Target Hormone: 5-alpha-dihydrotestosterone (DHT)
Molecular name of target hormone: 5-alpha-androstene-3-one,17b-ol
Target conversion: low, needs to undergo 5,4-isomerase prior to conversion.
Only a small percentafe survives the liver. Estimated 0.15%.
Conversion enzyme: 3-ß-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (3HSD)
DHT conversion: Very High, converts directly to DHT
Estrogenic effects: None whatsoever
Lots of people have written me asking about this substance, and I admit I didnt
have a clue. With the help of Mr. Patrick Arnold, I managed to at least get
the search going and I present you with the conclusion. Often 5-AA has been
called a precursor to the hormone Masteron (Dromostanolone), a fact that has
been happily exploited by one manufacturer that used a similar name and is guilty
of setting a bad example by naming his product after a steroid. In effect, Masteron
has an extra 2-alpha methyl group. 5AA does not. Masteron is also known as 2-alpha-methyl
DHT, or DHT with an extra 2-alpha-methyl group. So what is 5-AA really a precursor
too? According to the spec, good old DHT. 5AA is actually a prohormone naturally
produced in the body as a response to low levels of DHT. Using the 3HSD enzyme
it is capable of restoring androgenic capacity if it is hindered.
Good or bad? Well, as far as DHT is concerned, both. DHT is in effect up to
300 percent more anabolic as testosterone so you know its not bad stuff. Hardcore
users that love the lean hard look will prefer DHT and DHT metabolites over
more estrogenic specimen. The downside is that its possibly the most androgenic
compound around. Many prohormones are risky androgen wise because they cause
side effects related to the manufacture of DHT. This is DHT. Storing readily
in the scalp and active for up to 3 hours easily its a great way for losing
your hair and growing a prostate like a cabbage. Not to mention so many zits
you can play connect-the-dots in the mirror. However, as with illegal DHT drugs,
using it is a calculated risk and some may actually wish to take that risk.
However head to head, 1AD compares favorably, outclassing it by over 200 percent.
(This is still based on data, in real world terms no studies have been conducted
head to head). DHT is also currently undetectable by most drug tests.
So do you want to take the risk? You might at this point, but probably not
so after reading the next part. How does one make 5-AA? By the hydrogenation
of the 5-diol prohormone according to my source. That makes this a very inexpensive
product to make, though this is obviously not reflected in the price. 5-AA is
sold at a very high price. Now looking at the physiology of this, well not
that the double bond, as with 5-diol. The exact pathway used to make DHT here
is not entirely understood or even documented. All that is known is that it
converts to DHT. But with the data we have here and low oral efficacy, wed
have to state that for accurate conversion you would have to take doses higher
than of most prohormones (upward of 1 gram) which consequently raises the cost
(its expensive and its sold in 50 mg tabs, bottle of 60) and the risk of side-effects
(low anabolic but very high androgenic) So in my opinion, someone is either
taking us for a ride here and doesnt know what he is doing, or someone is taking
our health for a ride, consciously. Ill opt for the latter since the inventor
Bill Llewellyn is the author of a hefty book on anabolic steroids.
So is there a real use for this product? By itself youd need to take 500-600
mg easily to get any real anabolic effect, and at that point the risk far outweighs
the possible benefits. But in a stack 5AA has several benefits that make it
a regular darling for those of you who love to stack. First of all, not only
does it have absolutely no estrogenic conversion, 5AA is also a great aromatase
inhibitor, meaning it can actually block other compounds you are stacking it
with from forming estrogen through aromatisation. Thats a plus because it drastically
improves the quality of your gains even though in terms of quantity it cant
do that much. It would also allow you to use other prohormones closer to contest
time as there is not so much water retention. The greatest benefit of 5AA however
lies in the fact that it can free a small part of bound testosterone in the
blood from its protein carrier. That would increase the amount of free testosterone
you would yield from andro and 4AD and increase protein synthesis in that way.
In stacks using 200-300 mg is advised for most effect and its best taken over
two to three doses spread throughout the day.
If you wanted to check the actual conversion of the hormone with the recommended
dose, there is a very easy way of knowing. Just take them. Since DHT is the
prime androgenic factor in the body, every androgen-sensitive part of your body
should notice the change (more body-hair, less scalp hair, higher sperm count,
prostate enlargment, deepening of voice and in women clitoral enlargement too).
Youll find that the recommended dose is 150 mg a day and at this dose it does,
well, nothing really. More than one study documents its low efficacy however.
DHT was shown to be 35 times less active than testosterone¹, 5AA was shown
to be 4 times less active than androstenedione² and in castrated rats, tested
on a specific organ, it was shown to be 20 times less effective than testosterone³.
With those numbers and the high side effect risk, Im not exactly itching to
try it, nor do I recommend it. I think the patent is secured by Llewellyn, so
dont expect a price-drop from his side either.
So I most certainly do not advise the use of this to anyone. It can have its
uses as a hardening agent for the competition bound athlete. I dont know what
the detection is for 5-AA, but youll find DHT is virtually non-detectable,
which is why its a favorite among competitors. Its capacities make it useful,
but only in stacks and in moderate doses (200-300 mg). By itself its too much
of a risk in my book.
° Degtiar VG, Kushlinskii NE.,: Izv Akad Nauk Ser Biol 1998 Nov-Dec;(6):664-9
¹ Ruzicka et al.,helv Chim Acta 19,357-362
²Heusser et al.
³ Cavalero et al., Acta Endocrin. 55, 131-135