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The sides of AAS use and what to do
This post is aimed more at the paranoid newbie than you vets but even some vets may learn a thing or two here. I hope to clear a few things up and put AAS use in its proper perspective.
Generally the side affects of steroid use are over blown by most medical doctors and the media. This has created incomplete understanding in the general public and unfortunately users are looked upon as idiots as a result.
On the other extreme is the user that denies the side affects of steroid use and ends up getting into trouble with his health as a result.
I will start with the worst potential side affects and run down the list from here.
#1 WORST POTENTIAL SIDE
A crappy cholesterol profile with low hdl and high ldl.
Generally hormone replacement therapy has a positive affect on ones lipid profile but when muscle building doses are taken this almost always reverses. Very very few men can get away with steroid use and have an unaffected lipid profile.
The 17 aa roids are by far the worst in this regard and this goes for injectable winny and anavar too. When one ingests steroids they are absorbed rapidly through the gut and into the portal vein and are then taken diectly to the liver for detoxification. The 17 aa compound that was incorperated into the oral form of the steroid to protect it from the gut is unfortunately somewhat toxic on the old liver. The processing of the toxin leads to elevated liver enzymes which indicataes liver stress(more on this latter) and also negatively inpacts ones lipid profile and sometimes very aggressively.
WHAT TO DO........
well many men will be better off simply avoiding all 17 aa roids(including IM winny) and stick to injectables. Aternatively one could opt to use non 17aa roids like oral primo or proviron.
If you use 17 aa roids then limit them to 4 weeks and use a liver detox regime.
Also dietary factors are important. There are many things you can do, and not do, here and the following are but a few....
Avoid all saturated fat (mostly found in land animals and whole dairy produces and egg yolks)
Get plenty of essential fatty acids(omega 3 and 6) I like to grind up golden flax seeds in an electric coffee grinder or bone dry blender and then add it to my protein shakes. You can also buy the oils.
Never use margarine as it is full of trans fatty acids and these mess with ones lipid profile amoungst other nasty things. Use a little butter , even though its a saturated fat, as it is far better.
Never use ANY store bought oils as they have all been super heated and are toxic and loaded with trans fats. Use only extra virgin olive oil as it has been cold presses, or a little butter. And never even cook with these stable fats at high temps....if you must fry then keep the temp below 275 F.
Read labels....many many processed foods are loaded with partially hydrogenated oils and they too are toxic and loaded with trans fats. Fully hydrogenated oils are okay since they are neutral fats.
Avoid foods that have been fryer and especially deep fryed.
Reduce total cholesterol intake, although the ingestion of saturated fats is far worse. Cholesterol is found only in animal products. Use non fat dairy products..... Use one or two egg yolks per day and a dozen egg whites.
Eat plenty of fiber especially oat fiber.
Be sure to include cardio in your exercise plan. Three 30 minutes sessions per week will help increase the good cholesterol(hdl)
Include clomid or Tamoxifen daily while "on". There is some evidence to suggest that the use of clomid or tamoxifen will help curve the negative impact on ones lipid profile. These drugs are almost identicle and act as estrogen blockers at some sites of the body like the hypothalamus and breast but seem to act as estrogens at the liver. Bill Llewellyn always includes 20 of nolva during all cycles and he has found it helps. I too have found that it helps. Bill Roberts also says that clomid and or nolvadex can help. As a side ...Bill R says that the idea that IGF-1 is reduced by tamoxifen and clomid use in healthy steroid using males it a myth.
Avoid Arimidex if you can....... without a doubt the use of estrogen inhibitors like arimidex has a very negative affect on the lipid profile. As a side......the whole arimidex thing has been blown way out of proportion as some estrogen is needed in order to stimulate IGF-1 and also most men will not experience too much bloat with moderate doses of aromatizable gear.
Don't stay "on" all the time, unless you are a top national level competitor. Give the body time to normalize lipid profile. As a general rule time on= time off is wise.
There are many other things you can do so please feel free to add them to thread.
#2 WORST POTENTIAL SIDE...liver stress and tumors and potentailly liver cancer.
The old time 70's BBer Dave Johns died of liver cancer and he was know to love d-bol and anadrol.
Simply put long term use of 17 aa roids are very bad for the liver and this includes the mild androgen anavar. Use these roids for no longer than 4 weeks at a time if you must use them at all and include a liver detox regime with Tylers Detox pill www.anabolicfitness.com and r-ALA.
The first sign of liver damage is a evry dark urine followed by yellowing of the eyes and skin.
KIDNEY STRESS can result from liver damage as the kidneys try to filter the toxins from the liver.
There are no human studies that say that trenbolone acetate is hard on the kidneys. If it was that bad then we would certainly be hearing a lot about all the bro's with acute kidney failure from tren use.
Generally AAS are not known to be that hard on the kidneys but I am sure there is some impact with high doses over prolonged periods of time.
There really is no need for the BBer to use 17 aa roids since we can get cycles moving in a hurry by front loading injectables and or using hormones like tren.
The only men that may need it is the competitive power lifter that doesn't want to add much baody weight....then anavar or halo may be called for.
Don't drink while on 17 aa roids and limit alcohol consumption when on any steroids.
Try to avoid tylenol if you get headaches as it can be hard on the liver if too much is used.
#3 WORST POTENTIAL SIDE...Hair loss
Some guys wouldn't rank this side so high as they look great either bald or with a very short cut.
Luckily you will only experience hair loss if you have the genetics for male pattern baldness. Look at your Dad. If he is balding then you are toast. Get a real short hair cut use some DHT inhibitor like finasteride when on testosterone. This is the only hormone that heavily converts to the very powerful androgen DHT...some other do too but to very slight degrees and probably wouldn't warrent finasteride use.
Use topical spironolactone cream as it is a very good and proven anti androgen at the scalp. Look up my old post on how to make your own or buy it at www.minoxidil.com
Generally speaking the stronger the androgen the worse it is for hair loss, although this isn't always true as winstrol, a mild androgen, can really mess with the hair of some. Generally testosterone is the worst as it converts to the strongest androgen out there, DHT.
Nandrolone is the only "safe" hormone for the genetically prone to use as it converts to DHN which is a mild androgen. Some men even loose a little hair with nandrolone though.
Estrogen can also cause hair loss in some so androgens are not the only cause of hair loss.
#4 WORST POTENTIAL SIDE....permanent HPTA shut down.
Some men that use steroids suffer from permanent shut down of the hypothalamus/pituitary/testicular axis. Generall these are men that have been on steroid for prolonged periods of time although it can happen to a few with only one 8 week cycle(very rare)
These men are then on test replacement for the rest of there life.
Thats not so bad really since most of us would eventually need test replacement for optimal health anyway even if we never did steroids. But then again I would prefer to have my nuts up and running on their own thank you very much. he he he
After 10 weeks "on" if becomes harder and harder for HPTA to recover so I would generally recommend cycles of 10 weeks or less with an equal amount of time "off".
Very short two weeks cycles are very easy to recover from and can produce decent gains if done correctly.....see my old posts on two week cycles.
Recovery from a three week cycle is about the same as recovery form an 8 week cycle so one might as well do an 8 weeker and get better gains.
There are many other potential risks from steroid use but most of the bad ones have yet to be proven scientifically.
Some think that steroid use can increase your chance for certain types of cancer. The only one that has been somewhat proven is liver cancer.
My hero's Mike and Ray Mentzer died very young......Mike died of heart disease at 50 and Ray died a couple days latter from renal failure as he had some rare type of kidney problem. Who really knows if their steroid use caused their premature deaths but I am sure it played some role. It gets you thinking.........
Hope this help, especially you newbies.
RG
This post is aimed more at the paranoid newbie than you vets but even some vets may learn a thing or two here. I hope to clear a few things up and put AAS use in its proper perspective.
Generally the side affects of steroid use are over blown by most medical doctors and the media. This has created incomplete understanding in the general public and unfortunately users are looked upon as idiots as a result.
On the other extreme is the user that denies the side affects of steroid use and ends up getting into trouble with his health as a result.
I will start with the worst potential side affects and run down the list from here.
#1 WORST POTENTIAL SIDE
A crappy cholesterol profile with low hdl and high ldl.
Generally hormone replacement therapy has a positive affect on ones lipid profile but when muscle building doses are taken this almost always reverses. Very very few men can get away with steroid use and have an unaffected lipid profile.
The 17 aa roids are by far the worst in this regard and this goes for injectable winny and anavar too. When one ingests steroids they are absorbed rapidly through the gut and into the portal vein and are then taken diectly to the liver for detoxification. The 17 aa compound that was incorperated into the oral form of the steroid to protect it from the gut is unfortunately somewhat toxic on the old liver. The processing of the toxin leads to elevated liver enzymes which indicataes liver stress(more on this latter) and also negatively inpacts ones lipid profile and sometimes very aggressively.
WHAT TO DO........
well many men will be better off simply avoiding all 17 aa roids(including IM winny) and stick to injectables. Aternatively one could opt to use non 17aa roids like oral primo or proviron.
If you use 17 aa roids then limit them to 4 weeks and use a liver detox regime.
Also dietary factors are important. There are many things you can do, and not do, here and the following are but a few....
Avoid all saturated fat (mostly found in land animals and whole dairy produces and egg yolks)
Get plenty of essential fatty acids(omega 3 and 6) I like to grind up golden flax seeds in an electric coffee grinder or bone dry blender and then add it to my protein shakes. You can also buy the oils.
Never use margarine as it is full of trans fatty acids and these mess with ones lipid profile amoungst other nasty things. Use a little butter , even though its a saturated fat, as it is far better.
Never use ANY store bought oils as they have all been super heated and are toxic and loaded with trans fats. Use only extra virgin olive oil as it has been cold presses, or a little butter. And never even cook with these stable fats at high temps....if you must fry then keep the temp below 275 F.
Read labels....many many processed foods are loaded with partially hydrogenated oils and they too are toxic and loaded with trans fats. Fully hydrogenated oils are okay since they are neutral fats.
Avoid foods that have been fryer and especially deep fryed.
Reduce total cholesterol intake, although the ingestion of saturated fats is far worse. Cholesterol is found only in animal products. Use non fat dairy products..... Use one or two egg yolks per day and a dozen egg whites.
Eat plenty of fiber especially oat fiber.
Be sure to include cardio in your exercise plan. Three 30 minutes sessions per week will help increase the good cholesterol(hdl)
Include clomid or Tamoxifen daily while "on". There is some evidence to suggest that the use of clomid or tamoxifen will help curve the negative impact on ones lipid profile. These drugs are almost identicle and act as estrogen blockers at some sites of the body like the hypothalamus and breast but seem to act as estrogens at the liver. Bill Llewellyn always includes 20 of nolva during all cycles and he has found it helps. I too have found that it helps. Bill Roberts also says that clomid and or nolvadex can help. As a side ...Bill R says that the idea that IGF-1 is reduced by tamoxifen and clomid use in healthy steroid using males it a myth.
Avoid Arimidex if you can....... without a doubt the use of estrogen inhibitors like arimidex has a very negative affect on the lipid profile. As a side......the whole arimidex thing has been blown way out of proportion as some estrogen is needed in order to stimulate IGF-1 and also most men will not experience too much bloat with moderate doses of aromatizable gear.
Don't stay "on" all the time, unless you are a top national level competitor. Give the body time to normalize lipid profile. As a general rule time on= time off is wise.
There are many other things you can do so please feel free to add them to thread.
#2 WORST POTENTIAL SIDE...liver stress and tumors and potentailly liver cancer.
The old time 70's BBer Dave Johns died of liver cancer and he was know to love d-bol and anadrol.
Simply put long term use of 17 aa roids are very bad for the liver and this includes the mild androgen anavar. Use these roids for no longer than 4 weeks at a time if you must use them at all and include a liver detox regime with Tylers Detox pill www.anabolicfitness.com and r-ALA.
The first sign of liver damage is a evry dark urine followed by yellowing of the eyes and skin.
KIDNEY STRESS can result from liver damage as the kidneys try to filter the toxins from the liver.
There are no human studies that say that trenbolone acetate is hard on the kidneys. If it was that bad then we would certainly be hearing a lot about all the bro's with acute kidney failure from tren use.
Generally AAS are not known to be that hard on the kidneys but I am sure there is some impact with high doses over prolonged periods of time.
There really is no need for the BBer to use 17 aa roids since we can get cycles moving in a hurry by front loading injectables and or using hormones like tren.
The only men that may need it is the competitive power lifter that doesn't want to add much baody weight....then anavar or halo may be called for.
Don't drink while on 17 aa roids and limit alcohol consumption when on any steroids.
Try to avoid tylenol if you get headaches as it can be hard on the liver if too much is used.
#3 WORST POTENTIAL SIDE...Hair loss
Some guys wouldn't rank this side so high as they look great either bald or with a very short cut.
Luckily you will only experience hair loss if you have the genetics for male pattern baldness. Look at your Dad. If he is balding then you are toast. Get a real short hair cut use some DHT inhibitor like finasteride when on testosterone. This is the only hormone that heavily converts to the very powerful androgen DHT...some other do too but to very slight degrees and probably wouldn't warrent finasteride use.
Use topical spironolactone cream as it is a very good and proven anti androgen at the scalp. Look up my old post on how to make your own or buy it at www.minoxidil.com
Generally speaking the stronger the androgen the worse it is for hair loss, although this isn't always true as winstrol, a mild androgen, can really mess with the hair of some. Generally testosterone is the worst as it converts to the strongest androgen out there, DHT.
Nandrolone is the only "safe" hormone for the genetically prone to use as it converts to DHN which is a mild androgen. Some men even loose a little hair with nandrolone though.
Estrogen can also cause hair loss in some so androgens are not the only cause of hair loss.
#4 WORST POTENTIAL SIDE....permanent HPTA shut down.
Some men that use steroids suffer from permanent shut down of the hypothalamus/pituitary/testicular axis. Generall these are men that have been on steroid for prolonged periods of time although it can happen to a few with only one 8 week cycle(very rare)
These men are then on test replacement for the rest of there life.
Thats not so bad really since most of us would eventually need test replacement for optimal health anyway even if we never did steroids. But then again I would prefer to have my nuts up and running on their own thank you very much. he he he
After 10 weeks "on" if becomes harder and harder for HPTA to recover so I would generally recommend cycles of 10 weeks or less with an equal amount of time "off".
Very short two weeks cycles are very easy to recover from and can produce decent gains if done correctly.....see my old posts on two week cycles.
Recovery from a three week cycle is about the same as recovery form an 8 week cycle so one might as well do an 8 weeker and get better gains.
There are many other potential risks from steroid use but most of the bad ones have yet to be proven scientifically.
Some think that steroid use can increase your chance for certain types of cancer. The only one that has been somewhat proven is liver cancer.
My hero's Mike and Ray Mentzer died very young......Mike died of heart disease at 50 and Ray died a couple days latter from renal failure as he had some rare type of kidney problem. Who really knows if their steroid use caused their premature deaths but I am sure it played some role. It gets you thinking.........
Hope this help, especially you newbies.
RG
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