1-Andro
Also known as: 1-DHEA, 1-Androsterone, 1-Dehydroepiandrosterone, δ1-Epiandrosterone, 5α-Androst-1-en-3β-ol-17-one
Lower numbers = closer to natural. Higher numbers = more enhanced.
Why this rating?
1-Andro is a prohormone that the body converts into 1-testosterone (dihydroboldenone / DHB), a potent, non-aromatizing anabolic steroid. Because oral bioavailability is limited by first-pass liver metabolism, the results are more modest than injecting DHB directly, giving lean, dry gains rather than dramatic mass. But the end product is a real anabolic steroid, so it suppresses natural testosterone and stresses lipids and the liver. It sits in the prohormone tier, clearly enhanced, but milder than the strong injectables it ultimately becomes. Rated 6.
Overview
An oral prohormone (1-DHEA) that converts in the body to 1-testosterone (dihydroboldenone/DHB) and other 1-dehydrogenated androstanes. Marketed for years: and still sold OTC by some retailers today, as a "legal" dry-gains supplement, because 1-androsterone itself was not explicitly added to the DEA's Schedule III list, unlike the DHB/1-testosterone it converts into. It produces lean, hard mass because its active product is a non-aromatizing androgen.
Purpose & Use Cases
Lean, Dry Gains
Converts to a non-aromatizing androgen, so gains come with little water, a hard, dry look rather than bulk.
Recomposition
Used in short cycles for strength and lean-mass with minimal estrogenic bloat.
Prohormone "Bridge"
Chosen by those wanting steroid-like dry gains from an oral prohormone rather than injecting DHB directly.
Benefits
- Converts to 1-testosterone (DHB), a potent non-aromatizing androgen
- Lean, dry gains with little water retention
- No aromatization from the active product: low gyno/bloat risk
- Orally active
Good to Know
It becomes DHB in your body
1-Andro (1-DHEA) is a prohormone: enzymes convert it into 1-testosterone, which is dihydroboldenone (DHB). So it is best understood as an oral, lower-yield way to run DHB. The reason its gains are lean and dry, and the reason it still behaves like an anabolic steroid on your hormones and lipids.
Non-aromatizing = "dry" gains, no estrogen upside
Because the active product cannot convert to estrogen, 1-Andro gives hard, dry gains with little bloat and no gyno, but also none of estrogen's benefits for mood, libido, joints and cholesterol. That is why a small testosterone base is common and why solo runs can feel flat.
A "legal" supplement that acts like a real steroid
1-Andro is still sold OTC by many retailers as a "legal" dietary supplement, because 1-androsterone itself was never explicitly added to the DEA's Schedule III list, only its metabolites (1-androstenediol, 1-androstenedione, and 1-testosterone/DHB) were named by the 2014 Designer Anabolic Steroid Control Act. The FDA disputes that it is a legitimate dietary ingredient, and physiologically it behaves as a real anabolic steroid regardless of the label: it needs PCT and will fail a drug test.
Muscle memory: the gains raise your natural ceiling
Even a "mild" prohormone that converts to a real androgen adds myonuclei that are retained after you stop ("muscle memory"). A past 1-Andro cycle keeps nudging your "natural" ceiling upward, which is why the natty scale still counts prohormone use even though it is sold as a supplement.
Dosage Guidelines
| Experience Level | Dosage Range |
|---|---|
| Beginner | 0 – 0 mg/day |
| Intermediate | 300 – 450 mg/day |
| Advanced | 450 – 600 mg/day |
There is no medical/clinical dosing study for this range. It reflects community and retailer consensus (multiple current prohormone guides converge on ~300-600mg/day split across 2-3 doses, with some advanced users going higher, up to ~750-1000mg/day, though that is less typical and raises side-effect risk). A single pharmacokinetic study (Parr et al. 2011) used one 100mg capsule as a single dose, not a daily protocol. Because the active product is a real anabolic steroid, treat this like a steroid cycle: on-cycle support and PCT are needed. Not appropriate for beginners.
Not well characterised as an oral prohormone; dosed daily. Its activity comes from conversion to the active steroid 1-testosterone (DHB).
Side Effects
Lipid Deterioration
very commonThe active product is a non-aromatizing androgen (DHB), which like most dry compounds suppresses HDL and worsens cholesterol.
Omega-3, citrus bergamot, cardio; monitor a full lipid panel.
HPTA Suppression
very commonConverts to an active androgen, so it suppresses natural testosterone and requires PCT, despite being sold as a "supplement."
Full SERM PCT after the cycle; do not treat it as a benign supplement.
Liver Stress
commonIt is not 17α-alkylated, so it is far less hepatotoxic than methylated orals, but users still report liver-enzyme and general strain, partly from the active steroid and from formulation/dose.
Keep cycles short, avoid alcohol and other hepatotoxic compounds, consider TUDCA, and check bloodwork.
Lethargy / Low Mood
commonThe estrogen-free "dry" androgen environment can flatten mood, libido and energy for some users.
A small testosterone/estrogen base helps; keep runs short.
Androgenic Effects (acne, hair loss)
uncommonThe active DHB is a potent androgen, so acne and hair loss are possible in predisposed individuals.
Note that finasteride does nothing. The active product is already 5α-reduced.
General Mitigation Strategies
Treat 1-Andro as the mild-but-real steroid it becomes in the body, not a supplement. Keep cycles short, support lipids (omega-3, citrus bergamot, cardio) and monitor a full lipid panel, since the active DHB is hard on HDL. It is not 17α-alkylated so liver strain is much lower than a methylated oral, but bloodwork and TUDCA are still sensible. A full SERM PCT is needed because it suppresses natural testosterone. Finasteride does not help hair. The active product is already 5α-reduced.
Support Supplements
Ancillary supplements commonly run alongside 1-Andro to manage side effects, support the target tissue, or fill nutrient demands it creates.
Lipid support (omega-3 + citrus bergamot)
KeyThe active product (DHB) suppresses HDL like most dry androgens. Omega-3 lowers triglycerides; citrus bergamot lowers LDL via statin-like flavonoids.
- Dose
- Omega-3 2-4 g/day; citrus bergamot 500-1,000 mg/day
- Timing
- With meals
Liver support (TUDCA)
Not 17α-alkylated so far less hepatotoxic than methylated orals, but supports bile flow during the run.
- Dose
- TUDCA 250-500 mg/day
- Timing
- Through the cycle
- When
- Lower priority than for a methylated oral, but reasonable alongside bloodwork.
SERM for PCT (tamoxifen / clomiphene)
KeyRestores natural testosterone after the cycle: required because the active steroid suppresses the HPTA.
- Dose
- Nolvadex 40/40/20/20 mg/day or Clomid 50/50/25/25 mg/day over 4 weeks
- Timing
- Starting shortly after the last dose
Post Cycle Therapy (PCT)
Because 1-Andro converts to an active androgen and suppresses natural testosterone, a full SERM PCT is required. It is not a "supplement" you can stop cold. Standard protocol: Nolvadex 40/40/20/20 mg/day or Clomid 50/50/25/25 mg/day over 4 weeks, starting shortly after the last dose. Confirm recovery with bloodwork (LH, FSH, total/free testosterone) and check lipids.
How It Works
1-Andro (1-DHEA) is a synthetic, orally active anabolic-androgenic steroid that acts largely as an androgen prohormone: it is converted to 1-testosterone (dihydroboldenone/DHB), 1-androstenedione and other 1-dehydrogenated androstanes. The active product 1-testosterone is a 5α-reduced, 1-ene androgen whose double bond blocks aromatase, so the pathway does not produce estrogen, hence the characteristically "dry" gains. The active steroid drives androgen-receptor-mediated protein synthesis and nitrogen retention.
Hormonal & Androgenic Profile
No reliable ratio for the prohormone itself; its activity comes from conversion to 1-testosterone/DHB, a potent anabolic-dominant androgen. Treat any specific number as unverified.
The active product (1-testosterone/DHB) does not aromatize, so no AI is needed and gains are dry. The downside is no estrogenic benefit, so mood/libido/joints can suffer and a small base is often used.
Its active product is already a 5α-reduced (1-ene) androgen, so finasteride/dutasteride do nothing. There is no testosterone-to-DHT step to block.
Non-aromatizing dry-androgen effect suppresses HDL and worsens lipids; no estrogenic water retention. Milder overall than harsh orals but still steroid-like. Monitor lipids.
Fundamentals
Reference on the practices relevant to 1-Andro: how they are done and where they go wrong. Not a recommendation to use it.
Detection Times
A single 100mg oral dose produced a detectable urinary marker metabolite (3α-hydroxy-5α-androst-1-en-17-one) for up to 9 days in a pharmacokinetic study; a real-world multi-week cycle at typical (300mg+/day) doses would be expected to extend this window further. No blood detection window has been established. Source: Parr et al. 2011, Steroids (PMID 21310167).
Legal Status
Legal gray area in the USA: 1-androsterone itself is not explicitly named on the Schedule III anabolic-steroid list created by the Designer Anabolic Steroid Control Act of 2014 (21 CFR 1308.13), unlike its metabolites 1-androstenediol, 1-androstenedione and 1-testosterone (DHB), which ARE explicitly scheduled. Many retailers therefore still sell "1-Andro" OTC as a "legal" prohormone, but the FDA has separately stated 1-androsterone is not a legitimate "dietary ingredient," and its structure/marketed effects likely bring it under the Act's broader catch-all "anabolic steroid" definition. Prohibited at all times by WADA regardless of its disputed US legal status.
Legal status varies by country and changes over time. This is a general summary, not legal advice.
WADA Status
Prohibited at all times: 1-androsterone (1-DHEA) is an exogenous anabolic androgenic steroid, and its active metabolite 1-testosterone (DHB) is likewise prohibited.
References
- 1-Dehydroepiandrosterone (1-DHEA / 1-Androsterone) - Wikipedia
- Designer Anabolic Steroid Control Act of 2014 - Wikipedia
- 21 CFR § 1308.13 - Schedule III (anabolic steroids list) - Cornell Law LII
- Parr et al. 2011, "Seized designer supplement named 1-Androsterone" - Steroids, PMID 21310167
- 1-Androsterone (1-DHEA) - PubChem CID 67430008