Back More
Salem Press

Table of Contents

Integrative, Alternative & Complementary Medicine, Second Edition

Methoxyisoflavone

by EBSCO CAM Review Board

Category: Functional foods

Related term: 5-methyl-7-methoxyisoflavone

Definition: Natural product used as a dietary supplement for specific health benefits.

Principal proposed use: Sports and fitness enhancement

Overview

Isoflavones are naturally occurring, hormonally active substances found in soy and other foods. Chemical modifications of isoflavones have been studied as possible alternative treatments for various conditions. One of these modifications, ipriflavone, was developed primarily for treating osteoporosis. Methoxyisoflavone is a chemical derivative of ipriflavone, but it is marketed as a bodybuilding acquired immunodeficiency syndrome

Sources

Methoxyisoflavone is not a nutrient and is not supplied to any meaningful extent in food. However, it is possible that, once in the body, natural isoflavones, such as daidzein, may be converted into methoxyisoflavone.

Therapeutic Dosages

A typical recommended dose of methoxyisoflavone is 200 to 400 milligrams (mg) taken twice daily.

Therapeutic Uses

Methoxyisoflavone is marketed as an anabolic steroid, said to increase muscle mass without causing androgenic (testosterone-like) effects. However, there is no meaningful evidence that it actually works.

The use of methoxyisoflavone in the United States began with two U.S. patents established in the late 1970s. The patent applications report a few research studies performed by the Hungarian pharmaceutical company Chinoin. None of these studies were published in peer-reviewed journals; furthermore, even as described, this research is altogether inadequate to demonstrate effectiveness, consisting as it does only of animal studies and exceedingly preliminary studies on humans. Proof of effectiveness is not required to establish a patent.

One placebo-controlled human trial on methoxyiso-flavone was published in abstract form in 2001. Apparently, this study found that athletes who took 800 mg per day of methoxyisoflavone for eight weeks experienced a significantly greater increase in muscle mass than those who took placebo. However, despite claims made by methoxyisoflavone retailers and proponents, this study was not published in a prestigious journal. Rather, it appeared in what is a called a “supplement” published in association with a fairly prestigious journal. Supplements are special editions printed by a journal for extra income; they explicitly lack the supervision, approval, review, or imprimatur of the journal itself. For this reason, all studies published in journal supplements must be carefully considered. This is particularly so in cases such as that of methoxyisoflavone, in which only an abstract of the study was published, rather than the full text of the study itself.

Another oft-repeated claim regarding methoxyiso-flavone is that it is widely utilized in the livestock industry to enhance lean mass. However, if livestock breeders are using methoxyisoflavone, they are keeping that use quiet: A Web search for “methoxyflavone” and “livestock” turned up numerous sites that sell supplements to humans (and make this claim to support the sales of their product) but not a single site by or for livestock breeders. There is no meaningful evidence to indicate that methoxyisoflavone is useful as a sports supplement for performance enhancement.

Safety Issues

Methoxyflavone has not undergone comprehensive safety testing. Those who take it do so at their own risk.

See also: Sports and fitness support: Enhancing performance

Further Reading

1 

American Dietetic Association et al. “American College of Sports Medicine Position Stand: Nutrition and Athletic Performance.” Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise 41 (2009): 709-731.

2 

Incledon, T., D. van Gammeren, and J. Antonio. “The Effects of 5-Methyl-7-Methoxyisoflavone on Body Composition and Performance in College-Aged Men.” Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise 33, suppl. 5 (2001): S338.

3 

Manore, M., et al. “BJSM Reviews: A-Z of Nutritional Supplements: Dietary Supplements, Sports Nutrition Foods, and Ergogenic Aids for Health and Performance.” British Journal of Sports Medicine 45 (2011): 73-74.

Citation Types

Type
Format
MLA 9th
"Methoxyisoflavone." Integrative, Alternative & Complementary Medicine, Second Edition, edited by Paul Moglia, Salem Press, 2020. Salem Online, online.salempress.com/articleDetails.do?articleName=CAM2e_0488.
APA 7th
Methoxyisoflavone. Integrative, Alternative & Complementary Medicine, Second Edition, In P. Moglia (Ed.), Salem Press, 2020. Salem Online, online.salempress.com/articleDetails.do?articleName=CAM2e_0488.
CMOS 17th
"Methoxyisoflavone." Integrative, Alternative & Complementary Medicine, Second Edition, Edited by Paul Moglia. Salem Press, 2020. Salem Online, online.salempress.com/articleDetails.do?articleName=CAM2e_0488.