Prohormones

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A class of substances that are precursors to hormones, often used to enhance hormone levels in the body for performance or aesthetic purposes
2. Organic molecules that serve to stimulate the production of specific hormones, frequently utilized in bodybuilding and athletic contexts for muscle growth
3. Compounds that convert into active hormones within the body, commonly sought after for their potential to improve physical strength and muscle mass

Etymology: Prohormones are compounds that the body, or a supplement, converts into active hormones, so the word is a plain built-up coinage rather than an old term. It is formed from "pro-", meaning "before" or "forward" in the sense of coming earlier, attached to "hormone." That second part comes from Greek "hormē," meaning "impulse" or "urge," the same root that gives "hormone" its sense of a chemical messenger that sets something in motion. The base word itself was coined in the early 1900s for the chemical messengers the body releases into the bloodstream. The "pro-" prefix does the real work. A prohormone is a substance that is not yet the active messenger, but becomes one after a chemical step such as an enzyme converting it. Because of this, the same term turns up in two settings: in human physiology, where the body makes its own precursors, and in sports and nutrition, where the term is applied to supplements sold as ways of raising hormone levels.