DHEA And Muscle Growth

Orius

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I'm currently on 10mg of prednisone and reducing slowly, due to an auto-immune condition. One thing prednisone does in my case is cause weight loss, so I am chronically underweight until I get off this stuff.

I've been taking DHEA and pregnenolone to support my hormone system, as prednisone tends to take these hormone pathways offline. I also support them with conversion minerals, like selenium, boron, etc.

In the past, I've noticed that a combo of DHEA, pregnenlone and boron has helped me to develop muscle tone as I regain body mass and musculature following auto-immune flares, but I'm not 100% sure of this correlation.

That's what I'm coming here to ask.

Can DHEA help men develop passive muscle growth? I'm not talking about having body-building type muscle or anything, just normal muscle tone. I know one thing it does is reduce the muscle to fat ratio, but I don't know if it increases muscle mass. One reason I ask is because I know that weightlifting, a muscle building exercise, causes DHEA release... so I'm wondering if there's a connection.

Thank you!
 

Hans

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I'm currently on 10mg of prednisone and reducing slowly, due to an auto-immune condition. One thing prednisone does in my case is cause weight loss, so I am chronically underweight until I get off this stuff.

I've been taking DHEA and pregnenolone to support my hormone system, as prednisone tends to take these hormone pathways offline. I also support them with conversion minerals, like selenium, boron, etc.

In the past, I've noticed that a combo of DHEA, pregnenlone and boron has helped me to develop muscle tone as I regain body mass and musculature following auto-immune flares, but I'm not 100% sure of this correlation.

That's what I'm coming here to ask.

Can DHEA help men develop passive muscle growth? I'm not talking about having body-building type muscle or anything, just normal muscle tone. I know one thing it does is reduce the muscle to fat ratio, but I don't know if it increases muscle mass. One reason I ask is because I know that weightlifting, a muscle building exercise, causes DHEA release... so I'm wondering if there's a connection.

Thank you!
Yes it can increase muscle mass if you have low amounts of muscle mass to start with. But once you reach a certain level, it has minor if not zilch effect on muscle growth. Meaning, it is needed, but giving the body more will not promote hypertrophy past a certain point.
 
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Orius

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Yes it can increase muscle mass if you have low amounts of muscle mass to start with. But once you reach a certain level, it has minor if not zilch effect on muscle growth. Meaning, it is needed, but giving the body more will not promote hypertrophy past a certain point.

So in other words it can be good for recovery if you atrophied due to illness (I am under weight), but not for actual bodybuilding hypertrophy.
 

Hans

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So in other words it can be good for recovery if you atrophied due to illness (I am under weight), but not for actual bodybuilding hypertrophy.
Spot on.
 

Ponce

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If you take DHEA it will be reduce intrinsic prednisone’s effects due to a decreased of the enzyme 11β-HSD1 which converts cortisone into cortisol (immunosuppressive), and this by increasing the expression of 11β-HSD2. DHEA works this way.
So if you supplement DHEA you can give up your glucocorticoids.
DHEA itself is a substance involved in the regulation of the immune system, among others...
 

Ponce

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With DHEA you can take some aspirin and cyproheptadine to reduce aromatase, and then increase DHEA’ effects.
 
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So in other words it can be good for recovery if you atrophied due to illness (I am under weight), but not for actual bodybuilding hypertrophy.
What exactly is good for atrophy and how much?
 
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Orius

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With DHEA you can take some aspirin and cyproheptadine to reduce aromatase, and then increase DHEA’ effects.

I wish I could take aspirin, it has so many benefits. Unfortunately I have IBD and NSAIDs are contraindicated because of gut inflammation.
 

DonLore

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I wish I could take aspirin, it has so many benefits. Unfortunately I have IBD and NSAIDs are contraindicated because of gut inflammation.
I thin evidence shows that aspirin, on the contrary, can be helpful for IBD. With a few caveats
 

DonLore

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What are those caveats?
Well, some people are more sensitive to get stomach problems. I never got any side effects even from 4g a day, but some might need extra K2, or mix the aspirin with baking soda etc. There is more info here on the forums, but just remember that aspirins side effects are overblown and I think Haidut even posted a study in which aspirin actually lowered stomach bleedi g/ulcers/something
 
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Orius

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Well, some people are more sensitive to get stomach problems. I never got any side effects even from 4g a day, but some might need extra K2, or mix the aspirin with baking soda etc. There is more info here on the forums, but just remember that aspirins side effects are overblown and I think Haidut even posted a study in which aspirin actually lowered stomach bleedi g/ulcers/something

What are the benefits of aspirin exactly? Aside from what you said about DHEA
 

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