{"id":5573,"date":"2014-05-15T10:44:05","date_gmt":"2015-06-06T17:28:45","guid":{"rendered":""},"modified":"2015-11-13T10:35:50","modified_gmt":"2015-11-13T15:35:50","slug":"letrozole-bodybuilders-femara","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.elitefitness.com\/articles\/letrozole-bodybuilders-femara\/","title":{"rendered":"Letrozole: Bodybuilders Lowering Estrogen Levels With Femara"},"content":{"rendered":"

Letrozole (Letrozole\/Femara)<\/strong><\/p>\n

The ability of\u00a0Femara<\/a>\u00a0to effectively lower estrogen levels is what attracts bodybuilders to this relatively new drug. Femara offers benefits to individuals who are prone to estrogenic side effects when they are using anabolic-androgenic steroids.\u00a0These side effects include bloating, water retention and gynecomastia.<\/p>\n

Femara<\/a>\u00a0is the brand name of Novartis Pharmaceuticals of letrozole, a compound classified as a non-steroidal selective third generation aromatase inhibitor. It is indicated for postmenopausal women with estrogen receptor-positive or estrogen-receptor unknown breast cancer.<\/p>\n

The third-generation drugs have dislodged the non-selective aromatase inhibitors, such as Teslac and Cytadren, for the simple fact that former are more potent and more effective than the latter.<\/p>\n

\"Femara\"<\/a> is of the same class of drugs as Arimidex. And like Arimidex, Femara is used as second-line treatment for the aforementioned disease if it does not respond to tamoxifen therapy. There are cases, however, when both Femara and Arimidex are used as initial pharmaceutical options.<\/p>\n

Because of their potency aromatase inhibitors provide drawbacks to bodybuilders. Anti-estrogens, such as Nolvadex and Clomid, only inhibit the activity of the hormone estrogen while Femara effectively blocks its production. And this can have harmful effects on the body because estrogen is not entirely an injurious hormone.<\/p>\n

Estrogen actually refers to a group of chemically similar hormones, which include estrone, estriol, and estradiol (the most abundant). Although it is commonly referred to as the primary female sex hormone, estrogen is also present in males. However, its function in males is not yet clearly determined.<\/p>\n

Estrogen plays significant role in many chemical and structural processes in the body as enumerated below. Remember that estrogen\u2019s function is not limited to the following processes; however, these are relatively more important in bodybuilding.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Structural changes (promotion of the growth and development of female secondary sexual characteristics)
\n\u2022 Protein synthesis (increases hepatic production of binding proteins)
\n\u2022 Metabolism (accelerates body\u2019s metabolism, burns fat)
\n\u2022 Lipid profile (increases HDL, triglyceride; decreases LDL, fat deposition)
\n\u2022 Fluid balance (salt\/sodium, water retention)
\n\u2022 Hormonal (increases growth hormone; increases cortisol, SHBG)<\/p>\n

Total restriction of estrogenic activity can result to negative reactions, particularly in the aspect of lipid metabolism. Aromatase inhibitors are known to elevate HDL (bad cholesterol) and decrease LDL (good cholesterol).<\/p>\n

The recommended dosage of\u00a0Femarais one tablet a day (2.5 milligrams), which can lower estrogen levels by 78%, as shown in clinical trials. However, anecdotal feedback reports that it can still be effective even taken at a much lower dose \u2013 a 0.5 milligram a day can elicit ideal estrogen inhibition.<\/p>\n

Side effects of\u00a0Femara include dizziness, fatigue, hot flashes, and muscle and joint pains. Long term use of this drug can cause osteoporosis resulting to bone fractures.<\/p>\n

Here's some links to discuss Letrozole\/Femara on the EliteFitness.com Forums:<\/p>\n