DHEA is sold as a "natural testosterone booster" and a means for building muscle. The logic is simple: it is a precursor of sex hormones, so taking it should raise the anabolic background. The editorial team checked whether controlled studies confirm this logic and what is important for an athlete to know before even thinking about DHEA.
The theoretical rationale
The idea of using DHEA in sport is based on its biochemistry: in the body it can be converted into androstenedione, testosterone and dihydrotestosterone. Hence the assumption that additional DHEA will increase the amount of androgens and enhance adaptation to strength training.
However, the body is not a simple chemical reaction. The conversion of DHEA occurs in peripheral tissues under the control of enzymes, part of it is directed to the synthesis of estrogens, and in healthy men the main source of testosterone remains the testes, whose work is regulated by the hypothalamic-pituitary axis.
Therefore the effect of taking DHEA on the level of testosterone in the blood is different in different groups. In women and elderly people with a low intrinsic level of DHEA-S the effect on androgens is more noticeable than in young men.
To assess the real benefit, one must look at studies that measured not only hormones but also functional results - strength, muscle mass, body composition.
Studies on young men
The most cited work is the study by Brown and colleagues (1999), published in the Journal of Applied Physiology. Young men who performed a strength-training program for eight weeks received 150 mg of DHEA per day or placebo.
The result was unambiguous: taking DHEA increased the level of androstenedione but did not change the concentration of testosterone in the serum. The gains in strength and lean mass in the DHEA group did not differ from the placebo group - that is, the training adaptations were the same.
Wallace and colleagues (1999) compared the intake of DHEA and androstenedione (100 mg per day each for 12 weeks) in middle-aged men who trained. Neither substance produced statistically significant changes in body composition or strength compared with placebo.
These data are in good agreement with physiology: in young men with normal testicular function, an additional precursor does not steadily raise the level of testosterone, since the system regulates it within certain limits.
It is also worth mentioning that part of DHEA can be converted into estrogens, which theoretically is not a desirable effect for a male athlete.
Studies on elderly people
For elderly people, in whom the DHEA-S level is substantially reduced, the hormonal effect of intake is more noticeable. Morales and colleagues (1994) in a double-blind study with a dose of 50 mg per day showed a restoration of DHEA levels to values typical of young people and a subjective improvement in well-being; in women the concentrations of androgens increased.
However, when the researchers moved to objective functional indicators, the picture became less optimistic. In the two-year study by Nair and colleagues (2006), elderly men received DHEA (75 mg per day), testosterone or placebo, and women received DHEA (50 mg per day) or placebo. DHEA did not improve muscle strength, peak oxygen uptake, body composition or insulin sensitivity.
The study by Villareal and Holloszy (2004) reported a moderate reduction in visceral fat and an improvement in insulin action in elderly people with DHEA, however these results were not confirmed in the larger study by Nair.
The French DHEAge study (Baulieu et al., 2000) found individual effects on bones and skin in women over 70 but did not show a general effect on physical performance.
A summary assessment of the evidence
| Population | Effect on testosterone | Strength / muscle mass | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Young men with training | No changes | Did not differ from placebo | Brown et al., 1999 |
| Middle-aged men with training | No significant changes | Did not differ from placebo | Wallace et al., 1999 |
| Elderly men and women (6 months) | Increase in androgens in women | Functional indicators - limited | Morales et al., 1994 |
| Elderly men and women (2 years) | Moderate changes | No improvements | Nair et al., 2006 |
| Elderly people (60-79 years, 1 year) | Restoration of DHEA-S | Individual effects on bones, skin | Baulieu et al., 2000 |
The general conclusion of the evidence base: in young healthy people DHEA does not raise testosterone and does not enhance training adaptations. In elderly people hormonal changes are recorded, but they do not translate into a clinically significant improvement in strength, muscle mass or endurance.
The consensus of the International Olympic Committee on dietary supplements (Maughan et al., 2018) classifies prohormones, in particular DHEA, among substances that are prohibited and have no proven efficacy, while carrying risks for health and anti-doping reputation.
For comparison: legal supplements such as creatine monohydrate have dozens of randomized studies confirming an effect on strength and muscle mass.
Anti-doping and medical risks
DHEA is included in class S1 (anabolic agents) of the WADA Prohibited List and is banned at all times - both in and out of competition. Excuses such as "I took a supplement" do not exempt from responsibility: under the principle of strict liability, the athlete is responsible for any prohibited substance in the sample.
Laboratories detect the exogenous origin of DHEA and its metabolites using the steroid profile and isotope mass spectrometry. Even a single intake can change the indicators of the steroid profile.
From a medical standpoint, taking DHEA without indications can cause acne, androgenic effects in women, changes in the lipid profile and an undesirable increase in estrogens. For people with a history of hormone-dependent tumors it is dangerous.
- Banned by WADA at all times - the risk of disqualification.
- The absence of a proven effect on strength and muscle mass in young people.
- Hormonal side effects, especially in women.
- The risk of an inappropriate composition of products sold as supplements.
If you have symptoms that you associate with a hormonal imbalance - fatigue, decreased libido, poor recovery - the right step is an examination by an endocrinologist, not taking hormone precursors on your own.
Editorial conclusions
DHEA does not work as a "natural testosterone booster" in young men: studies showed neither an increase in testosterone nor an enhancement of strength or muscle mass gains above placebo.
In elderly people DHEA changes hormonal indicators, but large long-term studies did not find a significant improvement in physical functions.
For athletes the risks clearly outweigh the potential benefit: DHEA is banned by WADA and has hormonal side effects.
We also recommend reading our materials "DHEA: what it is and how it works", as well as articles about creatine monohydrate as the supplement with the best evidence base and about tests for monitoring hormonal status.
References
- Brown GA, Vukovich MD, Sharp RL, et al. Effect of oral DHEA on serum testosterone and adaptations to resistance training in young men. J Appl Physiol. 1999;87(6):2274–2283.
- Wallace MB, Lim J, Cutler A, Bucci L. Effects of dehydroepiandrosterone vs androstenedione supplementation in men. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 1999;31(12):1788–1792.
- Morales AJ, Nolan JJ, Nelson JC, Yen SS. Effects of replacement dose of dehydroepiandrosterone in men and women of advancing age. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 1994;78(6):1360–1367.
- Nair KS, Rizza RA, O'Brien P, et al. DHEA in elderly women and DHEA or testosterone in elderly men. N Engl J Med. 2006;355(16):1647–1659.
- Villareal DT, Holloszy JO. Effect of DHEA on abdominal fat and insulin action in elderly women and men: a randomized controlled trial. JAMA. 2004;292(18):2243–2248.
- Baulieu EE, Thomas G, Legrain S, et al. Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), DHEA sulfate, and aging: contribution of the DHEAge Study to a sociobiomedical issue. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA. 2000;97(8):4279–4284.
- Maughan RJ, Burke LM, Dvorak J, et al. IOC consensus statement: dietary supplements and the high-performance athlete. Br J Sports Med. 2018;52(7):439–455.
- World Anti-Doping Agency. The World Anti-Doping Code: International Standard — Prohibited List. Montreal: WADA; оновлюється щороку.
Andriy Melnyk
A strength-sports coach and author of programs for beginner and intermediate levels. Writes about training planning.
