Many people have heard about “prohormones” over the past few years, and remain confused about using them as dietary supplements. Most people remember the negative press about prohormones and steroids.
Prohormones have enjoyed a following among weight training enthusiasts and body builders as a way to accelerate muscle development results. Safety concernsand “voluntary recalls” have removed many prohormones products from retail sale in the United States, according to the FDA.
Steroid hormones like dehydroespeandrosterone (DHEA), androstenedione, adrostenediol (1-AD), adrostenediol (4-AD), methyl 1-testosterone (M1-T), and noreanrostenedione act as building blocks of the male hormone testosterone. Prohormones may be converted to testosterone by body processes. Baseball player Mark McGwire popularized prohormones as performance-enhancing supplements during the 1990s.
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Prehormones and Anabolic Steroids As precursors of hormones, prohormones can be converted to anabolic steroids within the body. Testosterone, an anabolic steroid, is converted from androstenedionethrough a specific metabolic pathway, according to “Men’s Body Sculpting” by Nick Evans (2010)... more
As precursors of hormones, prohormones can be converted to anabolic steroids within the body. Testosterone, an anabolic steroid, is converted from androstenedionethrough a specific metabolic pathway, according to “Men’s Body Sculpting” by Nick Evans (2010). Conversion of testosterone from prohormones isn’t efficient. Most of the prohormone substance is metabolized by enzymes before any resulting testosterone is produced.
Testosterone created from the prohormones hasn’t been shown to accelerate muscle development or to help bodybuilders grow muscles. Research shows that doses of 300 mg/day over three months increase testosterone levels. Testosterone isn’t increased with doses of lower than 300 mg/day, according to Evans.
The Anabolic Steroid Control Act of 2004 made anabolic steroids and some prohormone compounds illegal for purchase. Though the law doesn’t clearly define prohormones as steroids, the law includes some prohormone products under the Act. For that reason, manufacturers seek to develop and bring new prohormone compounds and blends to market. These substances aren’t technically banned under the 2004 Act. That’s one of the reasons a new law—the Designer Anabolic Steroid Control Act of 2010—was introduced.
Prior to the Act of 2004, many advertisements showed bodybuilders with rippling muscles and lean physiques as the supposed result of consuming prohormone supplements and formulas. Prohormones taken at high enough dosage levels do raise anabolic steroid levels in the body.
As precursors of these hormones, prohormones produce a lesser effect on the body than the steroid drugs. The body must metabolize the prohormones before it converts the compound to an anabolic steroid.
The bottom line, according to author Nick Evans, is that researchers haven’t proved the association between higher plasma steroid levels and increased muscle mass.
According to author Andrew Steptoe of “The Handbook of Behavioral Medicine” (2010), prohormone convertase1/3 enzyme is directly involved in hormones used for human energy metabolism.
According to the National Institutes of Health, taking oral prohormone supplements—especially “andro”— may significant elevate serum estrogen levels and expose them to higher risks of developing serious cancers, such as pancreatic and prostate cancer. Long-term use of prohormones is contraindicated by the research.
Prohormones cause a wide array of side effects, such as elevated blood pressure, male breast development, high cholesterol, acne and erectile dysfunction. According to a paper submitted to the “Canadian Journal of Applied Physiology," prohormones may cause heart disease.
Prohormones may also cause kidney disease as a result of prolonged elevated high blood pressure, according to “Cardiorenal Syndrome” by authors Adel E. Berbari and Giuseppe Mancia (2010).
Taking prohormone supplements may prove toxic to the liver, according to research published in 2009 by “Toxicology Letters.” Women taking prohormones develop more facial hair and develop more body fat around the abdomen.
“Hormone Use and Abuse By Athletes”by author Ezio Ghigo (2010) says the processof converting prohormones to testosterone yields a slightly different steroid compound.
Authors Asker Jeukendrup and Michael Geeson report that ephedrine and strychnine, alone with prohormones, can cause athletes to test positive for anabolic steroids, in “Sport Nutrition: An Introduction to Energy Production and Performance” (2010).
According to author Nick Evans, a research study showed that daily dosage of 300 mg over 12 weeks was well-tolerated. Ask your doctor about adding prohormone supplements before deciding to add them to your regimen. Use the supplement finder to compare prohormones and other nutrition options now!
| Abdominal Fat In Women |
| Acne |
| Elevated Blood Pressure |
| Elevated Estrogen Levels |
| Erectile Dysfunction |
| Facial Hair In Women |
| Heart Disease |
| High Cholesterol |
| Increased Risk Of Cancer |
| Kidney Disease |
| Liver Toxicity |
| Male Breast Development |
| Testing Positive For Anabolic Steroids |
| Athletic Performance |
| Build Muscle |
| Energy |
| Muscle Mass |