THE EFFECTS OF TREATMENT WITH PRASTERONE (DHEA) ON CIRCULATING HORMONES, BODY COMPOSITION AND MUSCLE STRENGTH IN MEN AND WOMEN

Nowadays many individuals are using "performance-enhancing" nutritional supplements. Many professional and nonprofessional athletes take the popular supplements, containing the hormone DHEA (Prasterone), to increase their testosterone levels and improve their performance. Even DHEA has been considered as a hormone with multiple effects, it is sold as a dietary supplement in many countries. Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), a 19-carbon steroid, is situated along the steroid metabolic pathway. It is the most abundant circulating hormone in the body and can be converted to either androgens or estrogens. The physiological function of Dehydroepiandrosterone remains poorly understood and not enough analyzed. In this work we have analyzed the beneficial effects of a supplementation with Prasterone in order to alleviate its decrease in ageing and improve well-being. We have summarized the results of clinical trials including more than 1000 women and men.