"Androstenedione, a precursor to testosterone, is a performance enhancing substance that was scheduled by the Drug Enforcement Administration early in 2005, making its sale and possession no longer legal.
"In 12th grade, past 12-month prevalence declined to 1% in 2024 and lost most of the increase that took place earlier, when it surged to 1.9% in 2022 from 0.6% in 2021. The use level is now similar to pre-pandemic levels.
"The sudden increase in use of androstenedione after the pandemic onset in 2021 was accompanied by an increase in use of creatine, which is another performance enhancing substance (albeit a legal one). These increases suggested that many 12th graders turned to fitness and weightlifting as a response to the social distancing policies of the time. The return of androstenedione to pre-pandemic levels in 2024 could potentially signal that the interest in fitness was temporary. But the increased level of creatine use has persisted, suggesting that the interest in fitness may have continued while the illegal use of androstenedione has fallen out of favor.
"The survey stopped tracking this drug among 8th and 10th graders after 2014, when prevalence levels were less than 1% in these grades."
Miech, R. A., Johnston, L. D., Patrick, M. E., & O'Malley, P. M. (2025). Monitoring the Future national survey results on drug use, 1975–2024: Overview and detailed results for secondary school students. Monitoring the Future Monograph Series. Ann Arbor, MI: Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan.
