New research has examined the potential of spinach extract as an enhancer of athletic performance. The active compound in spinach extract significantly improves muscle strength, leading the study authors to recommend banning the supplement in sports.

Share on Pinterest Spinach contains an extract that could boost athletic performance.

Rich in calcium, magnesium, and iron, some people call spinach a “superfood.”

Some studies have suggested that spinach has a variety of health benefits, such as keeping cancer at bay, preventing asthma, lowering blood pressure, and helping those with diabetes manage their condition.

New research looks at another potential benefit of the plant, although the study examined an extract from spinach in the form of a dietary supplement rather than the food itself.

Specifically, researchers led by Maria Parr — a professor of pharmaceutical chemistry at the Freie Universität in Berlin, Germany — examined the effect of ecdysterone on athletic performance and muscle strength.

Ecdysterone is the main compound in spinach extract. It is a phytosteroid — that is, a steroid that occurs naturally in plants and belongs to a class called phytosterols, which are “structurally similar to cholesterol.”

Previous studies in mammals have shown that ecdysteroids have a wide range of beneficial effects. In the 1980s, researchers dubbed ecdysterone the “Russian secret,” following suspicions that Russian Olympic athletes were using it as a performance boosting supplement.

Other studies have demonstrated that ecdysterone “increases protein synthesis in skeletal muscle.” In fact, as Prof. Parr explains, previous tests in vitro and in vivo showed that ecdysterone is more potent than other steroids banned in sports, such as methandienone.

The new study paper appears in the journal Archives of Toxicology.