TweetAndrostenedione supplementation was originally devised by German scientists in an attempt to give their athletes a chemical advantage in Olympic competition. But, as shown in this article, little scientific evidence demonstrates androstenedione's ability to increase muscle mass and strength. Interestingly, East German scientists noted more than 15 years ago during the original studies that oral administration of androstenedione was ineffective at raising testosterone levels. So, why were East German athletes-and athletes from other countries--using this compound if no studies show it can cause an anabolic response in skeletal muscle? The real reason lies in androstenedione's ability to be converted to other compounds, namely epitestosterone.