Why do steroids lose their effectiveness over time?

[Ulter]

There is no evidence anywhere of AR downregulation. You are simply asking your body to carry more and more LBM beyond what it would be able to do without AS. The more such mass you add the more AS you need to hold or add to it. If the receptor downregulated then men on HRT would need to up their dosages over time and they don't. Only those who use AS to add mass have to increase their doses.

 

[Twitched]

I agree 100%. I also don't believe in receptor downgrade.

neither do i

 

[LONE_AZ]

You only have down regulation of the receptor during a cycle in which you flood your body with too much androgen. It is the same principle as reduce sensitivity to insulin in type two diabetes.

 

[Zyglamail]

When you are packing on as much muslce in 8-10 weeks that would normally take a year or more, you are consuming natural resouces at an alarming rate. In other words you packing on 10x as much weight as normal yet are you consuming and is your body able to use 10x more of the crucial macronutrients if you are?

I for one think most people often overlook the simple things and always blame receptor downregulation and such. But there is a lot more to bulding a body, you need the essential building blocks and plenty of them to keep growing at that exceptional rate.

 

[plug1]

Great posts boyz. I feel educated... and its a friday.

cheers

 

[Dr.X]

1. Receptor downregulation DOES occur.

2. A loss in effectiveness cannot be attributed to T conversion to DHT. Otherwise 5a reductase inhibitors would increase your gains. They don't.

In fact, the most anabolic steroids often are the ones that also demonstrate high DHT conversion rates.


3. Genetic limits (as stated above)
- different AR sensitivity
- different # of ARs
- different levels of converting enzymes (5a and p450 aromatase)
- etc

 

[Themachine01]

I totally agree with all the answers that have been posted. Now let me ask you guys this, Twitched stated that "it has more to do with the fact that as a bodybuilder does more and more cycles he brings himself further past his genetic potential, thus making the body very unwilling to add mass", if i decided tomorrow to never use AS again, with 5 cycles under my belt, would i be able to ever put mass on naturally again. When I first decided to use AS I had hit, or believed that I had hit, my natural potential. Im in my 20s still so Im wondering what would happen.

 

[madmitch]

Dr. X

5a reductase inhibitors increase free Testosterone levels by 15% now that may not seem like a lot but it's better than having a lot of DHT.

Also DHT is NOT anabolic in any way shape or form, yet it binds to the Androgen receptor 5 times stronger than Testosterone.

Therefore once DHT has attached it's self to the AR it's too late to start taking a 5a reductase inhibitor.

I would also have to disagree with what you said "most anabolic steroids often are the ones that also demonstrate high DHT conversion rates"

Testosterone is the only one that demonstrates high DHT conversion. Primo, Winstrol and Anadrol 50 are DHT based, but as far as I know they do not convert back to DHT. However if someone can show proof that they do convert to DHT, i will accept it.

Dianabol the most popular anabolic steroid does not convert to DHT, nor does Equipose, Parabolan, Anavar or Deca.

 

[Beezers]

This is a good one fellas. I'm in the camp of thought that that thinks gains come harder and harder becasue 1) you are many, many pounds over what your body would otherwise be able to carry so you need more and more substrate(AAS) to elicit and anaboilc response 2)lack of sufficient nutrients to keep growing.

The realm of genetic factors (the DHT/5-alpha reductase/aromitase/receptor expression/population/growth factors/inhibitors) all that good stuff is a whole different ball game. They certainly have the biggest impact on ones body, but I don't think they are the shackles holding most people back from further gains.

 

[Golfer18--old]

I dont believe in Receptor downregulation either, its all about your potential.