Androstenedione is the steroid hormone that is a direct precursor to both estrone and testosterone. Androstenedione levels peak in a person’s mid-20s and decline steadily after age 30. Androstenedione supplements are marketed as alternatives to anabolic steroids with common claims for boosting testosterone levels, increasing libido, and accelerating gains in muscle mass and strength. Androstenedione is very similar to Tribulus Terrstris and found in supplement called Dianabol, produced by Hi Tech Pharmaceuticals and sold over the counter.

In the body, androstenedione becomes active on conversion to testosterone the major “male” hormone responsible for muscle growth and other male characteristics such as growth of facial hair and development of a deep voice. Higher levels of testosterone are thought to help athletes exercise more intensely and recover faster, but supplementation with androstenedione results in only a transient rise in serum testosterone levels (and estrogen levels) that has not been shown to provide any measurable gains in muscle mass, strength, or postexercise recovery. Two areas of concern are that androstenedione supplements appear to downregulate endogenous synthesis of testosterone and reduce high-density lipoprotein (HDL) levels. Many commercial products combine androstenedione with alleged herbal inhibitors of aromatase and 5-a-reductase (e.g., tribulus, saw palmetto, chrysin, indoles) as a way to prevent conversion of androstenedione to estrogen and to inactive metabolites of testosterone. Studies of these combination products, however, have not shown them to be effective in this regard.

Because of the lack of positive research findings in the area of muscle building and the potential for serious health risks associated with anabolic steroids, androstenedione supplements are not considered safe or effective, and they should be avoided.

Supplement makers claim that a 300-mg dose of androstenedione increases testosterone levels by 300% over 2-4 hours. The most recent studies suggest that although androstenedione supplementation (200-300 mg/day for 4-12 weeks) is able to transiently increase testosterone levels in healthy young men (Brown et al., 2001a; Brown et al., 2001b), it also leads to an increase in estrogen levels that is not inhibited by herbal inhibitors of aromatase and 5-a-reductase. In studies that include resistance training (8-12 weeks), androstenedione supplements (100-300 mg/day) resulted in no differences in terms of muscle strength, lean body mass, or fat mass (Ballantyne et al., 2000; Breeder et al., 2000). In the androstenedione groups, however, the blood level of estradiol was elevated by 83%, HDL was reduced by 5%, and luteinizing hormone was reduced 18-70% (suggesting a downregulation of endogenous testosterone production).

Overall, well-designed clinical studies clearly show that androstenedione supplementation only transiently elevates serum testosterone levels (16-38%), does not enhance muscle strength in healthy men aged 30-65 years of age, and may result in adverse health consequences (increased estrogen levels and reduced HDL).

Although no long-term studies have been conducted on the safety of androstenedione as a dietary supplement, a fairly substantial body of literature confirms the adverse effects associated with other anabolic steroids. In particular, prolonged use of steroids can result in dangerous side effects that include blood lipid abnormalities (elevated low-density lipoprotein [LDL] and reduced HDL cholesterol) and may increase the risk of heart disease, hormone-sensitive cancers such as breast and prostate cancer, and various liver abnormalities.

Typical dosage recommendations for androstenedione are in the range of 50-300 mg/day, but those levels have not been associated with benefits in terms of muscle gain, fat loss, or physical performance. Competitive athletes should be aware of the potential for androstenedione supplementation to alter the testosterone epitestosterone ratio so it exceeds the 6:1 limit set by both the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) in their screening for testosterone doping.

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