DHEA (dehydroepiandrosterone) is one of the most widely available hormone supplements in the United States, but does DHEA give you energy, alertness, and focus? Here’s what you need to know about how DHEA works and how it can benefit your overall health.

What Is DHEA?

One of many hormones our body produces, DHEA (dehydroepiandrosterone) is a steroid-like compound that can be converted into androgens or estrogens. While an increase in energy levels is commonly reported in people taking hormone replacement therapy, recent research has shown that it may also be useful in treating fibromyalgia and other degenerative diseases. 

In addition to boosting energy levels, it may also help with sleep and mood disorders, which are often linked to chronic fatigue syndrome.

Will It Increase Your Energy, Alertness, and Focus?

DHEA is a hormone that your body makes naturally. Although it is sometimes prescribed to treat adrenal disorders and low sex drive in men, it’s mostly a dietary supplement (that can be purchased without a prescription). For many people, using an over-the-counter supplement that contains small amounts of DHEA doesn’t give them energy directly; instead, they notice its indirect effects-like waking up feeling refreshed. 

Unfortunately for most people who use these supplements (and their energy levels), there isn’t much science available to support their claims. But if you’re curious about how DHEA might give you energy, here are some possible explanations:

• First, it could increase your metabolism by speeding up fat breakdown in cells.
• Second, it could stimulate the production of other hormones like testosterone or estrogen. 

Third, it could make you feel more awake because DHEA works as a neurotransmitter and might impact dopamine production. Finally, although unlikely to have any effect on energy levels themselves, DHEA may improve mental clarity by stimulating brain receptors that are involved with memory formation and retention.

Who Is DHEA Suitable For?

DHEA can help you feel a little more energetic, and there are some benefits for hair, skin, and nails. However, it’s not suitable for all types of people and has age recommendations or dose recommendations. For example, pregnant women shouldn’t take it. And for men with low testosterone levels, using DHEA may cause additional problems. 

If you’re considering using DHEA to increase your energy levels, talk to your doctor first. They can advise you on whether it’s suitable in your circumstances or discuss other options that might suit you better. 

What Dose Should I Take? What Age and Dose Recommendations?

How much should you take?

Since we all have different levels of cortisol, we’ll each need a different dose to balance our adrenal health.

In general, though, it’s recommended that men take 50 mg once per day while women start at 25 mg and work up to 50 mg.

People over 40 should start with lower doses due to age-related changes in hormone production. 

For more information on age and DHEA consumption click here.

As far as what form of DHEA to take, most experts recommend taking your supplement sublingually (under your tongue) rather than orally (swallowed). This is because oral supplements bypass digestion and enter your bloodstream directly through your stomach lining. 

This means they’re broken down more quickly by stomach acids and enzymes, which can make them less effective. Sublingual supplements enter your bloodstream through capillaries under your tongue and then get sent straight into circulation via blood vessels in your mouth.

This means they’re not exposed to stomach acids until after they’ve entered circulation-and many experts believe that sublingual delivery also leads to better absorption into cells throughout your body.

How Long Before I See Results?

Another reason why men don’t respond to DHEA is that it takes a long time to notice an increase in energy and alertness. This makes sense when you think about how slowly DHEA levels are depleted; it can take months or years for a man with low testosterone levels to run out of DHEA. If you feel fatigued and sluggish from taking supplements, make sure that you aren’t taking more than recommended by your healthcare practitioner. 

The recommended dose for most supplements is one capsule per day (25-50mg), but if your body hasn’t built up enough of a supply yet, or if you are overweight or have other health issues, then consult your doctor before adding supplements to your routine. It might be smarter to work on fixing underlying factors first.

Where Do I Buy It?

DHEA is a hormone produced by your adrenal glands. Because it’s also sold as a dietary supplement, you can purchase it online or in local stores without a prescription. The typical dose ranges from 15 to 100 mg per day and comes in capsules, tablets, or liquid form. 

It’s commonly used for anti-aging purposes and has been shown to help reduce body fat and increase lean muscle mass when combined with resistance training. As with any supplement, always consult your doctor before taking DHEA if you have other health conditions or are on medications.

DHEA and Alertness

Unlike other hormones, DHEA is unique in that it doesn’t appear to boost or reduce a person’s mood or energy level. While your body converts some of your DHEA into estrogen and testosterone, it does not convert it into sex hormones. However, DHEA may show to help with erectile dysfunction.

Some research shows that low levels of DHEA are associated with depression. However, you won’t experience a sudden flood of testosterone from taking small amounts of supplemental DHEA. 

In fact, most studies have found no effect on alertness when people take DHEA supplements. A few studies have found that people feel more energetic when they take larger doses of DHEA for longer periods of time. But others show no effect on energy levels at all.

More research is needed before doctors can say for sure whether or not supplemental DHEA boosts energy levels, alertness, and focus in healthy adults who don’t have low levels of DHEA already.

Final Verdict

Our in-depth look at whether or not dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) gives you energy reveals that it certainly can have an effect on your overall energy level. Just make sure to talk to your doctor before adding any supplement to your regimen-just because it’s natural doesn’t mean it won’t have a negative impact on your body. Start taking 10mg of DHEA daily and monitor how you feel.