DHEA, what's all the fuss?

[shunyata]

The commissions are super aggressive about fighters and DHEA, but I always thought it was one of those worthless over the counter compounds.

Does it actually do anything of note to warrant being a banned substance?

 

[Slothbroth]

It's a pro hormone so basically an oral steroid. I imagine it comes with the crappy sides of oral like being hard on the liver, etc.

 

[shunyata]

I know what it is, and there is a fair amount of research about the naturally produced levels of DHEA declining as we age but years ago it was hailed as the next big thing in anti aging medicine yet time went by with no results.

It's cheap and easy to buy, and to the best of my knowledge there isn't a lot of strong data supporting it enhances athletic performance to a significant degree or enhances fitness and strength in elders to a significant degree when supplemented orally.

I'm open to any data showing significant efficacy in athletes or elders but I've never come across it before.

Which leaves me with the conclusion that it's a banned PED based on theory instead of being banned based on evidence.

So yeah. I'm curious if anyone has seen any studies showing reliably reproducible effects or even personally experienced significant differences with oral use.

I looked on pubmed, but everything I can find is paywalled abstracts that state the facts about its natural occurrence with no conclusions about the effects of supplementation.

It's one of the most abundant hormones in the body and has been proven to peak in young adulthood declining afterwards but oral use hasn't proven to be anything close to the fountain of youth in practice.

So are commissions sanctioning athletes over a compound that barely does anything?

 

[NoSmilez]

It has a more pronounce effect on women vs men.

 

[ChangeIsComing]

I have been taking it for 4 years...it offers zero performance enhancement in any area whatsoever, but for those > 35 it helps balance hormones better apparently or so my doctor says so I take it. But before to after...no difference in anything I do or the way I look, but my bloodwork shows DHEA is at an optimal level. I feel there are so many supplements like DHEA that should not be on the banned list but due to lack of knowledge and laziness to actually research it thoroughly they ban it anyway.

 

[Deaths Head]

I have been taking it for 4 years...it offers zero performance enhancement in any area whatsoever, but for those > 35 it helps balance hormones better apparently or so my doctor says so I take it. But before to after...no difference in anything I do or the way I look, but my bloodwork shows DHEA is at an optimal level. I feel there are so many supplements like DHEA that should not be on the banned list but due to lack of knowledge and laziness to actually research it thoroughly they ban it anyway.

Yea I took it when it first became a fad and I was 20 something and didn’t notice anything,maybe it helps guys over 40 IDK ? Have t taking it since the early 2000”s .

 

[shadowmanifold]

I think the problem with DHEA is that it is a neurosteroid that was randomly approved OTC in the US in the 90s and then marketed as if it was an anabolic.

You never read of young guys randomly taking extra pregnenolone to have superphysiological pregnenolone levels because it wouldn't make any sense.

Dehydroepiandrosterone sounds like a "steroid" though while pregnenolone sounds like a birth control pill. A lot of people aren't going to do much more research than that.

The reason to take DHEA and pregnenolone is because you are older, on TRT and trying to optimize these levels based on blood work after you have already optimized testosterone/E2/SHBG/prolactin.

DHEA isn't useless but it is way down the line in terms of importance. If you can't squat anything you wouldn't make your main leg day lift tibialis raises either.