can i take prohormones

Matt,

As a previous college athlete I have some experience on this topic. I want to tell you that before you take any supplement whether it be prohormones, creatine, etc. you should always consult with a doctor or qualified health care professional that is knowledgable about the compounds you are interested in using as well as look at the legality of the supplement in question. Additionally, being an NCAA athlete, you should look at the banned substance list to determine if the using the supplement would disqualify you from competition and cause sanctions to be imposed on your team.

A prohormone is a substance that is a precursor to a hormone made in the human body, usually having minimal hormonal effect by itself. The prohormones that you are interested in are intended to be precursors to the anabolic steroid hormone testosterone, which is taken to boost the available supply of free (active) testosterone in your body. When ingested, these precursors are converted to testosterone via an enzymatic process that occurs during the breakdown of the product. This results in the cleavage or addition of whatever particular atoms are missing from the active chemical structure.

With that said, most prohormones that have been released to date are illegal and are on the same level as possesion of anabolic steroids. Additionally, prohormones and any other supplement that increases testosterone are on the NCAA banned substance list (http://www.ncaa.org/wps/ncaa?ContentID=17818). Additionally, new prohormones are released every year, and though they might not be deemed illegal to date, they will cause you to fail a drug test as if you were injecting synthetic testosterone causing you many problems.

So in short, no, you shouldn't be looking into the prohormone route to increase your size and strength, especially as a D1 athlete. If you are a scholarship athlete, you could lose your scholarship. You could also be kicked off the team or worse out of school. It's just not worth it in my opinion. I would rather see you consult with a qualified personal trainer, strength coach and nutritionist to help you get bigger and stronger for you competition. Myself and Ginger Vieira are both certified personal trainers with experience working with athletes. Additionally, read and absorb information. The internet is a great resource to learn about proper eating and training techniques to help you reach your goals.

Thanks

Andrew Berry