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Androstenedione is a hormone produced in the gonads and adrenal glands. It is a precursor to testosterone and estrogen. It was used as a supplement by East German athletes in the 1970s, but was banned by the FDA in 2004 due to its side effects. It is classified as an anabolic steroid, but some consider it a prohormone.
Androstenedione is a hormone that is produced in the gonads of men, the ovaries of women, and the adrenal glands of both sexes. It occurs in people before the appearance of testosterone or estrogen. In men, androstenedione is converted to testosterone using the enzyme 17β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase. For women, the aromatase enzyme is used to convert this hormone into estrogen. This compound is also known as a prohormone, which is a precursor substance that leads to hormone production, but lacks many of the functional qualities of a true hormone.
The existence of this hormone was originally documented in 1935, but its role in testosterone production was not known until the early 1950s. In the 1970s, East German athletes began using androstenedione as a supplement, that he would use a nasal spray of the hormone before the competition. This produced a brief one to three hour increase in testosterone levels, and this was thought to aid performance. However, the exact mechanics of this process have never been revealed.
Initially, little was known about the full effects of androstenedione, except for its ability to increase testosterone levels. It was commercially manufactured as a dietary supplement in many countries, and received the name andro. Patrick Arnold, an American chemist, is said to have introduced this compound to the North American market. The product was available as an over-the-counter supplement in the United States until 2004, when the Anabolic Steroid Control Act was introduced. This legislation banned both anabolic steroids, which mimic the effect of testosterone, and prohormones. The sale of andro was officially banned by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on April 11, 2004.
This prohormone is classified as a steroid, although there is some debate as to whether or not it should be classified as a prohormone or an anabolic steroid. It fits the definition of a prohormone, but it also fits the definition of an anabolic steroid, which mimics the function of testosterone. Under the Anabolic Steroid Control Act, androstenedione is classified as an anabolic steroid, but many sports trainers and Internet websites consider it a prohormone.
Androstenedione is simply a precursor to testosterone, and does not actually mimic the effects of that hormone. Instead, it leads to the actual production of it. However, regardless of its classification, this substance produces many of the same side effects as anabolic steroids, including elevated blood pressure, an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, and liver damage.
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