DHEA for a 17 year old?

[Heartless]

is it ok for a 17 year old to take DHEA? i just got some from costco and was wondering if i should take it or not...

[asiangirl]

Do you know what it is?

DHEA is an androgenic hormone that's naturally made by your adrenal glands. It is a precursor to many hormones in your body, notably estrogen, testosterone, progesterone, and cortisol. DHEA does decrease with age but usually that doesn't happen until you are 30's to 40's to see the effect. Some people may begin to lose it in their mid-20's. There are studies for those losing DHEA in their mid-20's, but it's quite rare.

While you do need it and even though your body produces this, I still would not suggest supplementing this at 17 years of age. Save your money for other things.

[Dr.Dave1]

Do you know what it is?

DHEA is an androgenic hormone that's naturally made by your adrenal glands. It is a precursor to many hormones in your body, notably estrogen, testosterone, progesterone, and cortisol. DHEA does decrease with age but usually that doesn't happen until you are 30's to 40's to see the effect. Some people may begin to lose it in their mid-20's. There are studies for those losing DHEA in their mid-20's, but it's quite rare.

While you do need it and even though your body produces this, I still would not suggest supplementing this at 17 years of age. Save your money for other things.

^^good advice^^ at that young of an age it is best to stay away from it.

[Heartless]

ohhhh, ok thanks, i wasnt too sure, well ill just give it to my dad then, lol.

[asiangirl]

^^good advice^^ at that young of an age it is best to stay away from it.

Thank you.

[jewishnazi]

Just to clear up, DHEA doesn't metabolise into cortisol or progesterone. DHEA only matbolizes into androstenedione, which can then become estrone or testosterone. You can see a ladder of metabolism here: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/5/51/DHEA1.png

Hence the theory behind Methyl-1D by Legal Gear: Give the person DHEA with and aromatase inhibitor so that it wont aromatize to an estrogen and it will either stay as androsenedione, DHT or testosterone (preferably testosterone)

[HitItHard]

why would you buy it before you even knew what it was?

[reflexions]

is it ok for a 17 year old to take DHEA? i just got some from costco and was wondering if i should take it or not...

I had 7-keto, in my fat burner. Its the non hormonal version of dhea.

[MaxLift315]

I have been reading on the methly-d and as far as i know it is just Dhea. A couple of my friends have tried it and liked it(gained 5-10 pounds) they are the same age as me. At 17 i understand that it is not recommended but it is not nearly as bad for you as other things.Is this true? At my age will it really be that bad for me if i take it for one month with a proper pct and everything.Just want some advice and appreciate the help.

[aptfit]

I have been reading on the methly-d and as far as i know it is just Dhea. A couple of my friends have tried it and liked it(gained 5-10 pounds) they are the same age as me. At 17 i understand that it is not recommended but it is not nearly as bad for you as other things.Is this true? At my age will it really be that bad for me if i take it for one month with a proper pct and everything.Just want some advice and appreciate the help.

Uhh, yes it will really be that bad for you.

I'm 19 and I wouldn't touch DHEA at such a young age. When people talk about doing a proper PCT and coming off with almost no sides it's usually someone in their mid 20's whos hormones are weakening. Please also note the word almost, now multiply almost by 10 (if you get me) and that's where you'll be since your test levels are currently so high.

And in all honesty, for 5-10LBs...just put in the time. If you are TRULY plateau'd (you've switched macros, rep ranges, splits, etc and nothing [and you're in your mid 20's]) look at DHEA and similar substances if you want but at 17, the thought of using DHEA shouldn't even be in your mind.

[Trousee_Snakr]

Agree with OP.

[stevenXD]

DHEA is useless in young males, it raises levels of androstenedione but does little to nothing else.
In the majority of studies using up to 1600mg of DHEA the was NO CHANGE in serum testosterone levels or increases in LBM.
A rise in androstenedione doesn't mean much because only 1.8% of blood androstenedione is converted to testosterone in men.
Unless your a postmenopausalwomen or a man drawing a pension DHEA is not useful. Arguments that it works in specific tissues without showing changes in serum testosterone or estrogens is meaningless as no increases in LBM are seen or significant changes in fat mass in young males.

Effect of oral DHEA on serum testosterone and adaptations to resistance training in young men

This study examined the effects of acute dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) ingestion on serum steroid hormones and the effectof chronic DHEA intake on the adaptations to resistance training.In 10*young men (23*?*4*yr old), ingestion of 50*mg of DHEA increasedserum androstenedione concentrations 150% within 60*min (P*<*0.05)but did not affect serum testosterone and estrogen concentrations.An additional 19*men (23*?*1*yr old) participated in an 8-wk wholebody resistance-training program and ingested DHEA (150*mg/day,n*=*9) or placebo (n*=*10) during weeks 1,*2,*4,*5,*7, and 8.Serum androstenedione concentrations were significantly (P*<*0.05)increased in the DHEA-treated group after 2*and 5*wk. Serum concentrationsof free and total testosterone, estrone, estradiol, estriol, lipids,and liver transaminases were unaffected by supplementation andtraining, while strength and lean body mass increased significantlyand similarly (P*<*0.05) in the men treated with placebo and DHEA.These results suggest that DHEA ingestion does not enhance serum testosterone concentrations or adaptations associated with resistance training in youngmen.

The increases in muscle strength found in the present study demonstrate the effectiveness of the resistance-training protocolused. The finding of increased strength with no differences between treatment groups in the present study indicates that ingestionof DHEA is not effective in promoting muscle strength during resistancetraining in young men. The present findings of no effect of DHEAsupplementation on muscle strength also indicate that increasedserum androstenedione does not enhance muscle strength gains,possibly because of the weakness of androstenedione as an anabolic-androgenic steroid

The effect of six months treatment with a 100 mg daily dose of dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) on circulating sex steroids, body composition and muscle strength in age-advanced men and women.

A daily oral 100 mg dose of DHEA for 6 months resulted in elevation of circulating DHEA and DS concentrations and the DS/cortisol ratio. Biotransformation to potent androgens near and slightly above the range of their younger counterparts occurred in women with no detectable change in men.

Dehydroepiandrosterone reduces serum low density lipoprotein levels and body fat but does not alter insulin sensitivity in normal men.

To assess the effects of dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) on body fat mass, serum lipid levels, and tissue sensitivity to insulin, five normal men were given placebo and five normal men were given oral DHEA [1600 mg/day (554.7 mmol/day)] for 28 days in a randomized, double blind study. In the DHEA group serum DHEA-S levels rose 2.5- to 3.5-fold, and mean (+/- SEM) serum androstenedione rose from 4.3 +/- 0.6 to 8.6 +/- 1.2 nmol/L (P less than 0.004, by paired t test), but serum total testosterone, free testosterone, sex hormone-binding globulin, estradiol, and estrone levels did not change.

In this study some participants had changed body composition but it's irrelevant to bodybuilders.

EDIT: strong bump