Jagged little pills
It's popular, it's controversial — it's andro

By DON STEWART
Collegian Staff Writer

During a six-week period late last summer, Ken Moritz hit the weights -- with a little help.

In addition to the hours he spent in the gym, Moritz (junior-animal science) tried to add to his physique by using androstenedione, a popular weightlifting supplement better known as "andro."

Despite the fact the brand of andro he bought (for nearly $50) only recommended taking one or two pills daily, Moritz structured his dosages on a cycle. He began by taking one pill for the first four days, two pills for the next four days and so on. He peaked at four pills per day, a dosage he maintained for two weeks. After that, he gradually worked his way down.

During the time he was on the cycle, Moritz said he gained at least eight pounds. In addition, his power increased dramatically. Before he began taking andro, his maximum bench press was 250 pounds. Six weeks later, Moritz could do multiple sets of three repetitions with 265 pounds. He said andro gave him more power and endurance during long, hard sets. This helped him do more sets, complete more reps and eventually enabled him to lift heavier weights.

"It was like a power, but it was a deep-down power," he said. "The harder you push, the more was there. It wasn't an immediate God-like feeling. The more you pushed, the more you got out of it."

The latest craze

Androstenedione is a natural steroid hormone that is found in all animals, in addition to some plants. It is a metabolite of dehydroepiandosterone (DHEA) that serves as a direct precursor in the biosynthesis of testosterone.

Supplements of andro, when taken orally, increase blood levels of both testosterone and the androstenedione found in the body.

This has been known to cause increased energy, enhanced recovery and growth from exercise, heightened sexual arousal and function and a greater sense of well being.

"You feel good," Moritz said, "but you're not feeling like a god or anything. You just can't wait to work out. It's a confidence thing."

While andro has been on the market as a weightlifting supplement for at least the past two years, it didn't become widely popular until last year. This rise in popularity can be directly attributed to its publicized use by St. Louis Cardinals' first baseman Mark McGwire, who shattered a 37-year-old Major League record last season by whacking 70 home runs.

Rob Weyandt, a partner at J&R Sports Nutrition in Duncansville (near Altoona), said sales of andro at his store run equal with those of creatine, another popular weightlifting supplement. He added that the supplement is popular with everyone from 20- to 50-year-old weightlifters.

"It seemed after Mark McGwire made it famous it really took off," Weyandt said.

A legal steroid

Not everyone is so wild about andro, however.

The substance is viewed as a form of anabolic steroids and is banned by various organizations, including the IOC, NCAA and NFL.

Frank D. Uryasz, NCAA director of sports sciences, said andro wasn't formally placed on its list of banned substances until 1997. However, because the NCAA views it as a steroid, it technically has been banned since 1986 -- the year anabolic steroids were banned.

"There is no question by our medical experts that it is appropriately placed," Uryasz said. "I think the medical experts agree that it belongs there. I think the movement should be to get it off the shelves. I don't see that happening anytime soon."

Despite andro's classification by many organizations as an anabolic steroid, the supplement remains legal. Brad Stone, a spokesperson for the Food and Drug Administration, said it is unlikely the FDA could ban andro anytime soon.

"The status of andro right now is that it's sold as a dietary supplement," Stone said. "Under law, a dietary supplement is something that can be put in the market without prior testing by the FDA.

"What it comes down to is that people have to be aware of the fact that, because it is a dietary supplement, the FDA can't speak for its safety or its effectiveness."

For andro to become an illegal substance, Stone said it would have to be submitted as something other than a dietary supplement, scientific evidence would have to be submitted proving that it poses a risk, or the Drug Enforcement Agency would have to take action to ban it.

The fact that andro is legal can pose problems for college athletes. Uryasz said many athletes might not understand how something they can buy at the local sports nutrition store could cause them to lose eligibility.

However, Uryasz added that McGwire's helping to make andro popular aided the NCAA in terms of its efforts to educate its athletes. Before that happened, many athletes didn't even know it was a banned substance.

"It was hard to understand that something you can buy in a drug store could cause you to lose your eligibility," he said. "When we think of anabolic steroids, people tend to think of the big, muscular guy in the gym trying to get you to buy something illegal."

Does it really work?

Despite claims of users such as Moritz, and those of the stores and pharmaceutical companies that sell and produce the substance, many researchers question the efficiency of andro.

Among these researchers is Dr. Charles Yesalis, a Penn State professor of health policy and administration, and exercise and sport science for the College of Health and Human Development.

Yesalis said he and many of his colleagues don't believe andro will convert to testosterone. Thus, it may be an ineffective supplement.

"I and a number of my colleagues argue that I don't think it will (convert to testosterone)," he said. "Many of my colleagues argue that it won't convert."

Weyandt stands by andro as an effective supplement, however. Currently, he is taking two related supplements that he said are more potent than andro -- norandrostenedione and androstenediol.

"What it does is jack up your testosterone concentration and allow you to lift more," Weyandt said. "It also increases your recovery time.

"They're trying to find something negative about andro, the same way they're trying to find something wrong with creatine. As of yet, nobody's been able to find anything."

Nonetheless, Yesalis believes users of andro will only receive one benefit.

"You'll develop expensive urine," he said.

The possibility of misuse and abuse

Moritz said a key to andro working so well for him was his wise use of the substance. Following recommended dosages, eating right, working hard in the weight room and maintaining a good cycle are the most vital aspects to keep in mind when taking it, he said.

"If you don't have all the building blocks before you start taking it, you could run into trouble," Moritz said. "I know a lot of guys who take a lot more of it than I did. And I was already taking more than I was supposed to."

Yesalis expressed a concern that many andro users could take their use to extremes. Such use, he said, could dramatically increase what is already a potential health risk.

"People think that if one pill works then 10 will work great," he said. "It may cause mischief in ways that I or any other expert may not know. The bottom line here is this stuff is a drug."

Weyandt agreed that misuse could be a problem with andro. However, he said that misuse could be a problem with anything from andro to aspirin.

Still, he advises his customers on how they should go about taking the substance.

"I talk to them about how much you want to take a day," he said. "You can take anything too much and it will kill you."

Overall, Uryasz stands by the NCAA's decision to put andro on its illegal substance list. He believes athletes should avoid it, as well as other dietary supplements.

"The bottom line is that when we're talking with athletes, we tell them they should avoid taking these supplements," he said. "First, they don't really work. Second, they're expensive. And third, they're unregulated.

"You never know what's in there."

Still, Moritz believes andro is perfectly safe when taken properly. In fact, in the next few weeks, he said he will start another cycle.