The comment that Dbol increases test. levels suggests a clear lack of knowledge about AAS pharmacology.
Pharmacology and Sport; Sport Pharmacology in the Soviet Union
"Numerous examinations of healthy non-athletes by dexamethasone/methandrostenolone test showed that normally administration of these hormones caused a 30-40% reduction of blood cortisol and/or testosterone."
As for the cortisol & glucocorticoid antagonism, the Q is how relevant this is:
http://jcem.endojournals.org/cgi/co...full/82/11/3710
..."Since Kochakian’s early observations that gonadectomy increases nitrogen (protein) loss, and testosterone replacement attenuates that loss or net catabolism (1), studies in both animals and humans have demonstrated that androgens or anabolic steroids increase body weight and lean body mass and often decrease fat mass (1, 3, 5, 21, 26, 34, 43, 44, 45). The anabolic action on lean body mass was largely ascribable to an increase in muscle and was observed in hypogonadal male and female animals or eugonadal men given high dose testosterone or anabolic steroids (1, 3, 5, 21, 26, 34, 43, 44, 45).
Although some studies suggested that androgens increased protein mass via decreases in proteolysis (46), most investigations have reported that androgens augment muscle mass through increases in muscle protein synthesis without affecting degradation (5, 21, 43, 45, 47, 48, 49). As a result, an earlier concept that androgens decrease glucocorticoid-mediated increases in muscle protein degradation (46) has been discounted...."
Cytadren maybe isn't the best example, but Glucocorticoid receptor antagonism can also lead to increased cortisol levels.
Muscle protein synthesis is elevated >24 hours after exercise:
Changes in human muscle protein synthesis after resistance exercise.
Chesley A, MacDougall JD, Tarnopolsky MA, Atkinson SA, Smith K.
Department of Physical Education, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
The purpose of this study was to investigate the magnitude and time course for changes in muscle protein synthesis (MPS) after a single bout of resistance exercise. Two groups of six male subjects performed heavy resistance exercise with the elbow flexors of one arm while the opposite arm served as a control. MPS from exercised (ex) and control (con) biceps brachii was assessed 4 (group A) and 24 h (group B) postexercise by the increment in L-[1-13C]leucine incorporation into muscle biopsy samples. In addition, RNA capacity and RNA activity were determined to assess whether transcriptional and/or translational processes affected MPS. MPS was significantly elevated in biceps of the ex compared with the con arms of both groups (group A, ex 0.1007 +/- 0.0330 vs. con 0.067 +/- 0.0204%/h; group B ex 0.0944 +/- 0.0363 vs. con 0.0452 +/- 0.0126%/h). RNA capacity was unchanged in the ex biceps of both groups relative to the con biceps, whereas RNA activity was significantly elevated in the ex biceps of both groups (group A, ex 0.19 +/- 0.10 vs. con 0.12 +/- 0.05 micrograms protein.h-1.microgram-1 total RNA; group B, ex 0.18 +/- 0.06 vs. con 0.08 +/- 0.02 micrograms protein.h-1.microgram-1 total RNA).
The results indicate that a single bout of heavy resistance exercise can increase biceps MPS for up to 24 h postexercise. In addition, these increases appear to be due to changes in posttranscriptional events.
Mixed muscle protein synthesis and breakdown after resistance exercise in humans.
Phillips SM, Tipton KD, Aarsland A, Wolf SE, Wolfe RR.
Metabolism Unit, Shriners Burns Institute, Galveston, Texas, USA.
Mixed muscle protein fractional synthesis rate (FSR) and fractional breakdown rate (FBR) were examined after an isolated bout of either concentric or eccentric resistance exercise. Subjects were eight untrained volunteers (4 males, 4 females). Mixed muscle protein FSR and FBR were determined using primed constant infusions of [2H5]phenylalanine and 15N-phenylalanine, respectively. Subjects were studied in the fasted state on four occasions: at rest and 3, 24, and 48 h after a resistance exercise bout. Exercise was eight sets of eight concentric or eccentric repetitions at 80% of each subject's concentric 1 repetition maximum. There was no significant difference between contraction types for either FSR, FBR, or net balance (FSR minus FBR).
Exercise resulted in significant increases above rest in muscle FSR at all times: 3 h = 112%, 24 h = 65%, 48 h = 34% (P < 0.01). Muscle FBR was also increased by exercise at 3 h (31%; P < 0.05) and 24 h (18%; P < 0.05) postexercise but returned to resting levels by 48 h. Muscle net balance was significantly increased after exercise at all time points [(in %/h) rest = -0.0573 +/- 0.003 (SE), 3 h = -0.0298 +/- 0.003, 24 h = -0.0413 +/- 0.004, and 48 h = -0.0440 +/- 0.005], and was significantly different from zero at all time points (P < 0.05). There was also a significant correlation between FSR and FBR (r = 0.88, P < 0.001). We conclude that exercise resulted in an increase in muscle net protein balance that persisted for up to 48 h after the exercise bout and was unrelated to the type of muscle contraction performed.
The time course for elevated muscle protein synthesis following heavy resistance exercise.
MacDougall JD, Gibala MJ, Tarnopolsky MA, MacDonald JR, Interisano SA, Yarasheski KE.
Department of Kinesiology, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario.
It has been shown that muscle protein synthetic rate (MPS) is elevated in humans by 50% at 4 hrs following a bout of heavy resistance training, and by 109% at 24 hrs following training. This study further examined the time course for elevated muscle protein synthesis by examining its rate at 36 hrs following a training session. Six healthy young men performed 12 sets of 6- to 12-RM elbow flexion exercises with one arm while the opposite arm served as a control. MPS was calculated from the in vivo rate of incorporation of L-[1,2-13C2] leucine into biceps brachii of both arms using the primed constant infusion technique over 11 hrs. At an average time of 36 hrs postexercise, MPS in the exercised arm had returned to within 14% of the control arm value, the difference being nonsignificant.
It is concluded that following a bout of heavy resistance training, MPS increases rapidly, is more than double at 24 hrs, and thereafter declines rapidly so that at 36 hrs it has almost returned to baseline.
BTW, most AS increase RBC.