Issue
While listening to The Drive podcast, episode 291 – 2/26/24, Derek Munro, moreplatesmoredates.com, being interviewed by Dr. Peter Attia, stated the following regarding DHEA (dehydroepiandrosterone) …
“I haven’t looked in a decade, by the way. So a decade ago, when I was really beginning to get interested in hormone tinkering, I came to the conclusion DHEA didn’t do much. Yeah, if you look in males, you will find no utility, It has no effect on testosterone. At best, you get a spike in estrogen and no testosterone, seemingly through whatever backdoor.”
As someone who has been on the Wiley Protocol for male hormone replacement for approximately 15 years, of which DHEA is part of their protocol, you can imagine my surprise to hear that perhaps DHEA had “no utility” in increasing testosterone levels. And although Derek did clearly state that his comment was based on decade old knowledge, I still felt compelled to answer the question “Does DHEA increase testosterone levels in individuals born male at birth?”
Research
In order to attempt to address this query, I did two things. First, I performed my own analysis using my own data around my use of testosterone and DHEA, applied topically. The process and results are as follows:
- Prior to March 13, 2024 I was taking 70mg (daily 20mg/AM – 50 mg/AM) of testosterone and 25 mg (daily AM) of DHEA.
- On March 13, 2024 my lab results were as follows:
- Total testosterone: 435 ng/dl [ref range: 200-800 ng/dl]
- Free testosterone 79.1 pg/ml [ref range: 46.0- 224.0 pg/ml]
- On March 14, 2024 I increased my daily AM dosage of DHEA to 50 mg (frequency stayed the same). No change to testosterone was made.
- On May 30, 2024 (note: 77 days since dosage increase) my lab results were as follows:
- Total testosterone: 756 ng/dl [ref range: 200-800 ng/dl]
- Free testosterone 173.4 pg/ml [ref range: 46.0-224.0 pg/ml]
The results were ~74% increase in total testosterone and a 119% increase in free testosterone with the only variable that I adjusted was a doubling of my DHEA dosage. Although, I’m unable to confirm the exact times the blood draws were done, none were done any later than 2 PM and based on the fact that the increases of testosterone, both total and free, are significant, I conclude that timing of the two blood draws had minimal to no effect.
My second course of action was to see what current research existed that supported that DHEA did indeed increase testosterone levels in biological males. I’m citing only two articles here, although, more do exist and the first citation, Li, looked at results from 42 publications (comprising 55 arms) [which] demonstrated that testosterone level […] significantly increased after DHEA admin.
Yuanyuan Li clearly states in his conclusion of his 2020 published paper entitled A Dose-Response And Meta-Analysis Of Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) Supplementation On Testosterone Levels: Perinatal Prediction Of Randomized Clinical Trials that “DHEA supplementation is effective for increasing testosterone levels, although the magnitude varies among different subgroups.” While Te-Chih Liu found “Oral DHEA supplementation increased circulating DHEA-S and free testosterone levels well above baseline in the middle-aged [male] group, with no significant effect on total testosterone levels.”
For the sake of transparency, during my research I did come across articles from the late 1990’s to the 2000’s that stated just the opposite, that DHEA had no impact on increasing testosterone. I did not locate any recent articles supporting this conclusion and thus I’m inclined to believe based on my own results, as well as that of my research, that some impact on increasing testosterone does exist.
Conclusion
My use of testosterone and DHEA is as an anti-aging (lonvgevity) protocol and it is important to me, especially now as I get older, that I start to validate some of the molecules (i.e. drugs/supplements) that I put into my body for their efficacy. After all, why incur the additional costs, risks, if any, to my health and overall time committed to a particular molecule, or routine, if it is not going to improve my overall quality of life.
From a longevity perspective, we know that testosterone plays a role in sustaining/increasing lean muscle mass for those doing resistance training as well as aiding in post-workout recovery. We also know that testosterone declines as we age resulting in a greater likelihood of developing a myriad of conditions that not only impact lifespan but also healthspan.
My conclusion, as of this post, is that I am going to continue to have DHEA be part of my hormone regimen, as I believe its use is beneficial in me sustaining my health objectives.
Works Cited
Li, Yuanyuan et al., “A dose-response and meta-analysis of dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) supplementation on testosterone levels: perinatal prediction of randomized clinical trials” Experimental Gerontology Volume 141, 2020, 111110. doi:10.1016/j.exger.2020.111110 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0531556520304587 Accessed 8/20/2024
Liu, Te-Chih et al. “Effect of acute DHEA administration on free testosterone in middle-aged and young men following high-intensity interval training.” European journal of applied physiology vol. 113,7 (2013): 1783-92. doi:10.1007/s00421-013-2607-x https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23417481/ Accessed 8/23/2024
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