Can pregnenolone supplementation increase testosterone? What the research shows

[Hans]

About 6 drops of panesterone most days (topical), as i find it helps with mood. Sometimes 4 drops, topical, of cortinon (but not as often, as cortinon makes me a bit serious). So I'm not supplementing a great amount, but I've been Peating 10 years now, and live a lifestyle that should increase progesterone (and therefore allopregnenalone), alongside the staple of PUFA restriction. Six tablespoons of ground coffee most days (lol), which, according to Peat's article, boosts progesterone (who knows by how much, huh).

I've tried allopregnenalone at very high doses and zero effect. 5adhp, also now has zero effects (despite the wonderful benefits I got from it back in 2017-2019).

Interesting. The topical effects of preg are likely much stronger than the oral effects, hence the low dose requirement.

 

[area51puy]

Didn’t haidut post a study where the cell absorbs all the pregnenolone no matter how high the dose.

Also saw a study where aspirin and pregnenolone can block estrogen into the cell.

I also saw a study where pregnenolone blocks cortisol.

And he posted a million other studies about the benefits of pregnenolone.

So could it be that the body is using pregnenolone for some many other things in the body, so the conversion to testosterone isn’t the first priority. But will set the body up health wise to be able to produce more testosterone the better health you have.

 

[Elast1c]

I think Ray had things to say regarding the androgen recptor that as people age the tissue responds differently due to androgen receptor behaving differently. Maybe the responses are according to the receptor behaving a certain way even though the serum doesn't change.

Haidut stated here also that it can take more than 6 months to be reflected if at all Raising Serum Androgens Using DHEA, Pregnenolone, And Vitamin K

 

[supercoolguy]

Off & On for the past 8yrs. Im not sure If Preg has done much 5-100mg. Weather its brand-purity issues, proper dosages in context of combining DHEA ect? I may never know.

 

[Charlieb91]

I’m surprised pregnenolone doesn’t increase T.
I’ve been taking pregnenolone for one week at 10mg and it feels like I’m taking some mild PED.
Perhaps my adrenals are compromised from years or keto and are being assisted by pregnenolone to normal function

 

[Hans]

I’m surprised pregnenolone doesn’t increase T.
I’ve been taking pregnenolone for one week at 10mg and it feels like I’m taking some mild PED.
Perhaps my adrenals are compromised from years or keto and are being assisted by pregnenolone to normal function

Pregnenolone works via mainly other receptors (e.g. NMDA, GABA, sigma, etc.), so it's likely that the way you feel is rather to do with that. What specific kind of PED effects do you feel?

 

[Highserotonin90]

Where is the highest concentration of androgen receptors located in humans? Or is it fairly uniform? because if it were greater in the dermis it would explain the greater effect perceived with topical application. Differently when it passes through the liver it remains a mystery....

 

[youngsinatra]

Where is the highest concentration of androgen receptors located in humans? Or is it fairly uniform? because if it were greater in the dermis it would explain the greater effect perceived with topical application. Differently when it passes through the liver it remains a mystery....

I think on the traps/neck/shoulders. That’s why steroid users get this specific roid-traps.

 

[Highserotonin90]

@youngsinatra Good point, that's what you see in anyone starting on injectable and oral steroids

 

[Frankdee20]

I’m surprised pregnenolone doesn’t increase T.
I’ve been taking pregnenolone for one week at 10mg and it feels like I’m taking some mild PED.
Perhaps my adrenals are compromised from years or keto and are being assisted by pregnenolone to normal function

It’s also likely to come from DHEA conversion

 

[Dave Clark]

Hans, what is your opinion, or comment on this assertion from Nootropics Depot that high doses of pregnenolone is not pro-androgenic, and that low doses should be used? They say that high doses, anything above 5 mg {?}, will just increase progesterone, something to that affect.

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Read down the page in the product info.

 

[Hans]

Hans, what is your opinion, or comment on this assertion from Nootropics Depot that high doses of pregnenolone is not pro-androgenic, and that low doses should be used? They say that high doses, anything above 5 mg {?}, will just increase progesterone, something to that affect.

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Read down the page in the product info.

I'd love for it to be true and I see where they're coming from. But if preg doesn't convert to T it just doesn't convert to T regardless of the dose. It favors the progesterone pathway regardless of the dose. Plus, most of the benefits people get from preg are cognition and libido related which is due to the NMDA and sigma 1 agonistic effects.

It might seem like I'm against preg, but I'm not. There is a lot of value to it. I'm mainly making the point that it likely doesn't increase T in humans (regardless of the dose).

 

[Charlieb91]

Pregnenolone works via mainly other receptors (e.g. NMDA, GABA, sigma, etc.), so it's likely that the way you feel is rather to do with that. What specific kind of PED effects do you feel?

More endurance and explosive power in Jiu Jitsu and mma, it has really helped me push myself harder in rounds and take down training partners who were a lot difficult before.
I feel alot more stronger, alot more confident socially, have more mental energy and clarity.

I say a PED effect because there is a drastic change in my performance without changing anything else except not lifting weights as much but I’ve deloaded before and didn’t notice any improvement in my rounds.

Libido is better but I could be higher, would be interesting try going higher than 10mg but the hear say around the forum is that androgenic effects from preg only come from lower doses.

 

[Dave Clark]

I'd love for it to be true and I see where they're coming from. But if preg doesn't convert to T it just doesn't convert to T regardless of the dose. It favors the progesterone pathway regardless of the dose. Plus, most of the benefits people get from preg are cognition and libido related which is due to the NMDA and sigma 1 agonistic effects.

It might seem like I'm against preg, but I'm not. There is a lot of value to it. I'm mainly making the point that it likely doesn't increase T in humans (regardless of the dose).

Yes. But I suppose what they are trying to say is that higher doses are 'anti-androgenic', regardless if any of the dose levels produce T. So, in essence, is taking the higher doses actually anti-androgenic {and I guess they come to that conclusion because preg favors progesterone production, and progesterone can affect T levels, at least that is my understanding.

 

[Atman]

It might not increase testosterone concentration but it can have an androgenic effects as a net result.
The whole premise of increasing testosterone for the sake of it is questionable in the first place. The higher the concentration the better?

 

[gaze]

I tend to agree with you. At least concerning oral administration.
But I dont think its obvious that topical application of pregnenolone has the same results as oral administration. I get a more "anabolic" effect from topical pregnenolone, which makes sense since the skin has a high expression of steroidogenic enymes.
And you can ask yourself what is needed to convert pregnenolone into Testosterone? Steroidogenic enzymes. So either taking preg topically and/or with something, like cistanche or Vitamin K , that increaes steroidgenic enzymes might help.

Here you can see that differing doses of preg in rats didnt have a appreciable effect on T and DHT. It did increase them significantly comapred to the L-DOPA-only group but not over baseline. There was no preg-only group.

View attachment 51666

Pregnenolone for the treatment of L-DOPA-induced dyskinesia in Parkinson's disease

In this study they showed that administering pregnenolone to rats with parkinsons ameliorated the dyskinesia, caused by L-DOPA. The Human equivalent dosages were 75mg, 225mg and 450mg per day. There was a dose-response effect, meaning higher dose = more effective. Now they often get the MoA...

raypeatforum.com

wonder why ray never felt anything from topical

Rinse & rePeat:
“Ok I will up my dose. Do you recommend still using it topically or should I use it orally?”

RAY PEAT:
“I’ve tried big doses of pregnenolone on my skin (1000 mt) and couldn’t feel any effect.” -

 

[Rinse & rePeat]

wonder why ray never felt anything from topical

I wonder what one is suppose to feel? He says it has a face lift effect, which I think I notice too the several times I have taken it, but I am not sure I even like it, but I haven’t felt anything.

 

[Korven]

wonder why ray never felt anything from topical

I never feel anything from topical pregnenolone either. Have to take at least 100 mg orally to get "high" on pregnenolone. And for me at least I feel like it's highly androgenic.

Before when I was sick, and I presume deficient in youth-associated steroids, I could definitely feel 3-4 drops of stressnon or pansterone applied to skin. So maybe it depends on the lab rat's physiology at any given moment in time.

 

[gaze]

I wonder what one is suppose to feel? He says it has a face lift effect, which I think I notice too the several times I have taken it, but I am not sure I even like it, but I haven’t felt anything.

I think pregnenolone should make one feel "normal" and content. it should have a stabalizing effect, not a stimulating one. so if you feel the same before and after, it may be a good thing cause it shows you arn't in a stressed state.

 

[Rinse & rePeat]

I think pregnenolone should make one feel "normal" and content. it should have a stabalizing effect, not a stimulating one. so if you feel the same before and after, it may be a good thing cause it shows you arn't in a stressed state.

Oh good! I’m normal :)