| A prohormone is a substance that is a | | | | prolonged use are mostly unknown. |
| precursor to a hormone, usually having | | | | On October 22nd, 2004, President Bush |
| minimal hormonal effect by itself. The | | | | signed into law the Anabolic Steroid |
| term has been used in medical science | | | | Control Act of 2004 (S.2195). The bill |
| since the middle of the 20th century. | | | | was written to become effective in 90 |
| Examples of natural, human prohormones | | | | days, which as of this writing would |
| include proinsulin and | | | | appear to be January 20, 2005. This new |
| pro-opiomelanocortin. | | | | legislation places both anabolic |
| For peptide hormones, the conversion | | | | steroids and prohormones on a list of |
| process from prohormone to hormone | | | | controlled substances (a new type of |
| typically occurs after export to the | | | | "regulatory control"). |
| endoplasmic reticulum and often requires | | | | Common types of prohormones on the |
| multiple processing enzymes. For | | | | market 4-androstenedione Converts to: |
| example, proinsulin is processed by PC 1 | | | | testosterone Characteristics: Research |
| 2, PC 3, and carboxypeptidase E to | | | | indicates a conversion rate of about |
| afford insulin. Proamylin, which is | | | | 5.6%, which means that of the amount |
| cosecreted with proinsulin, requires the | | | | taken orally, 5.6% is converted to |
| above three factors and an amidating | | | | testosterone. |
| monoxygenase. | | | | Relatively high rate of aromatization to |
| For small molecule hormones, the | | | | estrogen, and consequently higher risk |
| conversion is often one step, and is | | | | of side-effects such as gynecomastia |
| often used to regulate hormone levels. | | | | brought on by excessive estrogen |
| In the last two decades, prohormone has | | | | formation. |
| also been used in the subculture of | | | | Exhibits significant androgenic |
| bodybuilding, athletic, and nonmedical | | | | properties, which may result in side |
| use of anabolic steroids and other | | | | effects such as male pattern baldness, |
| hormones to refer to a product sold with | | | | acne, and enlarged prostate. |
| the expectation of conversion in the | | | | 4-androstenediol (4-AD) Converts to: |
| buyers' body to an active hormone. Some | | | | testosterone Characteristics: Conversion |
| of this use of the term involves fraud | | | | rate of about 15.76%, almost triple that |
| and deceit of various types: the | | | | of androstenedione, due to utilization |
| marketer often intends the buyer to | | | | of a different enzymatic pathway. |
| assume this product will provide the | | | | No direct conversion to estrogen, though |
| putative benefits of taking an anabolic | | | | some secondary aromatization does occur |
| steroid without the legal or medical | | | | through metabolism. |
| risks, while the buyer often intends to | | | | Appears to be less androgenic than its |
| represent himself to others as having | | | | cousin, since it does not metabolize |
| achieving the hoped-for benefits or | | | | into the potent androgen |
| advantages without use of a forbidden | | | | dihydrotestosterone (DHT). |
| drug. A third dimension of potential | | | | 19-norandrostenedione Converts to: |
| deceit involves their legal | | | | nortestosterone (also called nandrolone) |
| classification: most "prohormones" are | | | | Characteristics: Only slightly less |
| sold as dietary supplements to avoid the | | | | anabolic than testosterone. |
| much tighter efficacy and safety | | | | Low rate of aromatization to estrogen. |
| requirements of the Food and Drug | | | | Low occurrence of androgenic side |
| Administration (FDA) which apply to | | | | effects. |
| prescription hormones. | | | | 19-norandrostenediol Converts to: |
| A typical prohormone is marketed to the | | | | nortestosterone Characteristics: Same as |
| consumer as a precursor of an anabolic | | | | -dione, except (as with the andros), the |
| steroid like testosterone, which is | | | | conversion rate is higher. |
| taken in order to boost the body’s | | | | 1-androstenediol (1-AD) Converts to: |
| available hormone supply. These | | | | 1-testosterone, a 5-alpha reduced |
| precursors are intended to be converted | | | | steroid reported to be 700% more |
| to full, active hormones via an | | | | anabolic and 200% more androgenic than |
| enzymatic process that occurs during | | | | testosterone; 1-testosterone is better |
| metabolism, typically resulting in the | | | | (although rarely) described as |
| addition of whichever atoms happen to be | | | | dihydroboldenone, the 5-alpha reduced |
| missing from the chemical structure of | | | | version of the veterinary steroid |
| the compound. | | | | boldenone Characteristics: Very high |
| The use of prohormones has become | | | | conversion rate, because the liver |
| popular among bodybuilders, since the | | | | serves primarily to "activate" the |
| effects can be similar (though normally | | | | compound as it passes through rather |
| much less drastic) to those achieved | | | | than to break it down and excrete it, as |
| through the use of synthetic steroids, | | | | is the case with other prohormones. |
| including gains in muscular strength and | | | | Cannot aromatize to estrogen either |
| growth of lean muscle mass. There are | | | | directly or through any of its metabolic |
| currently many companies manufacturing | | | | products. However, 1-Testosterone, being |
| prohormone products for this purpose. | | | | a 5-alpha reduced steroid, is highly |
| Prohormones are legally sold in most | | | | androgenic; it is very similar to |
| parts of the world and are classified in | | | | Dihydrotestosterone (DHT). Many side |
| the United States by the FDA as dietary | | | | effects associated with excessive levels |
| supplements because they consist of | | | | of DHT, including male pattern baldness, |
| compounds that occur naturally in the | | | | testicular shrinkage, benign prostate |
| human body; however their use remains | | | | hypertrophy and acne can occur with 1-AD |
| quite controversial and side effects are | | | | usage. (Journal of Organic chem. vol, 27 |
| not uncommon. To date most prohormone | | | | 1962 iss.1) As with other -diols, 1-AD |
| products have not been thoroughly | | | | cannot convert directly to estrogen. |
| studied, and the health effects of | | | | |