "the safety of the NF has not been established" (EFSA Journal 2022, PubMed 36254193)

Safety as recorded

EFSA concluded that the safety of BHB salts as a novel food "has not been established" and that no safe intake level could be set (PubMed 36254193). Gastrointestinal distress was higher on ketone than control in 6 of the 7 studies that assessed it — for example 9 of 11 participants symptomatic on ketone ester versus 4 of 11 on control (Evans & Egan 2018), and 5 of 8 versus 4 of 8 (Evans et al. 2019); the review cautions these data were not statistically analysed (IJSNEM 2022)

How the retail band follows

Tier B, provenance P3, direction Not supported → band 5, Evidence says no (direction Not supported).

Sources — 4

Indexed as ETA-C-006075 · methodology v0.1 · provisional, no reviewer appointed

Follistatin-344 (delivered as rAAV1.CMV.huFS344 gene therapy)

“Increases muscle mass in humans”

SARMs and research peptides · record S-09 · row in the graded register

6 Too little evidence yet

In none of the seven registers. No authority has stated a position on it.

What the evidence base is

Uncontrolled, open-label phase 1/2a gene-therapy trials in muscle disease — not muscle mass in healthy people, and with a published methodological rebuttal. (Mendell et al., BMD phase 1/2a; critique of the sIBM report)

How it was measured

n=6 Becker muscular dystrophy patients (Cohort 1 n=3 at 3×10¹¹ vg/kg/leg administered; Cohort 2 including patients 05 and 06 at 6×10¹¹ vg/kg/leg) (PubMed 25322757). The linked trial NCT01519349 enrolled 15 patients (9 sIBM, 6 BMD), "phase 1A", "open-label, single group assignment", with "no comparator or 'control' group" (critique, Molecular Therapy). A separate DMD trial, NCT02354781 (6 subjects, 2.4E12 vg/kg total), has no results posted (NCT02354781)

What was found

Primary outcome was the 6-minute walk test, not muscle mass: patient 01 +58 m, patient 02 +125 m, patient 03 no change, patient 05 +108 m, patient 06 +29 m, patient 04 no improvement. No 95% CIs and no p-values reported. Histology showed "reduced endomysial fibrosis, reduced central nucleation, more normal fiber size distribution with muscle hypertrophy, especially at high dose" (PubMed 25322757). No numeric muscle-mass effect reported in humans

Regulatory position

Not an authorised medicine. WADA 2026 List S4.3 Agents Preventing Activin Receptor IIB Activation, which names "follistatin" among myostatin-binding proteins, prohibited at all times (WADA). EU legal determination: n.a. (searched EMA; nothing fetched)

Safety as recorded

No adverse effects were encountered in the BMD trial ("No adverse effects were encountered") (PubMed 25322757). Evidence-integrity signal rather than a harm signal: a published critique of the sIBM report documents that the analysis used "a post hoc-defined primary outcome measure", was "an unstated interim analysis at a post hoc chosen time-point", compared against an unmatched 8-patient clinic cohort, and confounded the gene therapy with "high-dose prednisone for approximately 60 days", a monitored exercise programme, and placebo effects — "at least 4 potentially therapeutic interventions". One subject had "no detectable FS344 DNA present" in post-treatment biopsies (PMC5628928)

How the retail band follows

Tier E, provenance P0, direction Insufficient → band 6, Too little evidence yet (direction Insufficient).

Sources — 4

Indexed as ETA-C-006403 · methodology v0.1 · provisional, no reviewer appointed

IGF-1 LR3 (Long R3 IGF-1)

“Increases muscle growth in humans”

SARMs and research peptides · record S-10 · row in the graded register

6 Too little evidence yet

In none of the seven registers. No authority has stated a position on it.

What the evidence base is

None. No human trial of IGF-1 LR3 for muscle growth was located. The only IGF-1-related human data fetched concern recombinant human IGF-1/IGFBP-3 in an anti-doping detection study, not IGF-1 LR3 and not a muscle-growth endpoint (Nicholls et al. review, PMC7913862)

How it was measured

n.a. — zero human participants for this claim. Searched ClinicalTrials.gov via web search for "IGF-1 LR3" human trials; the only registered IGF-1 trial surfaced was of native IGF-1 in autism (NCT01970345), not IGF-1 LR3 and not muscle growth

What was found

no numeric effect reported

Regulatory position

Not an authorised medicine. WADA 2026 List S2.3, naming "Insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1, mecasermin) and its analogues" — IGF-1 LR3 is an analogue — prohibited at all times (WADA). EU legal determination: n.a.

Safety as recorded

Elevated IGF-1 is associated with increased cancer risk in observational human data. In 206,263 UK Biobank women, those in the top 20% of IGF-1 concentration had a "1.24-fold increased chance of developing breast cancer" versus the bottom 20%, and Mendelian randomisation across 122,977 cases and 105,974 controls found risk "increased by 1.05 for every additional genetically predicted 5 nmol/L of IGF-1" (PMC7913862). This is an association for circulating IGF-1, not a demonstrated harm of administered IGF-1 LR3

How the retail band follows

Tier E, provenance P0, direction Insufficient → band 6, Too little evidence yet (direction Insufficient).

Sources — 3

Indexed as ETA-C-007620 · methodology v0.1 · provisional, no reviewer appointed

Ligandrol (LGD-4033, VK5211)

“Increases lean body mass in healthy men over short-term (21-day) administration”

SARMs and research peptides · record S-02 · row in the graded register

6 Too little evidence yet

In none of the seven registers. No authority has stated a position on it.

What the evidence base is

A single phase 1 randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled ascending-dose trial (Basaria et al.). No second efficacy RCT and no pooled source found (PMC4111291)

How it was measured

n=76 healthy men aged 21–50 randomised (33 placebo, 18 × 0.1 mg, 11 × 0.3 mg, 14 × 1.0 mg); 68 completers; DXA evaluable 30/17/10/11. 1 study. 21 days of treatment (PMC4111291)

What was found

LBM increased dose-dependently, p for trend = 0.04; increase averaged 1.21 kg at the 1.0-mg dose administered daily (p = 0.047 vs placebo). No 95% CI reported. Appendicular skeletal muscle mass change was not significant (p for trend = 0.078). Strength increase averaged 68.3 N at 1.0 mg but was not significantly different from placebo; stair-climbing speed and power showed a non-significant trend (PMC4111291)

Scope qualifier recorded by the grader

lean mass only; strength not supported

Regulatory position

Not an authorised medicine; captured by the EDQM finding above for SARMs (EDQM MSSIP006.pdf/c816b3f9-11ab-a2bd-39ca-f4699440ecb1?t=1736258491590)). WADA 2026 List S1.2, naming "LGD-4033 (ligandrol)" (WADA)

Safety as recorded

Testosterone suppression and hepatotoxicity. Dose-dependent suppression of total testosterone, SHBG, HDL cholesterol and triglycerides; FSH suppressed at 1.0 mg; hormones returned to baseline by day 56 (PMC4111291). The trial itself found "no clinically significant changes in liver enzymes" (LiverTox), but cholestatic drug-induced liver injury is documented outside trials: a 19-year-old athlete who took one ligandrol capsule daily for 4 weeks developed jaundice with canalicular cholestasis and ductopenia on biopsy (Koller 2021, World J Clin Cases); ligandrol accounts for 4 of 6 published SARM-DILI cases reviewed (Cureus review)

How the retail band follows

Tier D, provenance P4, direction Supported → band 6, Too little evidence yet (tier D or E).

Sources — 6

Indexed as ETA-C-008728 · methodology v0.1 · provisional, no reviewer appointed

Phosphatidic acid

“Increases lean body mass in resistance-trained men training concurrently”

Ergogenic supplements · record G-09 · row in the graded register

5 Evidence says no

In none of the seven registers. No authority has stated a position on it.

What the evidence base is

Scoping review of the whole human literature, explicitly downgraded from a systematic review because too few studies exist (J Sports Sci 2022, PubMed 34706625); the two underlying RCTs were fetched directly (Hoffman 2012, PMC3506449; Andre 2016, PMC4974867)

How it was measured

Scoping review: 2,009 articles retrieved, 6 studies analysed, published 2012–2019, five in adult male and one in elderly male populations; total participants not stated, and no pooling was performed — "Due to the small number of studies, this is a scoping review" (PubMed 34706625). Hoffman 2012: randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, 20 resistance-trained men enrolled and 16 completing (7 phosphatidic acid, 9 placebo), 750 mg/day administered for 8 weeks (PMC3506449). Andre 2016: double-blind randomised placebo-controlled, 32 resistance-trained men enrolled and 28 completing (375 mg n = 9, 250 mg n = 9, placebo n = 10), 8 weeks (PMC4974867)

What was found

no pooled numeric effect exists. The scoping review reports that "three studies suggested no effect of PA on lean body mass, while the remaining showed a possible positive effect", that in one of those the supplement "included other potentially anabolic substances, precluding an isolated effect of PA", and concludes "the evidence does not support the supplementation with PA to increase performance or improve body composition in young or elderly men" (PubMed 34706625). Andre 2016 found a main effect of time but no group × time effect on lean mass (57.5 ± 5.9 kg on 375 mg, 63.0 ± 7.1 kg on 250 mg, 60.5 ± 9.1 kg on placebo at day 57; time p = .008, group × time p = .55) or lower-body strength (time p < .001, group × time p = .58) (PMC4974867). Hoffman 2012 reported a 12.7% squat-strength increase on phosphatidic acid versus 9.3% on placebo and 5.1% versus 3.3% for bench press, in 16 completers (PMC3506449)

Regulatory position

No EU health claim; no phosphatidic acid entry exists in the EU Register. The nearest entries are for phosphatidyl choline, all Non-authorised (entries 710, 1631, 1630, 709, EFSA 2010;8(10):1741), as is lecithin for memory and concentration (entry 1983) (EU Register)

How the retail band follows

Tier D, provenance P3, direction Not supported → band 5, Evidence says no (direction Not supported).

Sources — 4

Indexed as ETA-C-011233 · methodology v0.1 · provisional, no reviewer appointed

Probiotics (Lactobacillus / Bifidobacterium strains) [live micro-organisms, single- and multi-strain]

“"Keeps you from getting sick this winter" — reduces the number of people who develop at least one acute upper respiratory tract infection, in children, adults and older people”

Vitamins, minerals and recovery · record V-09 · row in the graded register

2 Moderate evidence

In none of the seven registers. No authority has stated a position on it.

How the retail band follows

Tier B, provenance P2, direction Supported → band 2, Moderate evidence (tier A/B with provenance P2).

Sources — 5

Indexed as ETA-C-011919 · methodology v0.1 · provisional, no reviewer appointed

RAD-140 (testolone; developed as vosilasarm)

“Increases lean body mass or muscle strength in humans”

SARMs and research peptides · record S-03 · row in the graded register

6 Too little evidence yet

In none of the seven registers. No authority has stated a position on it.

What the evidence base is

None for this claim. The only registered first-in-human study is a phase 1 oncology dose-escalation trial in metastatic breast cancer whose endpoints were dose-limiting toxicity, adverse events, pharmacokinetics and tumour response — not lean mass or strength (NCT03088527; phase 1 as summarised)

How it was measured

n.a. for the stated claim. The phase 1 trial enrolled 22 postmenopausal women with stage IV ER+/HER2− breast cancer (PMC10054042); no participants have been studied for lean mass or strength in any source fetched

What was found

no numeric effect reported for lean mass or strength in humans

Regulatory position

Not an authorised medicine; captured by the EDQM SARM finding (EDQM MSSIP006.pdf/c816b3f9-11ab-a2bd-39ca-f4699440ecb1?t=1736258491590)). WADA 2026 List S1.2, naming "RAD140" (WADA)

Safety as recorded

Severe drug-induced liver injury, multiple cases. In the phase 1 trial the most common adverse effects were elevated AST 59.1%, ALT 45.5%, total bilirubin 27.3%, hypophosphatemia 22.7%, with more hyperbilirubinemia and hypophosphatemia at the 150 mg daily dose group (PMC10054042). Case: 26-year-old man, jaundice and acute liver injury, ALT 243 IU/L, total bilirubin 4.9 mg/dL, 4-day hospitalisation, normalised 1 month after cessation (J Med Case Rep 2023). Case: 22-year-old man after 16 weeks of RAD-140, total bilirubin peaked at 530 µmol/L, direct bilirubin 294 µmol/L, ALP 5.3 µkat/L, biopsy showing cholestasis (Cureus 2024). Published SARM-DILI cases took 3 to 12 months for liver enzymes to normalise (Cureus 2024)

How the retail band follows

Tier E, provenance P0, direction Insufficient → band 6, Too little evidence yet (direction Insufficient).

Sources — 5

Indexed as ETA-C-012305 · methodology v0.1 · provisional, no reviewer appointed

S-23

“Increases lean mass and bone mineral density and reduces fat mass in adults”

Prohormones, precursors and peptides · record P-03 · row in the graded register

6 Too little evidence yet

In none of the seven registers. No authority has stated a position on it.

What the evidence base is

No human efficacy study located. Nearest evidence is a rat male-contraception study: "S-23 increased bone mineral density and lean mass but reduced fat mass in a dose-dependent manner" (Jones et al., Endocrinology, PMC2630904). Human exposure data exist only as doping-control excretion pharmacology with no efficacy endpoint (Drug Test Anal, PMC12023825)

How it was measured

n.a. for the claim. Rat study: male Sprague Dawley rats, castrated-rat arm n = 5/group, intact-rat arm 42 rats in 7 groups of 6, daily subcutaneous dosing for 14 or 70 d (PMC2630904). Human excretion study: "The fortified drinking yoghurt was administered orally to five healthy male volunteers each" at single doses of 1, 10 and 50 μg and at 5 consecutive daily doses of 1, 10 and 50 μg; urine only, 30 d collection; ethics approval German Sport University Cologne 173/2023 (PMC12023825). ClinicalTrials.gov returned 0 S-23 SARM studies (the 4 hits for the string "S-23" are unrelated anaesthesia, transplant, dental and xenon trials) (CT.gov API)

What was found

No numeric effect reported in humans. Rat binding affinity "inhibitory constant = 1.7 ± 0.2 nm"; ED50 in prostate and levator ani "0.43 and 0.079 mg/d"; "four of six animals showed no sperm in the testis and zero pregnancies (none of six)"; fertility fully reversible with "a 100% pregnancy rate observed after 100 d of recovery" (PMC2630904). Human study reported only urinary detection windows, e.g. intact S-23 detected for 544 h after a single 50 μg dose with average peak 1790 pg/mL at 18.5 h (PMC12023825)

Regulatory position

Not approved anywhere that could be sourced; LiverTox lists S-23 among SARMs that "have not been approved for use in humans" (LiverTox NBK619971). FDA's SARM enforcement posture and class alert apply to products marketed as SARMs generally (FDA safety communication)

Safety as recorded

No S-23-specific human adverse-event report was found. The published human exposures were microgram-level doping-control administrations that reported no safety outcomes (PMC12023825). Rat data document suppression of spermatogenesis to zero sperm in 4 of 6 animals and suppression of LH by more than 50% (PMC2630904). Class hepatotoxicity signal: LiverTox likelihood score B, bilirubin above 30 mg/dL in severe cases with dialysis-requiring renal dysfunction (LiverTox NBK619971); FDA lists acute liver failure, heart attack, stroke, psychosis, infertility and miscarriage for SARM products (FDA safety communication)

How the retail band follows

Tier E, provenance P0, direction Insufficient → band 6, Too little evidence yet (direction Insufficient).

Sources — 5

Indexed as ETA-C-012819 · methodology v0.1 · provisional, no reviewer appointed

Tart cherry

“Accelerates recovery of muscle function (maximal voluntary contraction) after muscle-damaging exercise in athletes”

Recovery, sleep and adaptogens · record R-09 · row in the graded register

2 Moderate evidence

In none of the seven registers. No authority has stated a position on it.

What the evidence base is

Systematic review & meta-analysis, PRISMA 2020, OSF-registered (Daab 2026, Sports Med Open); earlier meta-analysis (Hill 2021, IJSNEM)

How it was measured

19 trials, 385 participants; 8 crossover and 11 parallel; double-blinding in 11 studies, single-blinding in 3. Earlier meta-analysis: 14 studies, total participants not stated

What was found

MVC recovery: post-exercise ES 0.63, 95% CI 0.05 to 1.22, I²=69.30%, p=0.034; 24 h ES 1.12, 95% CI 0.20 to 2.05, I²=91.15%; 48 h ES 1.29, 95% CI 0.25 to 2.34, I²=92.67%; 72 h ES 2.14, 95% CI 0.34 to 3.94, I²=92.38%. Muscle soreness was null at every time point, e.g. 48 h ES −0.39, 95% CI −1.14 to 0.36, p=0.305; CK null at every time point, e.g. 48 h ES −0.08, 95% CI −0.51 to 0.35. Earlier meta-analysis reported strength ES −0.78, 95% CI −1.11 to −0.46 and soreness ES −0.44, 95% CI −0.87 to −0.02

Regulatory position

Non-authorised in the EU. ["[Tart/sour] cherries help support healthy joints"](https://ec.europa.eu/food/food-feed-portal/backend/claims/files/euregister.pdf) — Non-authorised, reason: "this claimed effect for this food has not been substantiated" (EFSA 2010;8(2):1493). ["[Tart/sour] cherries provide a rich source of antioxidants"](https://ec.europa.eu/food/food-feed-portal/backend/claims/files/euregister.pdf) — Non-authorised, reason: "this claimed effect for this food is not a beneficial physiological effect as required by the Regulation". No authorised recovery claim located

Safety as recorded

No serious signal found in fetched sources

How the retail band follows

Tier B, provenance P2, direction Supported → band 2, Moderate evidence (tier A/B with provenance P2).

Sources — 3

Indexed as ETA-C-014302 · methodology v0.1 · provisional, no reviewer appointed

YK-11 [myostatin inhibitor]

“Inhibits myostatin and therefore produces greater muscle hypertrophy and faster strength gains than other SARMs in resistance-trained adults”

Prohormones, precursors and peptides · record P-02 · row in the graded register

6 Too little evidence yet

In none of the seven registers. No authority has stated a position on it.

What the evidence base is

No human study of any kind located. LiverTox: "Other less well described SARMs that have been developed and have not been approved for use in humans include GSK-2881078, S-23, YK-11, and LGD-3303" (LiverTox NBK619971)

How it was measured

n.a. — ClinicalTrials.gov API v2 returned 0 registered studies with YK-11 as intervention (CT.gov API)

What was found

No numeric effect reported. The hypertrophy claim is quoted by FDA directly from vendor labelling — "YK-11's ability to down regulate myostatin expression may allow for greater muscle hypertrophy" — and FDA treats it as evidence of unapproved drug intent, not as substantiated effect (FDA warning letter)

Regulatory position

Unapproved new drug. FDA warning letter to TITAN SARMS LLC (December 12, 2025) names "'YK-11' (also referred to on your website as Myostatin Inhibitor)" and finds it is "not generally recognized as safe and effective (GRASE)" and is an unapproved new drug (FDA warning letter). Never approved for human use (LiverTox NBK619971)

Safety as recorded

Stroke report with FDA laboratory confirmation. FDA: "An FDA laboratory recently tested GE Labs Ykarine. The testing found the product contained undeclared trendione… The laboratory analysis also confirmed the product contains YK-11, which is a listed ingredient on the product label. The agency testing was based on an adverse event report of a consumer who used the product and subsequently suffered a stroke. The agency urges consumers not to use GE Labs Ykarine" (FDA safety communication). YK11 appears in one published drug-induced-liver-injury case (Lee et al., alongside LGD-4033 and RAD-140) within a review of 18 cases whose mean peak total bilirubin was 28.5 ± 13.4 mg/dL, mean peak ALT 226.3 ± 142 IU/L and mean peak alkaline phosphatase 283.1 ± 160.9 IU/L (PMC10204391). Class hepatotoxicity as for P-01 (LiverTox NBK619971)

How the retail band follows

Tier E, provenance P0, direction Insufficient → band 6, Too little evidence yet (direction Insufficient).

Sources — 5

Indexed as ETA-C-015545 · methodology v0.1 · provisional, no reviewer appointed

Limits of this page

It covers only substances Etalyn has already graded. Substances in no register and not yet graded are not here, and there is no way to count them from a register.
Absence is measured against seven registers, not against every register on earth. Others exist and are not yet retrieved.
No dose, no protocol, no cycle and no source of supply is published, here or anywhere on this site.
No statement is made about any sporting or anti-doping rule.
Every grade is issued under methodology v0.1 and is provisional. No reviewer and no adjudicator has been appointed, so no grade has been signed by a named human.