Declining natural levels of DHEA are one of the main causes of some of the problems that bother us as we get older. Whether it is decreased muscle mass, increasing body fat or lower sex drive, less DHEA is not good news. Given that levels peak in your twenties and start to decline rapidly after that, it can make sense in some cases to look into using a DHEA supplement.
Why Use A DHEA Supplement?
As you get a little bit older, there are a couple of unpleasant things that start to happen. Those broad shoulders and powerful pecs start to droop and that tight waistline begins to spread. Most people write this off as an unfortunate part of the aging process and in fact, they are correct. However, it is far from inevitable. With a bit of thought and effort, there are ways to reverse this. Why is that?
The prime culprit here is the natural levels of hormones in the body and particularly the male and female sex hormones. In fact, it is not so much the levels themselves that is a problem, more the ratio of one to the other. Finding a way to put this ratio back in your favor can call a halt to unwanted physically changes, or at least slow them down. DHEA is a precursor to the male hormone testosterone. In fact, it is just two naturally-occurring steps away. It is first transformed into androstenedione or androstenediol then into testosterone. Clearly it is powerful stuff.
How Well Does DHEA Work?
So the science seems to add up, but how well does it actually work? DHEA is an unusual case in that the evidence is extremely varied. Some people swear by it, others swear at it! The first people to really start using DHEA as a supplement were bodybuilders. It was (and by some still is) touted as the most effective way to build muscle and drop body fat. Interestingly though, others claimed that it didn’t work for them or that they only experienced the negatives of DHEA use, such as mild acne.
So what is the truth? Actually, it seems to depend a lot on the individual. Two recent studies tend to back this up. One, by the Medical College of Virginia, found a positive correlation between DHEA and body composition. Subjects involved in the study lost significant amounts of body fat as well as putting on lean muscle over a four week study. Given that this was a tightly-controlled scientific study, albeit short term, these results look great!
Not so fast. Another study performed by theUniversityofRochesterdidn’t find any link between the use of a DHEA supplement and body composition.
All this adds up to something of a puzzle. And any online search on DHEA paints pretty much the same picture, with some people claiming outstanding results and others not very much at all. There does seem to be a very real improvement in results the older you get however. In trials using subjects between the ages of 40-70, DHEA was certainly helpful in improving general well-being.
Sp what is the truth behind DHEA supplementation? There is no doubt that the science behind this supplement makes sense. For some younger people the results can be excellent too. For others (perhaps because of naturally high levels of DHEA) the results aren’t so spectacular. It remains a supplement that is almost certainly worth trying to see just what it does in your particular case and this is especially true the older you get.