This article will highlight prohormone side effects, advantages, and uses.
If you work out often, you could have found prebiotic supplements along your fitness journey. They are regarded as performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs) and are good for people looking to bulk up.
Besides, some manufacturers advertise them as supplements that can aid fat burning. Hence, manufacturers claim they can help with lean body mass and muscles.
While these claims could be true, prohormones adversely affect the body.
Let us get started.
What are Prohormones?
Prohormones are substances the body uses to produce anabolic hormones through an enzymatic mechanism. As a result, they are more significant than SARMS, which are more analogous to anabolic steroids.
Prohormones can cause strength and muscle gain, although to a lower extent.
However, given the innovation seen in the dietary supplement market since the release of the first prohormone, androstenedione, this technical definition needs to be clarified.
Today, the term “prohormones” describes chemicals that are active on their own and do not need to be converted into another hormone to have anabolic effects. It does not only refer to precursors of steroid hormones.
How do they work?
Prohormone acts as an activator to steroid hormones present in the body. Prohormones, unlike anabolic steroids, must go through the liver to obtain the enzyme that will convert them into steroidal compounds.
Contrarily, anabolic steroids directly enhance your body’s anabolic properties by elevating testosterone and growth hormone levels. They can function without forming a particular bond with an enzyme.
When you take a prohormone, it is only partially complete. After being consumed, the prohormone passes through the liver and gathers the remaining portion.
Only then does it act as an anabolic substance, supposedly boosting the benefits we’ll explain later.
Prohormones have limitations in the conversion process. The body predetermines these limitations.
You might be unable to utilize a top-notch, high-quality prohormone to the fullest extent possible because your body can only effectively convert a certain amount.
Are prohormones safe to take?
According to this research, prohormones are not entirely safe. The fact they are legal does not mean they are safe.
In fact, most prohormone users tend to report damaging health effects after taking those supplements. Note, however, that prohormone side effects vary from person to person.
Do prohormones inhibit testosterone production?
Prohormone supplementation is equivalent to pumping artificial testosterone into the body. Hence, boost the body’s testosterone levels significantly.
Increasing the body’s testosterone levels inhibits its ability to produce testosterone. This is fine. However, it can be problematic if you are on a prohormone cycle.
Should the cycle end and your body are not producing enough testosterone, it could expose you to harmful effects. Those effects can even worsen if your testosterone to estrogen levels are imbalanced.
What are the benefits of prohormones?
Prohormones have a few health benefits. However, before discussing those advantages, it is necessary to discuss some misconceptions surrounding them.
One of those misconceptions is that upping your usage of prohormones increases strength, lean body mass and improved test levels.
This is not entirely true. A study conducted by tiger fitness on DHEA found that the supplement did not return those benefits.
It also discovered that the supplement did not help prevent cardiovascular diseases. Besides, the study concluded that upping prohormones intake may not lower DHL cholesterol levels in the body.
Now that we have discussed the prohormones misconceptions, it is time to look at its benefits. Here are some of them.
Prohormones are good for physical performance. According to a study conducted by Canadian Science Publishing, prohormone supplementation might lead to anabolic effects.
Therefore, taking them can help you develop lean body mass and muscles.
Besides, some literature claim that prohormone supplementation can improve the medical outcome of patients with vitamin deficiencies.
An article by the American Medical Association claimed that prohormone supplementation might benefit users during specific treatment phases.
Particularly, it can help users at the early stages of their medication. Contrarily, it may not offer additional benefits to patients in advanced treatment stages.
Also, studies show that prohormone supplementation can impact resistance training, consequently impacting lean body mass development.
It achieves this by lowering HDL cholesterol and improving metabolism. Therefore, it enables its users to work out for longer.
However, it does not interfere with testosterone levels because it substitutes natural testosterone with synthetic ones. Therefore, it may not give you the energy benefits of that hormone.
What are the potential prohormone side effects?
As mentioned earlier, prohormones are legal but are not safe. It has several side effects that vary from person to person. Some of them can be severe and prolonged. Below are some of those side effects:
1. Headaches
One of the more common prohormone side effects is headaches. This is because they increase testosterone levels. This can, in turn, cause headaches.
2. Stomach pains
Studies show that prohormones can lead to stomach pain. This is because they can cause bloating, cramps, ulcers, and acid reflux from hormonal imbalance.
3. Inadequate sleep
The stimulatory effects of prohormones can lead to sleep disruption. Increased stimulatory hormones such as testosterone can mess with the sleep-wake cycle.
Studies show that abuse of prohormone supplements can lead to sleep disturbance, which is constant waking up.
4. Nausea
Another one of the prohormones side effects is nausea. This is because they can irritate the stomach lining of certain people. This can lead to feelings of nausea, vomiting, or even diarrhea.
5. Acne
People who use large amounts of prohormones can end up with acne. This is because increased testosterone affects the oil glands under the skin. It can lead to inflammation of the oil glands.
The acne affects the face, neck, back, and arms.
6. Fatigue
Prohormones have been known to cause fatigue
- Mood changes.
- Testicular shrinkage
- Increased or lowered libido.
- Enlarged female breasts.
Precautions to take when using prohormones
Since prohormones are readily available and can be bought over the counter, their users must practice caution when taking them. Particularly, if those prohormones are likely to cause the above-listed side effects, then it would be wise to consult your doctor before taking them. Also, be careful not to abuse them.
Note that the following group of people should stay away from prohormone supplements:
- Breastfeeding mothers.
- People who have not attained 18 years.
- Pregnant mothers.
- Women trying to get pregnant.
- People trying to lose weight.
Conclusion
Before using prohormones, you should think about the medications you are on and how they can react with prohormones. It would also be wise to see your doctor about possible drug interactions. Additionally, it’s conceivable that your drugs are incompatible with strenuous exercise.
It could be beneficial to consult a trained dietician and a healthcare practitioner before starting an exercise program to gain muscle. Professionals can help you discover what is useful to your body.
A healthcare practitioner can also assist you in deciding how much protein and other nutrients you should consume to safely and effectively accomplish your body composition goals.
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