YK-11 vs testosterone

updated September 11, 2026

YK-11 (tier F) vs testosterone (tier S): what each is, half-life and source counts side by side.

YK-11 · tier F

YK-11 is a steroidal androgen-receptor research chemical, not a peptide. It is commonly marketed as an oral capsule for muscle and strength, but its human record covers metabolite detection and one doping-control sample, not efficacy or safety.

tier rationale

F tier reflects cell and animal findings without controlled human evidence for muscle gain, strength or safety. The human publications identified concern exposure detection and metabolism.

testosterone · tier S

the male sex hormone. the approved products replace it in men whose own production has failed, and above that range the same molecule adds muscle and strength with no training at all. schedule iii controlled substance in the us. educational record only, not medical advice.

tier rationale

S-tier because the bar for S is drug-grade human evidence, and testosterone clears it by a wider margin than anything else on the board. FDA-approved products across six routes, a 5,246-participant randomised cardiovascular outcomes trial, an Endocrine Society guideline built on two commissioned systematic reviews, and ninety years of clinical use. A-tier is for a strong mechanism with a missing approval, and testosterone has the approval. The grade measures the evidence and stops there. It says nothing about whether anyone should research the compound, about supraphysiologic exposure, or about any way of obtaining it, and this is the only S-tier entry that is also a federally controlled substance carrying the worst analytical record on the board.

at a glance

reptides grades the research record and cites the literature behind every call. research reference only; not medical advice.