Performance-enhancing drugs: Know the risks #3

Androstenedione

What is it?

Androstenedione (andro) is a hormone produced by the adrenal glands, ovaries and testes. It's a hormone that's normally converted to testosterone and estradiol in both men and women.

Andro is available legally only in prescription form, and is a controlled substance. Manufacturers and bodybuilding magazines tout its ability to allow athletes to train harder and recover more quickly. However, its use as a performance-enhancing drug is illegal in most of the developed world.

Scientific studies that refute these claims show that supplemental androstenedione doesn't increase testosterone and that your muscles don't get stronger with andro use. In fact, almost all of the andro is rapidly converted to estrogen, the primary hormone in females.

Risks

Side effects of andro in men include:

• Acne
• Diminished sperm production
• Shrinking of the testicles
• Enlargement of the breasts

In women, side effects include:

• Acne
• Masculinisation, such as deepening of the voice and male-pattern baldness
• In both men and women, andro can decrease HDL cholesterol (the "good" cholesterol), which puts you at greater risk of heart attack and stroke.

Many suppliers of andro will claim that it is unlike anabolic steroids, in that the muscle gains achieved with andro will be more ‘permanent’ and that with a carefully planned cycling plan will be all but undetectable during drug testing.

Even if these claims are true, why would you want to build muscle that isn’t truly permanent and why are you even thinking about cheating in your sport?

Tomorrow, we look at Human Growth Hormone.  Don’t miss it!