Androstenedione 101

Introduction

Androstenedione is a steroid-like chemical which acts as a precursor for synthesis of testosterone and estrogen. It is a known fact that androstenedione has anabolic properties. Androstenedione occurs naturally in the body but can also be manufactured synthetically. This steroid can be administered by mouth, injection or a nasal spray.

Because androstenedione is known to be converted into testosterone, there has been a lot of media hype about its potential as an anabolic steroid. Starting in the 60s, andostenedione was manufactured and has been sold as a dietary supplement. Often called Andro, it was widely available in most health and food stores. Andro received world wide attention after the Mark McGwire baseball scandal. In the last few years, Andro has continued to make news, especially in the field of professional baseball and cycling.

In cyberspace, both sellers and manufacturers of androstenedione claim that the steroid can rapidly increase muscle size and strength. These anabolic effects help to build a body which can tolerate extremes of exercise and help recovery after injury. Others claim that Androstenedione can increase sexual performance, make one look young and even grow hair. There is not one iota of scientific evidence to back up any of these claims. There are no rigorous controlled trials that have been done to document the fact that androstenedione has any anabolic properties or any other medical benefits. All data on androstenedione have been exaggerated by unscrupulous manufacturers and distributors of the product.