Androstenedione

Paper Summary:

This paper looks at the muscle building synthetic hormone called androstenedione or androstenediol, also nicknamed "andro" which became the first in a list of performance-enhancing substances called pro-hormones. It is called a pro-hormone because it is a precursor to testosterone and metabolizes directly into testosterone and is commonly used by athletes. It analyzes the so called beneficial effects which make "andro" attractive to males of different persuasions with (mostly) cosmetic, non life threatening problems and how research has shown that the negative effects far outweigh the potential benefits. It looks at how aggressive behavior, mood swings and bad moods are commonly reported side effects of androstenedione as well as hair loss, blurred vision, acne, enlarged breasts, shrunken testicles and rarely, liver cancer.

From the Paper:

"Androstenedione is also naturally produced by the adrenal gland in humans. Androstenedione was first synthesized in 1935. (Ruzicka and Wettstein, 1935) In 1936, world expert on steroid hormones, Dr. Charles Kochakian, was the first to show that androstenedione produced both androgenic and anabolic effects. But the anabolic effects were significant only in castrated dogs, and even then were much weaker than effects of testosterone. (Kochakian and Murlin, 1936) Its variants are commonly found in the pollen of Scotch pine trees. Androstenedione, when taken orally, will increase blood levels of both Androstenedione and testosterone. According to the German patent given for Androstenedione, 50mg given orally to men raised plasma testosterone levels up to 20 per cent; 100mg raised levels higher than 35 per cent. Blood levels start rising about 15 minutes after oral administration and stay elevated for around three hours."

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