Testosterone the Only Anabolic Steroid In a First Cycle

It is a well-known set-in-stone rule that Testosterone is such an essentially important hormone that it must be included as the primary base compound in every single cycle as either a primary anabolic compound, or at the very least as a supportive compound in the role of TRT. A ‘primary anabolic compound’ is defined as a compound within a cycle that acts as one of the primary contributors to muscle accrual, and must usually be run at supraphysiological bodybuilding doses to do so.
The same concept runs true in the sense that it is undesirable to stack multiple Anabolic Steroids in the very first cycle an individual will engage in. The issue with stacking compounds in a beginner cycle rests in the fact that it is quite possibly a very dangerous practice where unknown reactions are concerned. An individual who is a beginner that has never before utilized anabolic steroids (or has never engaged in cycle up to this point in their lives) would be unsure of what to expect in terms of effects, side effects, and experiences upon first use. Considering the massive amount of misinformation and over-exaggerated propaganda in regards to anabolic steroids by the general public, this can be quite concerning for a novice anabolic steroid user who is beginning to tread on unfamiliar waters. It then stands to reason that if a stack of multiple anabolic steroids are run in a first-time beginner cycle, and the individual reacts in a very negative fashion (or begins to experience very undesirable side effects), there is no possible means for this individual to narrow down and determine which of the multiple stacked compounds is the culprit for the bad reaction. There might even be multiple compounds exhibiting such an undesirable effect, and there might even be two or more anabolic steroids that would never exhibit such an effect without the synergistic interconnected effects with other compounds in the stack. One can easily see how this could easily become life-threatening if a particular reaction were to be a very serious mortal reaction, such as an allergic reaction, for example.

What Are The Risks of Leaving Testosterone Out of Every Cycle?

In the case of the utilization of Testosterone as a base essential compound in every single cycle, the idea of running a cycle that does not include Testosterone (or is an oral anabolic steroid only cycle) is, simply put, a very bad idea. Without any form of Testosterone present (endogenous or exogenous), the body will be unable to maintain those normal physiological functions that are controlled and governed by Testosterone itself.  Many other analogues and derivative anabolic steroids, such as Trenbolone for example, might perhaps be several times as anabolic as Testosterone (in Trenbolone’s case, it is five times the strength of Testosterone, which is extremely impressive). But these attributes and greater anabolic strength increases are all the advantages that the majority of these compounds have going for them. For example, as previously mentioned, Trenbolone is a very strong anabolic steroid – the strongest conventionally and commercially available anabolic steroid in existence – with absolutely no Estrogenic effects and very strong anabolic effects.  However, it does not serve as a proper androgen for normal physiological function within the body. ‘Normal physiological function’ refers to far more than one or two functions such as libido or other apparent functions which happen to be overanalyzed and overemphasized by many individuals that do not see what is essentially ‘the big picture’. The human body’s physiology and endocrine system are not as abridged and dumbed down as many uneducated anabolic steroid users make it out to be, especially when trivializing the inclusion of Testosterone in every cycle.

Testosterone is a hormone that is vital for proper libido function, it is a regulator of cognitive and physical energy, it serves to regulate the population of thromboxane A2 receptors on megakaryocytes and platelets (and hence platelet aggregation in humans), and it is critical for proper function of mental and psychological processes, as well as a myriad of other crucial physiological functions – so many, in fact, that to cover all of these functions would require a completely separate article. However, the majority of these functions have already been discussed throughout this article, and the absolute importance of Testosterone in every cycle for the purpose of the upkeep of these proper physiological functions should be of no surprise to the reader at this point. Because a certain anabolic steroid is ‘better’ or ‘stronger’ than Testosterone in one or two select areas (namely anabolic tissue increases, which is what every individual overemphasizes), and that it could possibly be more convenient to administer (such as oral-only cycles), absolutely does not mean that it is better than Testosterone in every single aspect and function. The majority of anabolic steroid analogues either do nothing at all or falls very short in providing proper regulation to many of those physiological functions that Testosterone is responsible for regulating and governing. There are in fact a plethora of other anabolic steroid variants that can and do also serve to in fact mitigate (hamper or disable) those functions.

Best Steroids

What are the best steroids? This is a tricky question and one that can’t be answered with a single anabolic steroid. With literally hundreds of anabolic steroids available to us deciding which is the best steroids is difficult. We can however, decide which steroid is best suited for your goals or point you in the right direction. There are a number of factors, which can determine the best steroid for you, the user. Your age, past experience, gender, goals, training experience, weight, level of muscle mass, current health state and genetics. Below we will try to discuss this in more detail and determine the best steroids available and optimally suited.

Best Steroids Overall

There is one anabolic steroid that is the best steroid for overall application and that’s none other than the primary male sex hormone – Testosterone. Testosterone is what gives males their sex drive, muscle mass, wide shoulders, strength gains, confidence and sense of well-being. It’s the alpha-male hormone after all and makes us men. Testosterone is what almost all steroids are derived from including some of the most popular steroids available to us, such as Dianabol, Deca-Durabolin and Dihydrotestosterone (DHT) derived steroids, like Winstrol and Anavar. Testosterone is the best steroid and most popularly used anabolic steroid used and ever used and for good reason. Testosterone is excellent and building muscle and increases fat loss in users when larger exogenous amounts are injected or administered. As well as building muscle and accelerating fat loss, its also one of the best steroids for preserving muscle mass when in a calorie deficit or when dieting. Whether you’re bulking or cutting, Testosterone is often used as a base for the steroid cycle because of these above positive effects, and ability to maintain sexual function and other male characteristics that other anabolic steroids may decrease when used alone.  Testosterone is also widely available and in numerous applications. Oral testosterone, injectable testosterone, testosterone or steroid creams and gels and pellets all give us extra amounts of testosterone when required.

Because testosterone is already in our bodies we have experienced its effects going through puberty (males). Therefore we may have experienced the acne, gynecomastia, mood swings, aggression, hair growth and hair loss, increased sex drive and deepening of vocal chords. Larger amounts of applied testosterone will merely amplify these effects but generally, testosterone is a well tolerated and fairly friendly anabolic steroid.

The Five Basic Stipulations of Proper Steroid Cycles and Responsible Steroid Use

1. No individuals under the age of 24 should engage in any anabolic steroid cycles what so ever.
2. Testosterone must be the very first and the ONLY anabolic steroid used in the very first beginner anabolic steroid cycle, and Testosterone must also be included in all cycles, no exceptions.
3. Cycle lengths should be kept as short as possible.
4. The lowest effective dose in order to provide gains should always be utilized before increasing doses.
5. An absolute minimum of stacked compounds (no more than 2 at any given time unless absolutely necessary) should be used in any given anabolic steroids cycle.

Detailed explanations of the five stipulations:

1. There is no specific age for each and every human that has been determined to be the age by which the human body and its subsystems (especially the endocrine system, which is our primary concern here) have fully matured and developed. The ultimate final age by which we all reach full growth and maturation is determined by our genetics and to a lesser extent, our lifestyle habits. Every individual’s genetic ‘programming’ is different, and therefore some individuals will fully mature at a younger age while others may reach full maturation at approximately 24 years of age, and others will perhaps mature at an even older age. It is general knowledge concerning the endocrine system that Testosterone levels in males are continually rising until the median average age of approximately 24 – 25 years old, at which point these levels reach their peak and begin to decline. The Hypothalamic Pituitary Testicular Axis (HPTA) which controls endogenous natural Testosterone production is a very sensitive network. Furthermore, there is no specific ‘test’ that one might be able to undergo in order to determine if he/she has reached full maturation of the human body’s subsystems. Therefore, the average median age by which almost all human beings reach maturity has been determined to be 24 – 25 years of age. Some may mature earlier (as mentioned earlier) and some later than this. By engaging in anabolic steroid cycles and introducing anabolic steroids to the body prior to the age of 24, the risks of severely and permanently disrupting and damaging the endocrine system is extremely high. Only after the age of 24 – 25 do the risks of considerable and permanent HPTA damage drop drastically.

2. Testosterone is literally the original anabolic steroid, produced naturally within all humans and most animal species. It is considered the safest anabolic steroid one could use for this reason, due to the fact that it is the hormone that each individual’s body already produces, already uses, and is already accustomed to. Therefore, the use of Testosterone for the purpose of performance and physique enhancement is simply the equivalent of introducing more of a hormone into the human body that it already manufactures and uses.

Furthermore, all first cycles for bare beginners to the world of anabolic steroids should always use some form of Testosterone-only as their very first anabolic steroid cycle. Solitarily run Testosterone cycles provide the user with a safe compound (Testosterone) that the human body is already accustomed to naturally, as all humans already produce Testosterone endogenously. This will allow the user to gauge their response to the most basic anabolic steroid, Testosterone. It is from this gauging process that individuals can assess their potential responses to other anabolic steroids, as the chances are that if an individual responds horridly to a basic Testosterone cycle, then there will likely be a higher chance of the individual responding even worse to most other compounds which are essentially modified analogues of Testosterone.

As explained above, solitary Testosterone-only cycles are the ideal beginner first-time anabolic steroid cycles. The problem with stacking multiple compounds in a beginner first-time cycle lies in the fact that it is quite a potentially dangerous practice. A hypothetical beginner who has never used anabolic steroids or whom has never run a cycle before would not know what to expect upon use. It stands to reason that if a stack of several different compounds are run for a first cycle and the individual reacts in a very negative manner (or experiences a particular very undesirable side effect), there will be no possible means for this individual to figure out which anabolic steroid is responsible for the bad reaction if a cocktail of several anabolic steroids have been stacked in one cycle. This would become possibly life-threatening if said reaction were to be a very serious mortal reaction (such as an allergic reaction, for example).

3. Duration of use is an extremely very influential factor but very easily understood, as it need not be explained that the longer a particular anabolic steroid cycle is run, the increased incidence of side effects will also present themselves as the duration of use becomes longer and longer. The recovery of natural endogenous Testosterone production also becomes increasingly difficult following the termination of an anabolic steroid cycle if a cycle is run for longer and longer lengths of time. Various anabolic steroids may exhibit higher degrees of HPTA suppression and shut-down than other compounds, but all anabolic steroids exhibit this effect of HPTA suppression and eventual shutdown as duration of use continues. Severely atrophied Leydig cells in the testes following extremely long cycles will have far greater difficulty re-engaging endogenous Testosterone production again due to desensitization to gonadotropins resultant of long-term suppression/shutdown. Ideal cycle lengths for short-estered anabolic steroids should be in the range of 8 – 10 weeks, and for long-estered anabolic steroids, 10 – 12 weeks. Any longer than this and the individual runs high risk of increasingly difficult HPTA recovery.

4. The issue of utilizing the lowest effective dose is simple: make progress with the lowest possible dose first, grow into this dose, and then increase the dose as required (which is on average, several cycles into beginner use). Many individuals (mostly beginners) tend to engage in extremely ludicrous activity whereby a brand-new first-timer will run 500mg/week on their first cycle, then proceed to 700mg/week on their second cycle, and then 1,000mg/week on their third, and so on and so forth. This is absolutely unnecessary, and, not to mention not very healthy at all. As mentioned earlier, many anabolic steroid users (both beginners and experienced users) severely underestimate the power of these hormones and most usually when individuals do things like that, it is because they claim their gains and progress has stopped. The culprit is usually a flaw in their nutrition or training (or both), not in how many mg per week of total steroid they are using. These details and concerns must be kept in mind. A very important detail for all individuals to understand in relation to anabolic steroid doses is that the human body only manufactures approximately 50 – 70mg weekly of Testosterone (depending on various factors such as age, lifestyle habits, genetics, etc.). Considering this, we can use logic to conclude that: 500mg is approximately 7 – 10 times the amount that the human body produces. Suffice to say, 300mg weekly should then be perfect for any first-time beginner cycle.

5. Quite simply put: the use of more than two compounds stacked in any given anabolic steroid cycle is completely unnecessary for the average casual recreational anabolic steroid user. The stacking of three or more compounds in a single anabolic steroid cycle is only necessary for competitive bodybuilders and professional athletes. Increasing the number of anabolic steroids utilized in a single cycle increases the weekly dose of total steroid, which thereby increases the risk and intensity for side effects tenfold, and presents increasingly harsh stressors on the human body. 

How to Avoid Suppression of Testosterone Production

The classic cycle of anabolic steroids taken within 24 hours (for example, injectable testosterone esters) necessarily lead to a suppression of LH and products, respectively, to the suppression of testosterone production.

There are 3 ways to avoid this:

1) Avoid permanent use of highly-androgenic steroids.
This can be accomplished, for example, using the oral steroid (whose half-life of several hours), half the dose in the morning (eg. at 9 AM), while the remaining half of the dose at approximately at the afternoon (at 12 AM). Even 100 mg per day of Methandrostenolone can be used in this way with a slight suppression of testosterone production.

This is due to the fact that high eroven exogenous (produced outside of) testosterone is kept for 3-4 hours, but this has not been enough to trigger the lowering of its own testosterone level (probably due to the fact that the pituitary and the hypothalamus does not respond only the current level of androgens, but also on past levels of testosterone and this 4-hour hormonal racing roughly be ignored endocrine system). The problem with this approach is that the effect on the growth of muscle mass is not very good compared to when the steroid in the blood constant.

2) Use the number and type of steroid, which will not significantly inhibit the production of testosterone. Primobolan in a dosage of 200-400 mg per week suitable for this purpose. However, in this case, the results of such a cycle would not be comparable to the more substantial cycle. Esters of testosterone (eg. drugs like Sustanon, Omnadren, Test Enanth, Testosterone Cypionate, etc.) and nandrolone decanoate (Retabolil, Deca Durabolin) significantly inhibit the production of testosterone, even at a dose of 100 mg per week, so that the use of these drugs in low dosage does not make sense: testosterone production will be suppressed and quite unsignificant progress will be achieved.

3) Generally, anti-androgens could be used, but it's just completely stop the growth results in a mass and strength.

In those cycles where steroids doses are high enough to effectively increase the results seen an interesting thing. During the first 2 weeks of the cycle only the activity of the hypothalamus is suppressed, and it produces much less LHRH as a result of high levels of steroids.

Activity of the pituitary gland at this time is not suppressed at all: in fact, LHRH receptors are sensitive and will respond to LHRH (if it is produced) even more than usual. However, after two weeks, the activity of the pituitary gland is also suppressed, and even if LHRH is produced, the pituitary will produce little or no produce LH. In this case, there comes a deeper type of suppression of the arc. Apparently, after the suppression of this point, there is no next point, where again the suppression becomes deeper. But over time, the restoration is complicated.

Practically there is no distinction between the use of steroids for 3 weeks and 8 weeks: recovery will take the same time. Between 8 and 12 weeks, it becomes increasingly likely that the recovery will be harder and slower, even though the 12-week cycle typically does not create too many problems, and recovery takes only a few weeks. Cycles longer than 12 weeks can create substantial problems with recovery.

It is not known exactly what changes occur in the hypothalamus and pituitary gland when courses are too long, but in practice it appears that the more the cycle goes for 8 weeks, the longer and more difficult the subsequent recovery. There is a suspicion that what occur violation of the mechanisms of secretion of LHRH hypothalamus.

Prohormones

Prohormones have grown in popularity over the past decade, with many bodybuilding and sport supplement companies developing and marketing new prohormones, and many bodybuilders and athletes using the supplements as a legal way of hopefully obtaining steroid like effects. Prohormones work by being a precursor to a parent steroid, such as Testosterone, which requires conversion via an enzymatic process. Due to the steroid conversion being limited by this enzymatic process, we are usually likely to see less potent effects from using prohormones, compared to using anabolic androgenic steroids.

Prohormones are commonly used by bodybuilding and athletes for the very same reason they would look to use anabolic androgenic steroids. Prohormones bring about a heightened level of potent muscle building hormones which result in muscle hypertrophy, increase in strength, greater aggressiveness, and other anabolic and androgenic characteristics (some positive and others possibly negative, such as acne or male pattern baldness).
Side effects from prohormone use

Side effects from prohormone use is the same, although likely to a lesser degree, as anabolic androgenic steroid use. Side effects differ from one prohormone to another (just as we would expect from steroids), depending greatly on the prohormones aromatisation rate to oestrogen, and the parent steroid hormone anabolic and androgenic properties. Oestrogen related side effects can be a possibility from prohormone use, including increased water retention, and the chance of devolving Gynecomstia (breast tissue development). If these side effects are unwanted then using a prohormone with a low conversion rate to oestrogen would be preferred, although it would not totally eliminate the possibility of experiencing such side effects. Androgenic side effects are common from prohormone usage, commonly including acne, oily skin, male pattern baldness and prostate swelling. A post cycle therapy is best implemented post prohormone cycle, like with any anabolic androgenic steroid cycle, to try to help restore the users natural testosterone production. There are over the counter supplements which are marketed at helping post prohormone cycle, although the most effective method is said to be the employment of drugs such as Nolvadex and/or Clomid. You can read more about this in our post cycle therapy (PCT) article.
Common prohormones

4-AD (4-androstenediol)

Available in transdermal and oral forms, 4-AD has a conversion rate to Testosterone of around 15-20%, and three times that of androstenedione. 4-AD is a popular prohormone due to its inability to convert to oestrogen and DHT (dihydrotestosterone), although some aromatisation may result from the metabolism of the prohormone.

We can expect androgenic side effects from 4-AD use, so acne, oily skin and MPB should be prepared for.

Common dosages of 4-AD is generally up to 100mg each day, although a lower dosages should be used by inexperienced users.

1-AD (1-androstenediol)

1-AD converts to the very potent 1-Testosterone, a steroid that is said to be 700% more anabolic then Testosterone, furthermore 5-alpha reduced so lacks the ability to cause aromatisation. 1-AD is very oral active, possessing a very high conversion rate due to the liver activating the prohormone upon passing, and resistant to being broken down unlike other prohormones.

1-AD manifests its androgenic nature very quickly, therefore androgenic side effects can be very much expected from its usage, and therefore may not be a suitable prohormone for those prone to such side effects.
A final word of caution

Hopefully you have read the above and are now well aware of the possible side effects from the use of prohormones. Prohormones should not be under estimated, and unfortunately they often are because of their availability of legal status. Research and preparation should be done prior to a prohormone cycle, just as with an anabolic androgenic steroid cycle. If you know others which are thinking of embarking on a prohormone cycle please email this article to them so they are well aware of the risked involved with prohormone use.

Although prohormones can be potentially dangerous if not understood and misused, in the educated hands who has prepared for all possible side effects, prohormones use can result in a very pronounced anabolic environment for heightened muscle growth, better recovery, and increase strength gains. 

How To Cycle Off From Steroids

Heavy steroid using athletes, particularly weight lifters, bodybuilders, football players, hockey players, shot-putters etc., are subject to many adverse consequences from continuous steroid use without a break. Adverse cardiovascular effects, liver stress, HPTA downregulation, excessive virilization (women) and psychological disturbances or dependency, are some of the major problems that may develop in these individuals. Additionally, users may develop a tolerance for anabolic steroids that can only be overcome by increasing the dosage or by ceasing the use altogether. The latter, of course, is a much healthier course of action than the former.

Coming off of steroids, particularly long-term usage, is certainly not easily done without considerable loss of muscle mass. Additionally, there can be psychological effects that include depression and loss of motivation. For many athletes, especially those with schedules that do not allow prolonged periods away from competition completely coming off of steroids is not considered an option. However, if these athletes knew how to take the right approach they just might be able to cycle off and have a good chance at maintaining much of their physical condition. This could enable them to increase their ultimate potential in their sports as well as their longevity in the competitive arena.

The Strategy
The off cycle regimen must consist of proper drug, nutritional, and training protocols. The primary goals to achieve are the following:

Minimization of protein catabolism

Maintenance of muscle glycogen levels

Maintenance of high-normal red blood cell levels

Minimization of fat deposition

Avoidance of injury, or injury aggravation

Maintenance of healthy attitude and psychological state

Drugs
This is an off steroids cycle and most certainly not an off drugs cycle. In fact, the proper use of non-steroidal drugs is the mainstay of this program and is vital to its success. I will describe the drugs to be used, why they are used, and how they should be used.

Growth Hormone

GH is probably the single most important drug to maintain muscle mass and bodyweight off of steroids. While GH is not known to be great for anabolic effects, it is very effective for anti-catabolism. Anti-catabolism, or minimization of muscle mass loss, is after all what we are most interested in here. GH has an overall anti-proteolytic effect on the body and shifts the body's metabolism away from the utilization of amino acids and glucose for energy, and towards the use of fat. The end result will be a protective effect upon muscle protein and glycogen, and a mobilizing effect upon body fat.

Many bodybuilders have discovered how wonderful GH, at the proper dosages, is in maintaining their muscle mass off of steroids. Former IFBB pro Gary Strydom once commented that he didn't care if the IFBB tested for steroids, as long as they didn't test for GH.

Notice how I said at the proper dosages. That's right, small dosages just won't cut it. For most people a minimum of 4 i.u. a day is required to impart a proper metabolic response in the body. Some may go as high as 18 i.u. a day but at this levels many problems can occur (i.e. edema, nerve impingement).

There probably is no great advantage to taking GH more than once a day, though some may inject twice a day. GH primarily works through its conversion to IGF-1 and the half-life of IGF-1 in the body is plenty long (8-16 hours). So once a day administration will be good enough to maintain pretty constant levels of IGF-1 in the blood. Furthermore, evidence is also mounting that GH breaks down to certain active peptide fragments with specific biological functions (i.e. lipolysis) and that these have prolonged half lives. Therefore, the active lifetime of the intact GH molecule itself in the blood might be pretty irrelevant.

GH is not cheap through most channels. However, good GH can be obtained from Asia at a fraction of the cost (10 - 20%) that it is available elsewhere.

I think I should also mention now that there is a big misconception amongst people as to what the shelf life of GH is, and that most people grossly underestimate it. The Journal of Chemical Technology states that freeze dried GH products (unreconstituted) are quite stable under refrigerated conditions, and a 24-month shelf-life is typical at this temperature. Also, although solutions of GH at neutral pH readily deamidate (lose ammonia group from end of molecule), and storage of the reconstituted product is limited to a few weeks under refrigerated conditions, biological activity is relatively unaffected even after prolonged storage. So the stuff really stays pretty active in the frig for a considerable time. By the way, reconstituted solutions of GH should NEVER be frozen (this will be the death of it)

Insulin (Humalog)

The use of insulin provides a couple of very important functions in the off steroid period. First of all, it helps preserve glycogen storage in the muscle. Steroids are very good at stimulating glycogen storage and this property likely plays an integral part in their performance enhancing benefits. Going off of steroids leads to a reversal of this and the result is muscular weakness, fatigue, and loss of size and bodyweight. The proper use of insulin can help minimize this.

Furthermore, insulin can help to minimize protein breakdown through its anti-proteolytic effects. Insulin is quite potent in regards to its protective effect on muscle protein, unfortunately it also is very potent in regards to its protective effect on maintaining body fat. Insulin therefore has to be used in the proper fashion to maximize the former, and minimize the latter.

The proper usage of insulin requires the fast acting insulin analog known as Lis-Pro insulin, or Humalog. This altered insulin product is available only by prescription. It differs from other insulin in that it is absorbed quickly into the body after subcutaneous injection. The average time to peak blood levels is 90 minutes and generally it is out of your system in 3 to 4 hours.

Humalog is to be taken immediately after training. The physiology of the body after intense training is such that the benefits of insulin can be maximized, while drawbacks are minimized. Muscle insulin sensitivity as well as insulin independent glucose uptake will peak in the 2-3 hours or so after training. In this time, insulin will preferentially stimulate glucose uptake and glycogen synthesis in muscle over fat. Additionally, high insulin levels at this time will help to counteract the catabolic state that exists in muscles right after they have been damaged by training. A discernible improvement in training recovery (less soreness and injury pain) is often noticed by individuals who utilize this technique.

Humalog administration must be followed by intake of simple carbohydrates and protein within 20 minutes. A general rule is one unit of Humalog per ten kilograms bodyweight, and ten grams of carbs and ten grams of protein per unit of Humalog. That sounds like a lot of carbs and protein but it must be ingested. Whey protein is best, and glucose or maltodextrin can be used for the carbs. 5 grams of creatine can also be added as well as well as 5-10 grams of glutamine.

Erythropoietin (EPO)

Erythropoietin (EPO) is a protein hormone secreted by the kidneys and liver that stimulates red blood cell production (erythropoiesis). Red blood cells carry oxygen to the tissues of the body and so obviously are vital to maximal health and athletic performance.

When people take anabolic steroids, particularly some oral ones such as Anadrol, erythropoiesis is stimulated. The result is an increase in the proportion of blood cells in the blood, also known as the hematocrit. This increase in the hematocrit is partially responsible for the energizing and recovery benefits of steroids. It may also contribute to the blood volume and vascularizing effects of anabolics.

When you go off anabolics, the increase in hematocrit gradually subsides and you return to pre-cycle lower levels (or below). This effect will take its toll on your physical condition and ability to train at high intensity. Therefore, administration of exogenous EPO can have obvious benefits in the steroid withdrawing athlete.

In addition to its effect in increasing hematocrit, there is some evidence that EPO has direct anabolic effects. It has been shown in rat studies to substantially increase weight gain and injury repair after surgery. Furthermore, EPO receptors are present on myoblasts (immature muscle cell progenitors) and may have a potential in muscle development and repair.

EPO is sold in recombinant form (rhEPO) for injection. One popular form is called Epogen, and it is made for subcutaneous usage. A safe or starting dosage is usually 20 i.u. per kilogram bodyweight, 3 times/week. After two or three weeks, a maintanence dose of 20 iu/kg BW can be taken once a week. One should wait about two weeks after ceasing steroids to commence EPO therapy to avoid any excessive increases in hematocrit which can be quite dangerous. It is also very advisable to have periodic blood tests that include a hematocrit assay while taking EPO just to be safe. Interestingly, I think that this test is automatically done for free everytime you donate blood, and all you need to do is ask the nurse what your hematocrit is reading (just out of curiosity of course). 

HGH Therapy - Adding Vitality to Your Life

Steroids have been controversial ever since these were introduced in the 1950s. Numerous news accounts, mostly on sports figures that tested positive for steroid use, continue to bring negative connotation on these substances. While it is true that some forms of steroids are banned, there are many which are legal (albeit restricted), including the Human Growth Hormone (HGH), also known as Somatotropin. Marketed as Real HGH, Somatropin or 191 Amino Acid Sequence HGH, the biologic drug is available in the US, Europe and other countries. hgh therapy

This HGH hormone is produced naturally in the human body by the pituitary gland and, as its name implies, is responsible for making cells grow bigger and divide more rapidly. HGH also facilitates inter-cellular amino acid distribution and conversion to proteins, which results in muscle build-up. Studies also show that somatotropin reduces carbohydrate usage in the cells and increase utilization of fats, resulting in a leaner body composition.

Humans make HGH throughout their lifetime; a steady growth from the early years until puberty when production of the hormone reaches its peak and the body experiences growth spurts. At the age of forty, the amount of HGH produced by the body starts to decline a phenomenon seen as the main cause of reduced body functions and frailty that comes with old age.

At present, HGH is medically indicated for the following conditions: growth hormone deficiency in adults, children with short stature or kidney failure, and people with HIV and AIDS - to counteract the muscle wasting effect of these conditions. In the US, use of HGH as an anti-aging treatment is prohibited, though in a report last year, CNN found that prescriptions for HGH treatment are on the rise, even if its legal status is fuzzy.

In adults, use of HGH had been shown to increase metabolism, physical and mental energy, muscle mass, libido and bone density as well as normalize cholesterol levels and reduce body fat. Some of the side effects associated with HGH include swelling in arms and legs, arthritis and carpal tunnel symptoms, muscle pain, diabetes and abnormal growth of bones. Weighing the benefits one gets from HSH against the common side-effects, a growing number of endocrinologists have recognized that in many cases, the advantages far outweigh the possible side-effects, particularly for people whose lifestyle has been greatly curtailed as a result of the hormone deficiency. There are many documented instances wherein patients report generally greater signs of vitality, better health and well-being after taking the hormone.

In the US, body builders and other people with active lifestyles routinely use HGH procured either by prescriptions or online purchases. Obviously, these people see the lean muscle development and fat-burning effects of the hormone greater than the risks associated with it. Other important factors that weigh heavily in favor of HGH are its ability to heal muscle - even cartilage- injuries quickly, and the fact that it is undetectable (for now) in current drug-testing tests a boon for athletes who are required to undergo these tests. For years, bodybuilders have known that combining the hormone with testosterone drugs brings better results well-defined muscles, heightened endurance and strength.

While selling of the injectable HGH is restricted in the country, a lot of online suppliers from abroad can ship the drug to US residents without any complications. Usually, the hormone is taken with other performance-enhancing steroids which are also supplied by the online stores.