Anabolic Steroids Experiences

The BIG NEWS in regards to the 2004 Mr. Olympia is not that Ronnie Coleman won yet again, oh no. The really BIG NEWS, the HUMONGOUS NEWS that all are afraid to write about, all are scared to disclose (but not I) is that Milo Sarcev and Dennis James were served inside the Olympia Expo their Federal indictment papers for trafficking and distributing steroids.

More info at:

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/undercover33.htm

MEN'S BODYBUILDING FINAL RESULTS

Bantamweights

1. Steven Burke *
2. Randy Jackson, Sr
3. Heath Warren
4. Robert E. Lee
5. Michael Wick
   

Lightweights

1. Patrick Richardson*
2. Perry McRae
3. Leonardo Ortiz
4. Rey Ronquillo
5. Leonardo Pacheco
   

Middleweights

1. Eryk Bui*
2. Stan McQuay
3. Anthony Wadkins
4. Tricky Jackson
5. Garrett Allin

Light Heavyweights

1. Roc Rashid *
2. Aaron Garza
3. Randolph Chaney II
4. Nate Wonsley
5. Eddie Linda

Heavyweights

1. Capriese Murray *
2. Grigori Atoyan
3. Tee Jay Hewitt
4. Gergory Jones
5. Gus Carter

Super Heavyweights

1. Chris Cook **
2. Bill Wilmore
3. Marcus Haley
4. Jerome Ferguson
5. Omar Deckard

* Earns pro card qualification

** Wins overall and pro card qualification

The IFBB has 11 pro contests for the men scheduled in 2005:

1. IRONMAN Pro Invitational - 02/19/05 - Los Angeles
2. ARNOLD CLASSIC - 03/05/04 - Columbus, Ohio
3. SAN FRANCISCO - 03/12/05 - San Francisco
4. AUSTRALIAN PRO - 03/20/05 - Melbourne
5. NEW YORK MEN'S - 05/21/05 - New York
6. TORONTO PRO - 06/04/05 - Toronto, Canada
7. IFBB EUROPA SUPER - 09/17/05 - Arlington, Texas
8. MR. OLYMPIA - To Be Announced - Las Vegas, Nevada
9. GRAND PRIX OF RUSSIA - To Be Announced - Moscow
10. GRAND PRIX OF HOLLAND - To Be Announced - Amsterdam
11. GRAND PRIX OF ENGLAND - To Be Announced - London

THE IMPORTANCE OF BLOOD MONITORING
Despite the recent trend for sections of the medical community to try and convince the public of the safety and effectiveness of Testosterone Enanthate as a contraceptive, once again I think they are lying to us. Isn't it funny how the same idiots were telling us a few years ago about how anabolic steroids (which are mostly safer than testosterone) were not only ineffective in improving athletic performance, but they would kill you? In fact, I'm sad to say there are still those out there sprouting this crap. But now they tell us that there are no side effects from 300mg or even 600mg of TE a week. I don't know about you, but I find that hard to believe (I know I would be wanting to kill everyone if I was on 600mg TE/week; reported side effects were acne in about 5% of subjects and breast tenderness in 3%). Oh, and they did notice a slight weight gain (funny that, I thought they didn't increase muscle mass!!). The unfortunate thing is they tell you what they want you to believe, which may or may not be the truth.

The point is, if you use AS, you should have regular blood tests to see if there are problems that you may not be aware of otherwise. A good example is the changes in blood lipid parameters, like HDL/LDL cholesterol changes, If your intake of AS is affecting your blood lipid profile adversely, you will not necessarily feel unwell. But it is not wise to put yourself at risk when it can be avoided by a change in AS type or dosage schedule. For this reason, it is advisable to have regular blood tests whether on or off a cycle.

The problems most people have is that they don't know what they should test for, and most doctors have little idea. I will try and give you a brief description of each parameter that I consider important to look at, together with a brief description of why they are relevant.

Cardiovascular Parameters: Probably the greatest concem for many who take AS is the long term effect on CV health. Specifically, atherosclerosis due to unfavorable changes in the blood lipid profile. As you know, the narrowing of the arteries due to cholesterol plaque deposits are one of the major factors in both heart attacks and strokes. Many people find that AS reduce their levels of the good cholesterol HDL, which helps clean cholesterol deposits out of the arteries and deposit them in the liver to be removed. At the same time, LDL or the "bad" cholesterol goes up. Therefore the ratio of HDL to LDL, which is called the cardiac risk factor, can change quite markedly. Should you have a blood test which shows a bad cardiac risk factor, you need to consider changing your dosage or type of AS. I have found that Stanozolol for example, is quite bad for increasing my LDL.Other important CV parameters to look at are triglyceride levels (fasted, as for Cholesterol) and lipoprotein A levels.' Lipoprotein A is thought to be a protective blood lipid which goes up with Testosterone use. If you have bad results from these tests, you need to look at diet (fat content, add omega 6 fatty acid intake, have a glass of red wine a day) and exercise (aerobic exercise elevates HDL more that just weight training).

Liver Function tests: These can be divided into specific LFT's and non specific LFT'S. The non- specific LFT's are next to useless, because they are enzymes that are folind in the liver, but also in muscle, heart and other tissues. SGOT and SGPT are usually elevated in people who weight train, and are further increased by intramuscular injections.

The other two commonly used non-specific LFT's (alkaline phosphatase and gamma GT) are not as high in muscle, and therefore are a much better guide to possible liver problems than the previous two. However, they are not as good as indicators of liver stress from AS as the specific LFT, Billirubin. Billirubin is the breakdown product of the haemoglobin molecule contained in RBC to carry Oxygen. The liver first metabolises the haemoglobin to bilirubin, and then conjugates it Ooins to another molecule) before excreting the conjugated complex.

For this reason biltirubin levels are reported on the blood test as total, conjugated and free billirubin. It is usually the case in liver damage from AS Llse that the total and conjugated levels are elevated to a greater extent than the free billirubin levels. This is due to the fact that the damage causes a slow down in the excretion of the conjugated product, rather than a change in the levels of billirubin production. I believe that these levels are by far the best indicator of liver problems, the others are of questionable significance.

Full Blood Count: As a general health check, it is standard practice to have a FBC done. The information this provides includes: red blood cell number, size and haemoglobin levels; white blood cell types - and numbers; electrolyte levels (sodium, potassium, etc); albumin and globulin levels (blood proteins that have as one of their properties to bind to hormones and drugs).

Should there be any abnormal results on this test your doctor should be able to advise you of its likely cause. However, it is unlikely to be as a result of AS use because the only change I have seen is when there is a mild form of normochromic microcytic anemia (normochromic= normal hemoglobin levels per cell; microcytic= smaller RBC than normal). This occurs in some people who take stanozolol, but generally causes nothing detrimental. It does tend to mimic the signs of gastrointestinal blood loss, which is always a cause for concern, but if it occurs, first stop taking stanozolol before you let them stick tubes up both ends to have a look.

Endocrine parameters: The use of AS brings about predictable changes to the blood hormone levels. If testosterone injections are taken, these will show up on the blood test, and are indistinguishable from the body's own testosterone. However, in both cases the Luteinising Hormone (LH) will be low due to the negative feedback system. When the pituitary gland senses that the blood levels of test. or AS are high. It drastically reduces its output of LH - the hormone that stimulates the testicles to produce testosterone. The idea is that the levels of test. secreted by the body (endogenous= from within) are kept fairly constant this way. Obviously, the situation changes when exogenous (from outside) test. or AS are present.A lot of people make a big deal out of how long it takes for the hormone levels to return to normal, due to pituitary suppression, but I question whether this is relevant unless one is trying to start a family. In which case 3000 IU of HCG every 3 days should do the trick. Obviously, there will be a tendency to lose muscle mass at the end of a cycle, but this will happen regardless of whether you use HCG or not. This is due to the fact that HCG will stimulate test. release for a while, but once it is stopped, you will still go through a period where there is next to no test. or LH. HCG is an analogue of LH and as such inhibits LH release from the pituitary. My answer, is to stay on high physiological levels of test. (about 200-300mg /week) and cycle anabolics up to 1000 mg/wk for 1012 weeks on and 6 off.

It is also important to consider the levels of free and bound test. as well as total. Test. circulates in the blood mainly bound to albumin or Sex Honnone Binding Globulin (SHBG). The bound fraction of test, is not available to bind to the receptors, and as such acts as a kind of reservoir. The free hormone is available to bind to the receptor and when it does, one of the molecules of the bound hormone becomes free. There is an equilibrium between the bound and free fractions which depends in part, on the level of SHBG and albumin. When the levels of AS are high, the SHBG often increases, and this may be a sign of receptor downregulation. It is certainly an indication that the body is adapting to the dosage. So, the relevant endocrine parameters to test for are:-Festosterone (bound and free), Luteinising Hormone, Sex Hormone Bindinc, Globulin and perhaps Estrogen if using an aromatase enzyme inhibitor such as cytadren (to monitor its effectiveness). All of the normal levels are reported along with the results o the tests, so I won't bore you with them here.

Summary: I hope this has cleared up a lot o confusion about what is important to test for and why. Remember your long term health WILL be important to you even if it's not now. So be careful and train hard and use any drugs wisely or not at al.

Recent statistics report that over 3 million athletes and bodybuilders in this country alone have used anabolic steroids. A recent Sports Illistrated article has stated that 90% of professional athletes have at one time taken some form of illegal perfomance enhancing drugs. This is amist a vast array of scare tactics, steroid testing, new steroid legislation, and education programs wich have been designed to directly put an end to their usage. The efforts that have been made to halt the usage of these drugs so far has been ineffective. The fact is that steroid use in this country is still growing and will continue to do so unless a new solution is devised.
The vast popularity of anabolic steroids is due to their powerful reaction on the body to help promote muscle mass and strength increases. Needless to say steroids therefore have a close relationship to the two factors of bodybuilding and improving athletic performance. These two factors are in turn directly related to the inherent need that man has to exert dominance over other males. This can be verbally, intelectually, physically, or aesthetically. In our society we have always praised the athletes that achieve the most amazing physical feats or that have achieved cosmetic perfection. Lets face it, having large muscle enhances confidence, strength, and physical attraction from the opposite sex which can lead to positive popularity. Being extra strong can also dramatically aid an individuals performance in most sports. A person that is in shape usually portrays a sense of control and enjoyment for their life that is envied by most. Anabolic steroids have been touted as the best and almost overnight way to achieve strength, power and an extraordinarry physique which leads to instant personal gratification. Steroids have been around for the past 40 years and have been used by athletes and bodybuilders as a means of enhancing cosmetic appearance, athletic performance and physical strength.

The Russians were the first to utilize these drugs with extreme success (primarily testosterone) to enhance athletic performance. Scientists soon discovered that they could chemically alter testosterone and remove most of its virilizing side effects. This was the birth of anabolic steroids. By the late 1950’s most of the anabolic steroids that are used today had already been invented. Their usage has since spread and they are now used and manufactured in virtually every country in the world. In addition to the afformentioned cosmetic and physical benefits of these drugs, anabolic steroids have also gained some valuable use in the medical community. Their most beneficial use is in the treatment of wasting syndrome that is associated with many diseases esspecially AIDS. New legislation is now being passed in this country so that anabolic steroids may be legally administered by prescription to AIDS patients. This will probably facilitate the ease of attaining pharmaceautical quality drugs by athletes in this country.
This country has strict laws that enforce and regulate the sale of anabolic steroids. This makes attaining these pharmaceutical drugs very difficult. Black market entrepaneurs have taken advantage of this opportunity and have made small fortunes selling steroids in their underground pharmacies. These “pharmacies” are usually a gym bag full of steroids in a gym locker room or bathroom. The biggest problem associated with black market steroid purchasing is the large possibility of acquiring drugs of uncertain consistency, quality, or potency. Counterfeit drugs are a widespread problem in this country and are related to a lot of the physical problems associated with steroid abuse.

As with every illicitly used drug today the user has to experience a “first time”. You don’t wake up one morning all of a sudden a junky unless you experience this “first time”. This usually occurs due to personal interest and or peer pressure. Many drug pushers promote steroid use among their peers to help make them more money. Then when the first couple of guys start blowing up like balloons there seems to be a chain reaction. All of the jocks and bodybuilders in and around that clique start taking an interest in these drugs and potentially try using them for their own overnight physical enhancement programs.Remeber that everyone wants to fit in and being strong and looking good helps. Anabolic steroids may be an easy short cut to a phenominal physique that will gain many young users much popularity and confidence. Many times natural bodybuilders that have reached their genetic potential will also experiment with anabolic steroids to further enhance their levels of strength and muscular development.
Most users of steroids do not research these drugs thoroughly before using them and just rely on the second hand information passed along to them by their dealer. This irresponsible use of steroids is an enormous factor which leads to the abuse of these drugs. Just think about this. The abuse of almost any substance known to man can hurt you. Taking an entire bottle of aspirin could definitely lead to a life threatening situation. What makes steroids any different? They’re not but their muscle building, fat burning and emotional lifting action on the mind and body can be extremely powerful and phsycologicaly addicting. These effects may leads to its use and extreme abuse.People are generally never completely satisfied with the results that they ahieve from using steroids because they know that if they use just a little bit more they will get just a little bit bigger and stronger. This thought cycle continues until the user is on a roller coaster of abuse that usually leads to an onslaught of physical and mental health problems. A lack of education about the safest ways to use these drugs also may contribute to these health risks.

There are generally two methods of delivery of anabolic steroids in the body. These delivery methods comprise of oral ingestion or intamuscullar injection. The most popular injectable forms of anabolic steroids used in America today (in order of popularity) are Deca-Durabolin, Testosterone Cypionate, Equipose and Sostenon 250. Injectable steroids tend to be less toxic on the liver than orals. This is because orals have an altered chemical composition that allows them to stay intact through the digestive process and through liver metabolism. This altered chemical configuration is the addition of an alkyl substitute on the 17th carbon position of the steroid molecule. Many people still like oral steroids better for obvious reasons ( You dont have to stick yourself and end up with a continuously sore rear end). The most popular of these oral steroids in the USA today are Anadrol 50, Winstrol v (stanazolol) and Primobolan orals.
The aformentioned steroids all have mixed androgenic and anabolic properties. So which ones are the most effective and have no or little side effects? Unfortunately all anabolic steroids have undesireable side effects. Typically the perfect steroid would be purely anabolic because the majority of the side effects associated with steroid abuse usually occur because of the drugs androgenic qualities. Some mild steroids such as Deca-durabolin, Winstrol V and Primobolan have minimal androgenic qualities and therefore would be considered ‘clean steroids’ or the safest to use. Highly androgenic steroids such as the testosterone’s and Anadrol 50 are the most potent steroids available. These high androgens are also the strongest anabolics and are favorites among bodybuilders looking for extreme results. They also have a high price tag which consists of high liver toxicity and adverse reactions on the hypothalimus-pituitary-testicular axis resulting in abnormal hormonal secretions. Long term use also results in receptor breakdown and can result in the inability for the steroids to aid in the muscle growth process.

In an attempt to reduce the risks associated with steroid abuse, and increase the benefits, many athletes have placed much emphasis on proper cycling of their steroids. They use different combinations of steroids throughout this cycle at specified times for their desired results. These combinations are called stacks. Some steroid stacks used by bodybuilders are more effective as bulking agents and are utilized in the off-season training. Others are better at cutting and are utilized in pre-contest preparation. As mentioned before cycling steroids also helps to prevent down regulation of receptor sites and makes the benefits obtained from particular steroids to be stronger and longer lasting.
The negative effects obtained from using steroids can be numerous and very serious. The media has sensationalized these side effects as scare tactics to some degree but the fact still remains that anabolic steroids can cause many adverse health related conditions. Remember that steroids are potentially very addicting. Users often lose most of the size and strength gains that they achieve while on steroid cycles . During this time they may also experience depression and anxiety because of the suppression of natural occuring androgens due to the steroid use. Many users never completely get off of the drugs because of this.
The list is quite long but here are some of the most common side effects associated with steroid use: sodium retention, acne, gynecomastia, aggression, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, palpitations, enlarged heart, virilization, cancer, decreased blood clotting ability, headaches, anxiety, depression, impotence, stomach aches, jaundice, muscle tears, enlarged prostate, premature hair loss, stunted growth, immune system suppression, insomnia, sterility, and anaphylactic shock.Although these risks are very real many individuals have decided to chose this path. And no matter what the consequences may or may not be from using steroids the fact is that people are going to keep on using them. All of the aformentioned scare tactics and legislation won’t curb the use of steroids. There is only one thing that will prevent an athlete determined to be the best at his(her) sport from doing steroids.... an effective steroid alternative.