Should I Try DHEA?

[BroDeal]

In early season, when my mileage pushes up to 300 a week, I often feel pretty fried. Dead legs are not too bad but mental lethargy affects life outside of cycling. I am thinking of trying DHEA because it might be an interesting experiment.

 

[patricknd]

In early season, when my mileage pushes up to 300 a week, I often feel pretty fried. Dead legs are not too bad but mental lethargy affects life outside of cycling. I am thinking of trying DHEA because it might be an interesting experiment.

Disputed effects
In the United States, DHEA or DHEAS have been advertised with claims that they may be beneficial for a wide variety of ailments. DHEA and DHEAS are readily available in the United States, where they are marketed as over-the-counter dietary supplements.[26] A 2004 review in the American Journal of Sports Medicine concluded that "The marketing of this supplement's effectiveness far exceeds its science."[27] Because DHEA must first be converted to androstenedione and then to testosterone in men, it has two chances to aromatize into estrogen - estrone from androstenedione, and estradiol from testosterone. As such, it is possible that supplementation with DHEA could increase estrogen levels more than testosterone levels in men.[citation needed]
depends on how much stock you put in this. i don't know that i'd want to chance it.

 

[53 x 11]

You're not having to **** into a cup right?

Possible side effects seem minimal, no worse than strong coffee anyway.

I'm interested in calcium pyruvate, I've been feeling a bit flat myself.

 

[BroDeal]

You're not having to **** into a cup right?

Nope. I don't race bikes anymore. Occasionally I do trail ultrarunning events, but I have not signed up for any this year yet.

 

[53 x 11]

Don't see why not, it's a pretty commonly available product in the US. And your probably pushing your body pretty hard putting in those miles along with commitments to work, family ect.

Then again, could you just cut down on the miles?

 

[BroDeal]

Then again, could you just cut down on the miles?

What?? That's blasphemy!

 

[53 x 11]

What?? That's blasphemy!

Nope, blasphemy is long black bibs and black socks. Or is that heresy?

 

[craig1985]

I could try it, I have never been tested in my life.

 

[WD-40.]

In early season, when my mileage pushes up to 300 a week, I often feel pretty fried. Dead legs are not too bad but mental lethargy affects life outside of cycling. I am thinking of trying DHEA because it might be an interesting experiment.

This is what I posted a while back on this forum;

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"I take it for health/anti-aging purposes and it makes me feel good mentally but it won't do a thing to help your recovery or performance in cycling or any other sport for certain, anyone who thinks otherwise is misled. I only supplement with it as I have very low levels naturally and just 25mg oral daily brought levels up several times baseline helping depression significantly.

Although DHEA does have the possibility to convert to testosterone in reality it does not do so very much if at all in males, at least when taken orally. I have only seen one study to suggest that it can convert to testosterone in males and that was with transdermal administration and in very large doses. Unfortunately with these doses estradiol was very high (going by memory) which is not ideal for men."
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I will also add that I believe that DHEA is a very important hormone on its own and not just because it converts to testosterone and estradiol. I can't say for sure if you need it or not and its very hard to tell the difference between the placebo effect and the real deal when it comes to things like these.

Another hormone that helped me significantly was Vitamin D. When I started supplementing with it a few years ago (after a blood test showed I was low even with a decent sun tan) I had a fantastic reduction in depression/agitation in a few weeks. The amazing thing is that the effect still holds to this day and I feel great, there is no doubt that it helped me and it is important to know that NOT everyone can produce enough vitamin D from the sun! I am one of them and before supplementing with it felt that there was something missing for so long. I now take 5000iu daily.

If you are low on vitamin D you will probably not be producing as much testosterone as you should. Then again if you are riding 300miles a week you won't be either.

I hope people will respect my opinion on this hormone as a health issue that has nothing do do with doping in competitive sport.

 

[markene2]

Yes you should!

 

[Bala Verde]

In early season, when my mileage pushes up to 300 a week, I often feel pretty fried. Dead legs are not too bad but mental lethargy affects life outside of cycling. I am thinking of trying DHEA because it might be an interesting experiment.

Given that its effectiveness is even disputed, I would think twice about it. You might as well pop a placebo pill then and save the money.

Big Pharma usually wants to sell and make buckets of money (see the "me too drugs";

The FDA approves drugs on the basis of their superiority to placebo, not their superiority to existing drugs,” Stafford says. “I think people misunderstand the nature of FDA approval and the criteria used to allow drugs to enter the market.”

and further read: the truth about drug companies

Don't buy it unless it actually has real and significant added benefits.

 

[Pantheon of Greats]

I don't think it makes much difference to anything. I took it as part of a legal over the counter natural test boost supplement and found no improvement.

 

[bridgeman]

I've read that one of negative effects of DHEA is loss of hair. When I read this I began to wonder how many would take this substance and were willing to watch their hair fall out if in return they could achieve a noticeable jump in performance?

 

[fatandfast]

In early season, when my mileage pushes up to 300 a week, I often feel pretty fried. Dead legs are not too bad but mental lethargy affects life outside of cycling. I am thinking of trying DHEA because it might be an interesting experiment.

Find a doctor that will give you B12's. There is almost no reaction so you can walk into an exam room drop your pants and you will be out in 2 minutes. It will make you feel way better.

 

[erader]

In early season, when my mileage pushes up to 300 a week, I often feel pretty fried. Dead legs are not too bad but mental lethargy affects life outside of cycling. I am thinking of trying DHEA because it might be an interesting experiment.

if you have the time to ride that many miles why do you need mental skills ?

ed rader

 

[VeloFidelis]

In early season, when my mileage pushes up to 300 a week, I often feel pretty fried. Dead legs are not too bad but mental lethargy affects life outside of cycling. I am thinking of trying DHEA because it might be an interesting experiment.

I take DHEA everyday as part of my supplement routine and have since my mid forties, or about ten years. I believe it to be an aid in recovery and my ability to maintain fitness, endurance, and general form. I stopped bike racing in my thirty's but still manage about 5K road miles a year, between skiing and Masters Rowing. I would recommend it to anyone looking to maintain fitness past forty.

Far from being "Big Pharma" as suggested here, DHEA is inexpensive, and available over the counter at any health food or vitamin supplement retailer. Yes, USADA and WADA have a problem with it. But I am long past the point of ever having to be asked to pee into a cup. As far as it being some kind of unfair advantage over people I row against, my results would prove otherwise. And I would fully expect my competition to be using it as well. This is about health and well being for the "everyman" athlete, not stoking the fires of the genetic mutants we all follow in professional cycling.

For a good read on the subject I suggest you check out Stephen Cherniske's research on the subject.

http://www.bookfinder.com/dir/i/The_DHEA_Breakthrough/0345413911/

 

[brianf7]

You're not having to **** into a cup right?

Possible side effects seem minimal, no worse than strong coffee anyway.

I'm interested in calcium pyruvate, I've been feeling a bit flat myself.

Pyruvate is hopeless I got hold of a sample jar 1kg and encapsulated it 10 years ago.
helps with burning fat but no improved cycling as with DHEA it will make you grow tits thats all. Useless

If ya going to take the risk do it with short acting testosterone but dont blame me if you spend 2 years in Coventery.

You should know what is needed in Cycling get out and do it HARD TRAINING if that dont work give up.

 

[53 x 11]

Pyruvate is hopeless I got hold of a sample jar 1kg and encapsulated it 10 years ago.
helps with burning fat but no improved cycling as with DHEA it will make you grow tits thats all. Useless

If ya going to take the risk do it with short acting testosterone but dont blame me if you spend 2 years in Coventery.

You should know what is needed in Cycling get out and do it HARD TRAINING if that dont work give up.

Well, burning fat can be a big help in boosting cycling performance. And why would pyruvate make you grow tits?

Also, to the best of my knowledge pyruvate is a legal supplement, no?

And what is needed in cycling is intelligent, planned training. Not just mindless slog.

 

[usedtobefast]

Find a doctor that will give you B12's. There is almost no reaction so you can walk into an exam room drop your pants and you will be out in 2 minutes. It will make you feel way better.

how much b-12 we talking?

 

[Big GMaC]

In early season, when my mileage pushes up to 300 a week, I often feel pretty fried. Dead legs are not too bad but mental lethargy affects life outside of cycling. I am thinking of trying DHEA because it might be an interesting experiment.

Hookers and Blow.

Have you had Iron checked? I normally have naturally high Iron, but in heavy training cycles it just bombs and I feel like a dog the whole time...

 

[Crazy Horse]

Brodeal,

is this your first foray into doping or have you done other doping products in the past?

 

[Oldman]

Bro-you had to have been bored to post this. You'll only get the same farts I have now without the benefit of the great Tex-mex dinner I had last night.

 

[brianf7]

This sounds like a common case of junk miles get fit and race every week ounce you can hold on you will soon get enough racing miles in the legs.

 

[Joey_J]

dhea

If you're over 35 your natural levels decline. Supplementing dhea will bring your levels back to normal. But there are more effective and legal supplements to boost your testosterone levels.
A side effect to dhea is increased sexual pleasure, at least for me.

Hamilton, Zirbal, that masters guy and Bro deal. Quite a list

 

[BroDeal]

A side effect to dhea is increased sexual pleasure, at least for me.

That might have more to do with being too fat to see your own willy when you look down, Jack.