Skip to main content

Steroidogenesis Precursor Competition

Meaning

Steroidogenesis Precursor Competition describes the biochemical phenomenon where a shared, rate-limiting precursor molecule, typically pregnenolone or cholesterol, is preferentially shunted toward the synthesis of one class of steroid hormones over another due to acute or chronic physiological demand. This competition is most clinically relevant when the body prioritizes the production of cortisol for survival, thereby depleting the precursor pool available for DHEA, testosterone, and estrogen synthesis. It represents a fundamental trade-off in the hormonal economy.