A metabolic intermediate in the pathway for testosterone synthesis. It is produced by the adrenals and the gonads.
Dehydroepiandosterone (DHEA) is a metabolic steroid precursor to testosterone. As such, it has received a great deal of attention as a potential ergogenic aid that could elevate circulating levels of testosterone and produce increases in lean body mass and strength. These effects have not been well-documented in peer-reviewed research, however. Research has demonstrated that supplementation of DHEA can produce elevations in serum concentrations of DHEA in older men and increased concentrations of DHEA, testosterone, and other androgens in women. These studies, however, do not support a role for DHEA in improving body composition. In other research, neither hormonal changes or body composition changes were produced in young and middle-aged resistance-trained men.