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• Lose Your Hair With Androstenedione

• HairSite Editorial

• 5/8/00

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Sales of Androstenedione soared soon after Mark McGwire acknowledging using it as a dietary supplement. Many doctors suggest that Androstenedione should be reclassified as a steroid and be subject to FDA approval regarding its use. In fact, Androstenedione has already been banned by many professional sports associations, including the Olympics.

Supplements such as Androstenedione are made of a naturally occurring steroid hormone the body uses to produce testosterone. Testosterone booster are known to carry an anabolic effect - they can increase muscle size, strength and endurance. However, they also come with side effects such as acne, hair loss, heart disease and even cancer. It applies to both men and women.

In one study, a single dosage of Andro was given to 40 men, ages 20 - 40   for seven consecutive days. The participants in the study were divided into 3 groups. Group 1 received no Andro, Group 2 received 100 mg daily dosage and Group 3 received 300 mg daily dosage.

The study concluded that neither Group 1 (no dosage) nor Group 2 (100 mg) showed any noticeable signs of elevated testosterone levels toward the end of the trial. However, the testosterone levels in Group 3 (300mg) increased by over 30 percent by the end of the experiement. An unexpected observation from the study was that the levels of female hormone estrogen increased substantially regardless of the dosage. Elevated estrogen levels can lead to breast enlargement and other feminizing effects.

An eight-week Iowa State University study published last year in JAMA found no increased testosterone levels with 300 mg, but the dosages were given in 100 mg increments three times daily. The authors of that study and the new research said the dosage differences probably explain the new findings.

The Iowa study also found that andro increased levels of estrogen, which in men can result in breast enlargement and other feminizing effects.

Details of the study can be found in the Journal of the American Medical Association published in February, 2000.

As a general rule, most dietary supplements that contain a lot of amino acids are likely to be testosterone booster. Specifically, Human Growth Hormone (HGH) precursors such as Arginine, Ornithine, Glutamine, OKL, Glycine, Tryptophan, Nianin and GHB etc are supplements that you may want to avoid if you already have normal testosterone levels.

Some are confused by HGH studies that claim to promote hair growth by up to 40%. Please note that these HGH studies were mainly conducted on participants who age 45 and older when their growth hormones levels have decreased substantially compared to that of younger adults. When older men are supplemented with HGH, it is true that many participants have reported age-reversing benefits such as increase in muscle mass, lower blood pressure, hair growth, and better sexual performance etc.

It is important that you check with your doctor and find out from a blood test if you need hormonal supplements. If you are a young, healthy adult, chances are that your hormone levels are normal and any kinds of hormonal supplements are unlikely to produce any benefits. There are organizations such as Cenegenics and Anagenesis that do detailed blood work and examinations to customize a personalized mix of dietary supplements program for patients.  

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