Prohormone:
Types of Prohormones
Prohormone classifications:
--Testosterone precursors:
·Androstenedione
·4-androstenediol
·5-androstenediol
--Nandrolone
Precursors:
·19-norandrostenedione
·19-nor 4-androstenediol
·19-nor 5-androstenediol
--DHT
Precursor MAXTERON™
Prohormone
Classifications:
Testosterone precursors:
Testosterone is the primary
muscle building hormone in man, and as such makes an excellent
target for supplementation. The typically thought about
testosterone is that it is a bulking steroid. It is an excellent
builder of muscle tissue, but due to its ready conversion to estradiol
(an estrogen) this gain may be accompanied by water and fat retention
(heightened estrogen levels tend to increase the storage of both).
The user often endures this in light of the end result, as these
products do appear to be the strongest for overall muscle growth.
We cannot ignore the possible development of gynecomastia with
testosterone prohormone however (particularly with heavy use),
a very unwanted side effect in men characterized by the development
of female breast tissue. Currently three testosterone precursors
are available on the supplement market: androstenedione, 4-androstenediol
and 5-androstenediol.
Androstenedione:
The first compound marketed as a
testosterone precursor, or a prohormone for that matter, was
androstenedione. To spite the fact that prohormone technology
has advanced quite a bit since its inception this compound remains
to be a popular seller, no doubt in part due to the extensive
media attention given to it in the past. Androstenedione does
raise testosterone levels with use, so in this regard it is an
effective supplement. However it has also been demonstrated to
raise estrogen levels even more significantly, due to the fact
that androstenedione may also be directly converted to estrone
(an estrogen) in the body. It is therefore an effective supplement,
but also seems to be the prohormone most capable of inducing gynecomastia.
4-androstenediol:
Like androstenedione, 4-androstenediol is an efficient precursor
to testosterone. In fact it appears comparatively much more so,
as it utilizes a more active enzyme in its biotransformation to
testosterone. Rough estimates are the 2 to 3 times more prohormone
is needed for the same testosterone elevation with the preceding
product. 4-androstenediol also avoids the direct path of metabolism
to estrogen we see with androstenedione, as its diol structure
resists interaction with the enzyme responsible for this conversion.
Clearly this represents a further improvement, making this compound
the most effective choice in this category.
5-androstenediol:
5-androstenediol is technically a testosterone precursor, however
it has a notably low affinity to convert to this hormone in the
body. This is of little consequence, as this hormone is really
supplemented due to its structural similarity to the anabolic
steroid methandriol. Methandriol is a popular veterinary steroid,
shown to exhibit mild to moderate anabolic activity. It differs
from 5-androstenediol only by the addition of a c-17 alpha alkyl
group, an alteration used to increase the oral bioavailability
of steroid hormones. Realistically methandriol is not an extremely
potent compound in muscle building terms, and may additionally
display some ability to act as an estrogen in the human body (a
trait shared by 5-androstenediol). Although there has been a lot
of hype about 5-androstenediol, there seems to be much less in
terms of a solid positive response from users compared to the
previously mentioned testosterone precursors.
Nandrolone Precursors:
Nandrolone (19-nortestosterone) is another target in the realm
of the prohormone, and interestingly is the active steroid used
to make the popular anabolic steroid Deca-Durabolin®. Structurally
this steroid is identical to testosterone, except for the fact
that it lacks a carbon atom at the 19th position (hence the name
nortestosterone). Although these two steroids appear similar,
they differ in action quite notably. The most striking contrasts
are seen in the fact that nandrolone is much less inclined to
convert to estrogen in the body (though it does aromatize to a
low degree), and is also much less androgenic in nature than testosterone.
Its mild character is preferred over testosterone in many cases,
and nandrolone is likewise considered more of a steroid for promoting
lean muscularity (quality mass) than raw bulk. Currently three
nandrolone precursors are available on the supplement market:
19-norandrostenedione, 19-nor 4-androstenediol and 19-nor 5-androstenediol.
19-norandrostenedione:
19-norandrostenedione is the nandrolone equivalent of androstenedione.
It is an efficient precursor to its active steroid form, and overall
is considered nothing short of a well-proven anabolic. Although
like androstenedione this hormone is open to estrogen conversion
in its initial state, the tendency for 19-nor steroids to interact
with the necessary enzyme is very low. We therefore see very few
reported problems with water/fat retention and gynecomastia, even
when this supplement is taken in heavier cycles. Most users report
a solid gain of muscle mass, typically with an
accompanying loss
of body fat and increased visibility. Using the topical product
DermaGAIN™ by Impact Nutrition™
is a particularly advantageous way of administering this hormone
actually DermaGAIN™ contains a combination of both this and the
following nandrolone precursors), as this method of delivery bypasses
the first pass by the liver that can deactivate greater than 90%
of the ingested hormone. Topical deliver allows for near total
absorption of the compound into the blood stream. Impact™ additionally
uses DIM (diindolylmethane) in this product, and anti-estrogenic
substance that works by enhancing the metabolic breakdown of estrogens.
Though it may seem unneeded, it was added as a protective measure
to combat the actions of any minimal estrogen buildup that could
possibly result.
19-nor 4-androstenediol:
Like 4-androstenediol, this prohormone utilizes a more active
enzyme in its biotransformation to the steroid nandrolone. It
is therefore slightly more potent in comparison to 19-norandrostenedione,
however both of these two nandrolone precursors are considered
solidly effective anabolics. Only those extremely sensitive to
estrogen or using unusually high amounts will likely ever notice
a difference in estrogen conversion rates, although technically
this prohormone would be more suitable in this regard as it avoids
any possible direct path of conversion (the same trait noted with
4-androstenediol). Otherwise these two precursors are really interchangeable.
Combining these two prohormones (as in DermaGAIN™) actually seems
to be the most advantageous method of taking nandrolone precursors,
as this utilizes two distinct paths of metabolism for the optimal
buildup of active steroid in the blood stream.
19-nor 5-androstenediol:
This prohormone is a 19-nor form of 5-androstenediol. While we
don't have much to report about 5-androstenediol, there is even
less to report about this compound. Its conversion rate to nandrolone
is low, and there likewise seems to be little in terms of positive
feedback. It seems to be more the product of a clear manufacturing
opportunity than of research and successful application. Some
may find a use for this compound, but it is clearly not the efficient
nandrolone precursor we see in 19-nor 4-androstenediol.
Maxteron™, the
first DHT precursor:
Maxteron™ (5-alpha androstanediol)
is the first dihydrotestosterone (DHT) prohormone to be developed.
DHT is typically thought of as a side effect hormone, however
this is more a product of misunderstanding than fact. In the human
body DHT is much more active than testosterone, and is produced
locally in tissues sensitive to androgen action such as the prostate,
skin, scalp and certain areas of the central nervous system. It
is for this reason that its presence is usually associated with
side effects, however it activates the same cellular receptor
that testosterone does. The applications for a DHT prohormone
are actually quite numerous, as it represents the only truly non-aromatizable
(will not convert to estrogen) prohormone available. The non-aromatizing
androgen is an important class of steroid to the athlete/bodybuilder
(Masteron (2-methylDHT), Parabolan (trenbolone), Proviron (1-methylDHT)
and Halotestin (fluoxymesterone) are such compounds), as they
are excellent for shifting the androgen/estrogen ratio and promoting
increased fat loss, muscle hardness and vascularity. Similar to
these mentioned items, DHT is a very potent androgenic steroid.
The strong effect DHT has on the central nervous system also helps
to greatly support the buildup of strength, and its high affinity
for serum binding proteins allows it to competitively force more
testosterone into a free state when taken with such a steroid
or prohormone. DHT is also an efficient anti-aromatase (inhibitor
of the estrogen synthesizing enzyme), and makes an excellent addition
to any testosterone-based cycle. This item is currently only available
from Impact Nutrition™. |
