1-Andro (1-androsterone) and related prohormones
1-DHEA, 1-Epiandrosterone, 1-Epiandro, 3β-hydroxy-5α-androst-1-en-17-one, 1-Androstenediol, 1-Androstenedione, 1-AD
Forms: Sold as '1-Androsterone', '1-DHEA' or '1-Epiandrosterone' (the same compound, 3β-hydroxy-5α-androst-1-en-17-one); older products contained 1-androstenediol or 1-androstenedione. All belong to the 1-testosterone family.
Prohormones & rare androgensControlled substanceWADA S1.1 · prohibitedEvidence: limited human data
Oral 'designer supplement' prohormones of 1-testosterone (dihydroboldenone), a potent androgen that does not form estrogen. None has ever been approved as a medicine.
Legal status: 1-Androstenediol and 1-androstenedione are named US Schedule III steroids; since 2014 US law also covers look-alike steroids sold for muscle growth. Varies by country.
What it gives
What people use it for and what the sources report. Strength is a general category from the literature: mild, clear or strong.
Purpose
Sold as 'prohormone' supplements for lean mass and strength. After a volunteer took '1-Androsterone', 1-testosterone and 1-androstenedione appeared among its urinary metabolites. The active hormone has its own card (1-Testosterone).
What people seek and what studies show
In a 4-week randomized trial in 17 trained men, 1-Andro raised lean mass by about 6% (placebo 0.5%) and squat 1RM by 14% (placebo 6%), and fat mass fell more. The same men had a marked HDL drop, LDL rise and higher liver and kidney markers; the authors judged the harm to outweigh the benefit. No longer-term data exist.
Effects
Evidence: Limited human data — some human studies, small or short
Sought effects by goal (as reported)
Mass
Sought for: muscle growth, strength
Cutting
Sought for: fat loss
Recomposition
Sought for: muscle growth, fat loss
Strength
Sought for: strength, muscle growth
Endurance
Sought for: fat loss
Possible side effects
Possible does not mean certain: whether they appear depends on dose, duration, individual response and monitoring. Below — what to watch for and how to notice it early.
14 possible side effects
level · how often it is reportedElevated
Worse cholesterol (HDL↓ LDL↑)
commonIn the trial HDL fell by about 39% and LDL rose by about 33% within four weeks; only a lipid panel shows it.
How to notice: No symptoms — only visible on a lipid panel.
Elevated
Suppression of natural testosterone & fertility
commonNot measured in the trial; as a precursor of a potent androgen it is expected to suppress natural testosterone and sperm production like other AAS.
How to notice: Lower libido and energy, smaller testicles; low natural testosterone on tests after stopping.
In women: Menstrual changes or missed periods, lower libido and energy; reduced fertility.
Moderate
Black-market quality risk (fakes, contamination)
commonSold outside pharmacies; a commercial 1-androstenediol product was found contaminated with several other anabolic steroids.
How to notice: Unexpected effects, pain or infection, a stronger or weaker effect than expected.
Moderate
Liver strain
possibleNot 17α-alkylated, yet in the trial AST roughly doubled and albumin fell; the authors named liver function among the main concerns.
How to notice: Usually silent early; later tiredness, nausea, itch, dark urine.
Moderate
Kidney strain
possibleIn the trial creatinine rose by about 20% and estimated filtration (GFR) fell by about 18%; creatinine, cystatin C and a urine test track it.
How to notice: Usually silent; foamy urine or swelling in later stages.
Moderate
Thick blood (hematocrit) / clot risk
possibleMay raise hematocrit like other androgens; no specific data. A blood count tracks it.
How to notice: Often silent; sometimes headaches, flushed face, itch after a hot shower.
Moderate
Heart strain / heart-muscle thickening
possibleNo long-term data; with the lipid shifts seen in the trial it adds to the class heart load of repeated AAS use.
How to notice: Shortness of breath on effort, lower endurance, palpitations.
Moderate
Androgenic hair loss
possibleIts active form is a 5α-reduced, DHT-like androgen: it can speed up genetic hair loss.
How to notice: More hair in the shower, thinning at the temples or crown.
Moderate
Unknown long-term safety (little human data)
possibleThe only human trial lasted four weeks; nothing is known about longer or repeated use.
How to notice: Nothing to notice — the risk is what is not yet known.
MenLow
WomenHigh
Virilization in women (often irreversible)
commonPrecursors of a potent androgen: in women, voice deepening, facial hair and clitoral enlargement are expected and may be permanent.
How to notice: Hoarse or deeper voice, new facial or body hair, menstrual changes, clitoral enlargement.
Low
Too-low estrogen (joints, libido, mood, lipids)
possible1-Testosterone forms no estrogen; with natural testosterone suppressed, estrogen can fall too low, with joint aches, low libido and low mood.
How to notice: Aching, stiff joints, low libido, flat mood, poor sleep.
Low
Higher blood pressure
possibleLike other AAS it may add to blood pressure rises; no specific data. Home readings show the trend.
How to notice: Often silent; sometimes headaches, flushing, nosebleeds — a home monitor shows it.
Low
Acne, oily skin
possibleOily skin and acne are possible, as with other DHT-like androgens.
How to notice: Oily skin, spots on back, shoulders and face.
Low
Prostate growth / PSA rise
possibleIn rats 1-testosterone stimulated the prostate as much as testosterone propionate; PSA is worth tracking.
How to notice: More frequent urination or a weak stream, especially at night.
What the levels mean
Lowbackground — just be aware
Moderatewatch for signs
Elevatedneeds regular control
Highcritical — can be life-threatening or permanent
Level: general category from the literature, not your personal risk
How often
- common
- reported often
- possible
- reported in some people
- rare
- reported occasionally
How to lower the risks
For 12 of 14 possible side effects there are specific ways to lower the chance: everyday measures, supplements and options a doctor may consider. For the rest — general advice. No measure removes a risk completely. Prescription medicines are listed only for a doctor to decide on, after tests — they have side effects of their own.
ElevatedWorse cholesterol (HDL↓ LDL↑)
Avoid combining several oral steroids; regular cardio, soluble fiber (psyllium), less saturated fat and alcohol; if LDL/ApoB stay high, a doctor may consider a statin. Omega-3 only lowers triglycerides.
Measure
Supplement or OTC product
Only if a doctor prescribes
How each option helps (12)
- Regular blood tests — A lipid panel with ApoB shows how far HDL has dropped and LDL risen — changes you cannot feel.
- Working with a doctor — Interprets lipids and ApoB and decides whether a statin or other therapy is warranted.
- Avoiding alcohol and other liver stressors — Alcohol raises triglycerides; its small HDL bump does not lower heart risk.
- Regular cardio training — Raises HDL a little and lowers triglycerides; it cannot offset a steroid-driven fall in HDL on its own.
- Berberine — Placebo-controlled meta-analysis: LDL about 0.5 and triglycerides about 0.4 mmol/L lower; HDL unchanged. Trials are mostly small; no statin substitute.
- Citrus bergamot — Pooled small trials show lower LDL and triglycerides, but certainty is low to very low; it is no replacement for statins.
- Omega-3 (fish oil, EPA/DHA) — Clearly lowers triglycerides but does not fix the steroid HDL drop, the main lipid harm; DHA-containing oils may even raise LDL slightly.
- Psyllium husk fiber — Lowers LDL by about 0.2–0.3 mmol/L (roughly 5–10%), also on top of doctor-prescribed statins; no effect on HDL.
- Atorvastatin — A doctor may consider it when LDL or ApoB stay high; it strongly lowers them but barely lifts steroid-lowered HDL. Risks: muscle aches, drug interactions, rarely muscle or liver injury. Has side effects of its own.
- Rosuvastatin — A doctor may consider it when LDL or ApoB stay high; it strongly lowers them but barely lifts steroid-lowered HDL. Risks: muscle aches, rarely muscle or liver injury, slightly higher diabetes risk. Has side effects of its own.
- Ezetimibe — A doctor may consider it when LDL stays high on a statin or a statin isn't tolerated; it lowers LDL moderately but does not raise HDL. Risks: rare liver-enzyme rises. Has side effects of its own.
- Pravastatin / pitavastatin (low-interaction statins) — A doctor may consider them when LDL is high and other statins aren't tolerated; they lower LDL moderately and barely lift HDL. Risks: muscle aches, slightly higher diabetes risk. Has side effects of its own.
ElevatedSuppression of natural testosterone & fertility
Check hormones before and after; if they stay low, see an endocrinologist.
Measure
Only if a doctor prescribes
How each option helps (7)
- Regular blood tests — LH, FSH and testosterone show how deep suppression is and whether natural production has recovered afterwards.
- Working with a doctor — Assesses how deep suppression is and guides recovery afterwards, including fertility testing.
- Clomiphene — A doctor may consider it after stopping, guided by hormone tests; recovery after long use can still take months. Risks: vision changes, mood swings, rare clots. Has side effects of its own.
- Human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) — A doctor may consider it to preserve fertility (in men it keeps the testes working); it does not restart the pituitary, so natural LH still has to recover. Risks: higher estradiol, gynecomastia. Has side effects of its own.
- Tamoxifen — A doctor may consider it after steroids are stopped, guided by hormone tests; it has not been tested for this after steroid use. Risks: blood clots, vision changes. Has side effects of its own. Not offered to women: in the women’s view it adds to a risk this substance already carries.
- Follicle-stimulating hormone (follitropins, menotropins) — A fertility doctor may consider adding it to hCG when semen tests and FSH stay low; it does not restart the pituitary. Risks: gynecomastia, acne. Has side effects of its own.
- Toremifene — A doctor may consider it after steroids are stopped, guided by hormone tests; it raised testosterone in subfertile men but was never tested after steroids. Risks: QT prolongation, clots. Has side effects of its own. Not offered to women: in the women’s view it adds to a risk this substance already carries.
ModerateBlack-market quality risk (fakes, contamination)
Products obtained without a prescription are often fake, mislabeled or non-sterile, and there is no way to check at home. For legal supplements, look for third-party testing (Informed Sport, NSF).
ModerateLiver strain
No alcohol, no other liver stressors, limit oral steroids and their combinations, check liver enzymes.
Measure
Supplement or OTC product
How each option helps (5)
- Avoiding alcohol and other liver stressors — Removes a major extra liver stressor during oral steroids and other hepatotoxic drugs.
- Regular blood tests — ALT, AST, GGT and bilirubin show liver strain before symptoms; heavy lifting alone raises AST/ALT for days, and GGT helps tell muscle from liver.
- Ademetionine (SAMe) — Used for intrahepatic cholestasis in some countries, but trials are small and of low quality; untested in steroid users. Stopping the oral steroid matters most.
- N-acetylcysteine (NAC) — Restores glutathione; proven in paracetamol poisoning and helped in early acute liver failure of other causes, but untested in steroid users.
- TUDCA (tauroursodeoxycholic acid) — Improves bile flow in cholestatic disease; in steroid cholestasis only case reports, with failures in severe cases. Stopping the oral steroid matters most.
ModerateKidney strain
Drink enough water, control blood pressure, avoid regular painkillers (NSAIDs).
Measure
How each option helps (3)
- Fluid & electrolyte management — Good hydration eases kidney stress from heavy training and heat; dehydration plus NSAIDs is a classic cause of acute kidney injury.
- Regular blood tests — Creatinine reads high in muscular people and with creatine; cystatin C and a urine test give a truer picture of the kidneys.
- Working with a doctor — Investigates protein in the urine or falling kidney function and can start treatment that slows kidney damage.
ModerateThick blood (hematocrit) / clot risk
Check the blood count regularly; if hematocrit stays high, a doctor decides — usually stopping or reducing the cause, sometimes therapeutic phlebotomy, never blood-bank donation. Avoid dehydration: it thickens the blood further.
Measure
How each option helps (3)
- Regular blood tests — A blood count shows hematocrit and hemoglobin climbing toward the range where clot and stroke risk rises.
- Therapeutic phlebotomy prescribed by a doctor — Only on a doctor's decision, never at a blood bank. Lowers hematocrit quickly but temporarily; repeated sessions drain iron, and a lower clot risk is unproven.
- Working with a doctor — Manages thick blood by changing what you use or, if justified, by therapeutic phlebotomy.
ModerateHeart strain / heart-muscle thickening
Regular cardio, blood pressure control, an echo as a baseline and then yearly.
Measure
How each option helps (4)
- Heart screening: ECG and echocardiogram — Echocardiography shows wall thickening and reduced pumping early, while stopping AAS and treating BP can still help.
- Working with a doctor — Orders ECG and echocardiography and treats early heart changes.
- Home blood-pressure monitoring — Keeping BP controlled is one of the main ways to limit heart-wall thickening.
- Regular cardio training — Supports heart and vessel function, but does not reverse steroid-related heart thickening or weakening.
ModerateAndrogenic hair loss
Ketoconazole shampoo, minoxidil, a dermatologist early if you are prone to it.
Supplement or OTC product
How each option helps (1)
- Minoxidil (topical) — Slows thinning and regrows some hair; scalp itching and early temporary shedding are common, unwanted facial hair possible. Gains fade once stopped.
ModerateUnknown long-term safety (little human data)
What is unknown cannot be lowered, only avoided; tell your doctor what you have taken.
MenLow
WomenHigh
Stop at the first voice change and see a doctor — early stopping matters.
Measure
How each option helps (1)
- Working with a doctor — Steroid labels say to stop at the first mild signs (hoarse voice, facial hair, clitoral growth) to prevent permanent change; checks catch them early but do not make use safe.
Low-level side effects
Low estrogen
Avoid controlling estrogen blindly; adjust only by blood tests with a doctor.
Measure
How each option helps (1)
- Regular blood tests — Testing ends guesswork use of aromatase inhibitors — prescription drugs that can push estrogen too low and harm joints, libido, mood and lipids.
Blood pressure
Less salt, regular cardio, good sleep; home readings; a doctor if it stays high.
Measure
Supplement or OTC product
How each option helps (8)
- Home blood-pressure monitoring — Seated, rested readings on several days show your true BP; persistently high values are a signal to see a doctor.
- Regular cardio training — Regular aerobic training lowers resting BP by a few mmHg, more in people with high BP.
- Working with a doctor — Diagnoses persistent hypertension and prescribes treatment when needed.
- Avoiding alcohol and other liver stressors — Regular drinking raises blood pressure; cutting it out lowers it.
- Coenzyme Q10 — Inconsistent: some analyses show a small systolic drop in cardiometabolic disease, but a Cochrane review found no clinically meaningful effect.
- Magnesium — Meta-analysis of trials: about 2 mmHg lower systolic pressure on average.
- Omega-3 (fish oil, EPA/DHA) — Small drop of a few mmHg, mainly in people with untreated high blood pressure.
- Taurine — Meta-analysis of 20 small trials: about 4 mmHg lower systolic pressure on average.
Acne
Gentle skin care, cleansing after training, a dermatologist if it spreads.
Supplement or OTC product
How each option helps (3)
- Adapalene — Reduces spots in many users. Redness, scaling, dryness and stinging are common early and usually ease; acne may look worse at first. Rarely, allergic swelling.
- Benzoyl peroxide — A first-line acne option. Dryness, redness and peeling are common at first; it bleaches hair and fabric; rarely, serious allergic reactions. Severe steroid acne needs a dermatologist.
- Zinc — Trials show a modest drop in inflamed spots, weaker than antibiotics; steroid acne is driven by androgens.
Prostate
PSA as a baseline, especially after 40; a urologist if urination changes.
Measure
How each option helps (1)
- Regular blood tests — PSA tracks prostate changes on androgens — most relevant after 40 or with urinary symptoms.
Check-ups and blood tests
Which tests and check-ups to do and when. This is a guide — agree the exact schedule with your doctor.
Baseline tests
your own starting values — every later result is compared with them
Lipid panel (HDL, LDL, triglycerides, ApoB)cholesterol, low estrogen
Liver panel (ALT, AST, GGT, bilirubin)liver
Complete blood count (hematocrit, hemoglobin)hematocrit
Kidney panel (creatinine, eGFR, cystatin C)kidneys
Testosterone (total, free), LH, FSH, SHBGnatural testosterone
Estradiol (sensitive assay)low estrogen
PSA
Home blood-pressure logheart, kidneys
ECGheart
Echocardiogram (heart ultrasound)heart
Urinalysiskidneys
While taking
about 4–6 weeks in, then every 6–8 weeks — agree the exact schedule with your doctor
Lipid panel (HDL, LDL, triglycerides, ApoB)cholesterol, low estrogen
Liver panel (ALT, AST, GGT, bilirubin)liver
Complete blood count (hematocrit, hemoglobin)hematocrit
Kidney panel (creatinine, eGFR, cystatin C)kidneys
Estradiol (sensitive assay)low estrogen
Home blood-pressure logheart, kidneys
Urinalysiskidneys
After stopping
4–8 weeks after stopping (later after long-acting injections), then until values return to baseline
Lipid panel (HDL, LDL, triglycerides, ApoB)cholesterol, low estrogen
Liver panel (ALT, AST, GGT, bilirubin)liver
Complete blood count (hematocrit, hemoglobin)hematocrit
Kidney panel (creatinine, eGFR, cystatin C)kidneys
Testosterone (total, free), LH, FSH, SHBGnatural testosterone
Semen analysisnot earlier than 3 months after stopping, then every 3 months until normalnatural testosterone
Every year
with regular or repeated use
ECGheart
Echocardiogram (heart ultrasound)heart
Which doctors can help
Sports physiciancoordinates everything
Cardiologistcholesterol, hematocrit, heart
Endocrinologistnatural testosterone, low estrogen
Gastroenterologist / hepatologistliver
Nephrologistkidneys
Dermatologisthair loss
Gynecologistvirilization, natural testosterone (women)
At home
- Home blood pressure: 2–3 times a week in the morning, keep a log
Get medical help at once if
- Swelling, pain or redness in one leg; sudden shortness of breath or chest pain; sudden one-sided weakness or numbness, trouble speaking or seeing — seek urgent care.
- Chest pain or pressure, breathlessness on light effort, swollen ankles, fainting — seek urgent care.
- Yellow skin or eyes, dark urine, pale stools, intense itching, pain under the right ribs — see a doctor now; sudden severe abdominal pain with dizziness or fainting — call emergency services.
- Much less urine than usual, cola-colored urine, new swelling, flank pain — see a doctor now.
- Deepening voice, new facial hair, clitoral enlargement — stop and see a doctor: changes can become permanent. (women)
In an emergency, call your local emergency number.
For women
No data in women. As precursors of a potent androgen they are expected to virilize — voice deepening, facial hair, clitoral enlargement — and these changes may be permanent.
Myth & fact
Myth
“Prohormones are a mild, safer alternative to steroids.”
Fact
In the only controlled trial, 1-Andro worked like a steroid and harmed like one: within four weeks HDL fell by about 39%, LDL rose by a third, AST roughly doubled and kidney filtration fell.
Combinations
Overlap5α-reductase inhibitor with steroids it cannot affect
DHT-derived steroids, trenbolone and trestolone act without 5α-reductase, so finasteride and dutasteride do not lower their effect on hair or prostate; they only reduce DHT made from testosterone, while finasteride and dutasteride keep their own side effects.
DrostanoloneMetenolone1-TestosteroneOxandroloneStanozololOxymetholoneMesteroloneMethasteroneTrenboloneTrestoloneMethyl-1-testosterone (M1T)Desoxymethyltestosterone (DMT, Madol, Pheraplex)Epistane (methylepitiostanol, Havoc)ProstanozolMestanoloneStenboloneEpiandrosterone (Epi-Andro)Androstanolone (dihydrotestosterone, DHT)Sources
Granados J et al., J Appl Physiol 2014: 1-Andro (3β-hydroxy-5α-androst-1-en-17-one) increased training gains but worsened lipids, liver and kidney markers (opens in a new tab)Parr MK et al., Steroids 2011: seized '1-Androsterone' supplement identified and its urinary metabolites (incl. 1-testosterone) (opens in a new tab)Delbeke FT et al., J Steroid Biochem Mol Biol 2002: Prohormones and sport (1-androstenediol product contaminated with other steroids) (opens in a new tab)
Check how 1-Andro (1-androsterone) and related prohormones combines with your stack
Possible side effects by body system, combinations, how to lower the risks and which tests to do — free.
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