Beau how come you don't think the transdermals will give the same effect?
I will have to find the study, but the conclusion (correct or incorrect, and I remember it as being correct), was that transdermal DHEA offered all of the DHEA benefits, except for those unique to its sexual hormone affect. That obviously isn't the case for other hormones/prohormones.
Again, I will have to see if I can find it. I'll look. It may have something to do with transdermal DHEA not convertinh to DHEA-S.
But, honestly, I will have to "re-find" the study.
Purportedly there are ways of increasing DHEA transdermally, via "magnesium oil" (which is actually not an oil). I have no experience with this, and know some believe it is snake oil. But, for example, Mike Mahler believes transdermal magnesium oil is the best way to boost DHEA "naturally".
But as to oral administration:
Oral DHEA does work, at least following HIIT.
Eur. J. Appl. Physiol., 2013
Effect of acute DHEA administration on free testosterone in middle-aged and young men following high-intensity interval training
Liu, TC; Lin, CH; Huang, CY; Ivy, JL; Kuo, CH
With advancing age, plasma testosterone levels decline, with free testosterone levels declining more significantly than total testosterone. This fall is thought to underlie the development of physical and mental weakness that occurs with advancing age. In addition, vigorous exercise can also lower total and free testosterone levels with the decline greatest in physically untrained men.
The purpose of the study was to evaluate the effect of oral DHEA supplementation, a testosterone precursor, on free testosterone in sedentary middle-aged men during recovery from a high-intensity interval training (HIIT) bout of exercise. A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover study was conducted for 8 middle-aged participants (aged 49.3 ? 2.4 years) and an additional 8 young control participants (aged 21.4 ? 0.3 years). Each participant received DHEA (50 mg) and placebo on separate occasions one night (12 h) before a 5-session, 2-min cycling exercise (100 % [Formula: see text]).
While no significant age difference in total testosterone was found, middle-aged participants exhibited significantly lower free testosterone and greater luteinizing hormone (LH) levels than the young control group.
Oral DHEA supplementation increased circulating DHEA-S and free testosterone levels well above baseline in the middle-aged group, with no significant effect on total testosterone levels. Total testosterone and DHEA-S dropped significantly until 24 h after HIIT for both age groups, while free testosterone of DHEA-supplemented middle-aged men remained unaffected.
These results demonstrate acute oral DHEA supplementation can elevate free testosterone levels in middle-aged men and prevent it from declining during HIIT. Therefore, DHEA supplementation may have significant benefits related to HIIT adaptation.
In addition, I've just learned that
DHEA can lower SHBG. This, of course, would lead to a rise in free testosterone.
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1046/j.1365-2265.1998.00507.x/abstract?deniedAccessCustomisedMessage=&userIsAuthenticated=false
"The effect of six months treatment with a 100 mg daily dose of dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) on circulating sex steroids, body composition and muscle strength in age-advanced men and women"
"While on DHEA, serum SHBG levels declined with a greater (P < 0.02) response in women (−40 ± 8%; P = 0.002) than in men (−5 ± 4%; P = 0.02)."