Can pregnenolone supplementation increase testosterone? What the research shows

[Hans]

Can pregnenolone increase testosterone? » TESTONATION

Can pregnenolone help to increase testosterone? Although pregnenolone is the precursor to all other steroids (e.g. testosterone, cortisol, etc.), supplementing it doesn’t lead to higher testosterone. Quick recap on pregnenolone Pregnenolone is created inside the mitochondria from cholesterol...

men-elite.com

Most of us are frequently looking for ways to maximize our testosterone.

Using prohormones to testosterone makes logical sense right?

Unfortunately, that's not the case at all...

Pregnenolone supplementation even up to 500mg daily doesn't increase testosterone one bit.

 

[youngsinatra]

Interesting!

 

[dukesbobby777]

I take pregnenalone a lot so maybe that's why I get zero effects from allopregnenalone. If much of it is converting into allopregnenalone, my levels are probably already pretty stacked up.

 

[dukesbobby777]

That's why it's still legal.

 

[foodandtheworld]

Interest article, thanks Hans. I never tried pregnenolone but always had some curiosity about it because of the interviews with Peat where he spoke of it.

 

[Johhnyb]

Interesting. I remember a previous post from @haidut saying that preg can be used as TRT replacement as it does raise androgens, he linked the studies he quoted but the full post is here:

Oral pregnenolone as hormone replacement therapy (HRT) in humans

As many of my readers know, the first step in steroid synthesis is the so-called "side-chain cleavage", which converts cholesterol into pregnenolone (P5). That step is known as the rate-limiting step in the steroid cascade, and its function depends on the redox status and ATP levels. In other...

raypeatforum.com

Any thoughts on this?

 

[Hans]

I take pregnenalone a lot so maybe that's why I get zero effects from allopregnenalone. If much of it is converting into allopregnenalone, my levels are probably already pretty stacked up.

Most likely yes. How much are you taking?

 

[Hans]

Interesting. I remember a previous post from @haidut saying that preg can be used as TRT replacement as it does raise androgens, he linked the studies he quoted but the full post is here:

Oral pregnenolone as hormone replacement therapy (HRT) in humans

As many of my readers know, the first step in steroid synthesis is the so-called "side-chain cleavage", which converts cholesterol into pregnenolone (P5). That step is known as the rate-limiting step in the steroid cascade, and its function depends on the redox status and ATP levels. In other...

raypeatforum.com

Any thoughts on this?

In that study where they took 175mg preg, they didn't actually test for T. Also, DHEA and DHEA-S barely budged.

So no, preg + DHEA is very unlikely to boost T by any meaningful amount. They can help to improve your symptoms, which is also important but they just don't increase T.

 

[Mauritio]

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.

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

 

[Soren]

All I know is when I have combined oral Preg with dhea and some androsterone I have had some very powerful effects downstairs if you know what I mean

 

[Johhnyb]

I have too. I have preg and DHEA in dmso for topical and i really do feel androgenic effects. I have done some searches and I can’t find anything that supports it though? @mairitio is on to something but I doubt there will be any studies that support it, at least I haven’t found any?

 

[youngsinatra]

All I know is when I have combined oral Preg with dhea and some androsterone I have had some very powerful effects downstairs if you know what I mean

Probably due to the DHEA and androsterone, which directly affect testosterone (if I‘m not mistaken)

The way pregnenolone enhances mood by raising allopregnenolone might also play a role in libido.

 

[Johhnyb]

Raising Serum Androgens Using DHEA, Pregnenolone, And Vitamin K

User testimony (4/26/2021): My Experiences With Raising Androgens Log (Pansterone, k2, magnoil) Many people use supplements like DHEA, pregnenolone, and progesterone with the goal of raising their androgens and lowering estrogen. While this approach works for raising tissue levels of steroids...

raypeatforum.com

This post by @haidut seems to support what @Mauritio is saying

 

[youngsinatra]

Didn’t Ray say in one of his books that pregnenolone ensures hormonal balance, but neither excess or deficiency? (Preventing both low and high cortisol for example)

Would like to see a study on pregnenolone supplementation in people (or animals) with low testosterone.

 

[Mufasa]

So no, preg + DHEA is very unlikely to boost T by any meaningful amount. They can help to improve your symptoms, which is also important but they just don't increase T.

But DHEA will increase DHT right?

From 43 best ways to increase DHT (2023 update) » MENELITE:
The skin contains very high levels of 5AR, thus applying DHEA topically, will convert most of it to DHT.

As you can see in this graph, topical DHEA dramatically increased DHEA, DHEA-S and especially androstenedione. Androstenedione actually prefers to convert to DHT and not testosterone.

From Topical DHEA for muscle growth and strength gains » MENELITE:

Why DHEA is important​

Movement stimulates steroidogenesis in the muscle. If DHEA is used topically, DHEA is converted to androstenedione/androstenediol -> androstanedione/testosterone (via by 3β- HSD and 17β-HSD) -> DHT/androsterone.

Studies have found that there is a higher correlation between DHT and androstenedione than between DHT and testosterone. This suggests that the main formation of DHT in young men after DHEA intake comes from androstenedione via 5α-androstanedione and not via the testosterone pathway.

Studies have shown that DHEA converts to testosterone and DHT, which is crucial for:

• improving insulin sensitivity (R)
• stimulating muscle growth (R)
• increasing the metabolic rate, since testosterone stimulates mitochondrial biogenesis in the muscles (R)
• muscle force per cross-sectional area. The more muscle force you have, the faster, stronger and more explosive you can be.
• Motor unit firing rate (R). Which means that the faster a motor unit fire, the more power and force you can produce and the stronger and faster and more explosive you’ll be.
• Anti-catabolic effects (R). A high DHEA-S/testosterone/DHT to cortisol ratio is great for muscle and strength gains.

 

[Frankdee20]

All I know is when I have combined oral Preg with dhea and some androsterone I have had some very powerful effects downstairs if you know what I mean

I can attest to that, but acetylcholine levels need to be saturated for easy arousal

 

[Hans]

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

There is likely a difference between topical and oral, but it's probably not that much. Human steroidogenesis is via the delta 5 pathway (preg -> DHEA -> androstenedione -> testosterone), whereas rats steroidogenesis is via delta 4 (preg -> prog -> T).

This is likely why topical DHEA increases T in humans, but preg will not.
Oral DHEA likely has the same downsides as oral preg, such as short half life, rapid metabolism to other steroids and poor bioavailability. Topical can bypass some of these.
Preg goes via the allopreg pathway and DHEA to the DHT pathway. Not sure if changing the route of the application will change it.
Even taking androstenedione (the direct precursor to T) is horrible at increasing T. Now imagine how bad taking preg is.

Androstenedione for maximizing testosterone; good or no? » TESTONATION

Androstenedione is a prohormone that’s been used to increase testosterone to improve muscle mass, sports performance, sexual performance, increase energy and reduce body fat. But how effective is it as a testosterone booster? And can it actually be dangerous? Androstenedione as a precursor to...

men-elite.com

 

[Hans]

Didn’t Ray say in one of his books that pregnenolone ensures hormonal balance, but neither excess or deficiency? (Preventing both low and high cortisol for example)

Would like to see a study on pregnenolone supplementation in people (or animals) with low testosterone.

The peeps in the study I used in my article had T in the mid 400s, which is low IMO.

 

[Hans]

But DHEA will increase DHT right?

From 43 best ways to increase DHT (2023 update) » MENELITE:
The skin contains very high levels of 5AR, thus applying DHEA topically, will convert most of it to DHT.

As you can see in this graph, topical DHEA dramatically increased DHEA, DHEA-S and especially androstenedione. Androstenedione actually prefers to convert to DHT and not testosterone.

View attachment 51672

From Topical DHEA for muscle growth and strength gains » MENELITE:

Why DHEA is important​

Movement stimulates steroidogenesis in the muscle. If DHEA is used topically, DHEA is converted to androstenedione/androstenediol -> androstanedione/testosterone (via by 3β- HSD and 17β-HSD) -> DHT/androsterone.

View attachment 51673

Studies have found that there is a higher correlation between DHT and androstenedione than between DHT and testosterone. This suggests that the main formation of DHT in young men after DHEA intake comes from androstenedione via 5α-androstanedione and not via the testosterone pathway.

Studies have shown that DHEA converts to testosterone and DHT, which is crucial for:

• improving insulin sensitivity (R)
• stimulating muscle growth (R)
• increasing the metabolic rate, since testosterone stimulates mitochondrial biogenesis in the muscles (R)
• muscle force per cross-sectional area. The more muscle force you have, the faster, stronger and more explosive you can be.
• Motor unit firing rate (R). Which means that the faster a motor unit fire, the more power and force you can produce and the stronger and faster and more explosive you’ll be.
• Anti-catabolic effects (R). A high DHEA-S/testosterone/DHT to cortisol ratio is great for muscle and strength gains.

Yes definitely, with topical being better than oral.

 

[dukesbobby777]

Most likely yes. How much are you taking?

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).