Bodybuilding, and many other strength sports, unfortunately, are no longer conceivable without taking anabolic steroids; this is a recognized fact , especially when it comes to a professional level athlete, when every kilogram or centimeter can decide whether an athlete will become a record holder or not.
The information in this article is provided for informational purposes only. We are against taking anabolic steroids, especially without medical supervision. At the same time, we understand that if a person really wants to do something, he will do it, therefore, in order to protect athletes from mistakes and misunderstandings, this article was written.
Thus, anabolic steroids smoothly transition into the usual diet for athletes with a high level of physical fitness. However, if highly qualified athletes often take steroids under the strict supervision of a doctor , with mandatory testing before, during and after the “chemical” course, then the rest of the mass of amateurs , and even experienced athletes, “forget” and use steroids uncontrollably, based only on their own subjective, internal sensations.
If you are reading this article, then you are already on the right track, which means you are not only concerned about issues related to lifting the barbell and muscle mass .
As numerous surveys , only 20% of all athletes who use anabolic steroids undergo regular tests (blood and urine), by which they assess the state of their health and draw appropriate conclusions. What about all the other athletes, does everyone really care about their health? Of course not, everyone wants to live happily ever after, the reason, as usual, is money (tests are not cheap), and neglect of one’s body, which is based on the same motives as the habit of “smoking”: everyone smokes , and that’s okay, they walk around healthy, many athletes think the same way - “many of my friends take anabolic steroids, and that’s okay, they walk around healthy.” Of course, thinking like this is a big misconception, but about everything in order, read below.
Medical examination for steroid use[edit | edit code]
Yuzhakov Anton Blood tests. List of basic tests. How and when to get tested correctly
Yuzhakov Anton Analyzes throughout the course and point starting from 2:25
Yuzhakov Anton Tests for the condition of the liver 1:20
Everyone knows that taking anabolic steroids is associated with health risks. However, the athlete has a number of tools in his arsenal that can prevent and eliminate most complications. Many problems cannot be identified without additional examinations, and when they begin to manifest themselves, treatment will be less effective. That is why, before and after the course, medical blood tests are required, as well as examination of internal organs for hidden pathological changes.
Where can I get a blood test and other tests?[edit | edit code]
- You can contact your GP and ask him to order a series of tests, which will be described below, referring to health problems. The therapist can prescribe an examination either personally or give a referral to another specialist (endocrinologist), who will take care of you in the future.
- To avoid unnecessary questions, you can contact a private clinic or laboratory (currently they are in almost every city, you can choose which blood or urine indicators you are interested in). The only drawback is that you will have to pay for all the necessary tests and diagnostics.
Why get tested before, during and after a steroid cycle?
If you are firmly convinced that you need pharmacological support, then you should know: any intervention in the hormonal system of your body can lead to irreparable consequences that can lead to disability and even death.
However, not everything is as bad as it might seem at first glance, because, from the same aspirin , you can also die if you exceed the recommended dosage several times.
Anabolic steroids are hormonal, synthetic drugs that imitate the action of the male sex hormone testosterone .
That is, in other words, an athlete taking steroids injects himself with artificial testosterone, which has a powerful effect on the hormonal system. That is why it is not correct to compare, for example, aspirin with anabolic steroids.
We hope you are convinced that taking anabolic steroids is associated with a certain risk to the athlete’s health. And in order to minimize , it is necessary to take certain actions - take tests on time, primarily blood and urine , by which one could assess the state of one’s health.
It is worth noting that, like any drug, anabolic steroids also have their contraindications , some more, some less (depending on the type of anabolic, as well as on the method of its use: oral or injectable).
In addition, do not forget that athletes may not know that they have diseases of internal organs, for which the use of anabolic steroids is generally contraindicated, for example, liver failure , high blood pressure, hepatitis, kidney disease, and so on. In order to exclude this, so to speak, not to aggravate the situation of your health, it is necessary to undergo tests.
Why get tested when you plan to take anabolic steroids?
And of course, we must not forget that the “chemical” course, in itself, is a certain test for the body, because there is a direct intervention in the hormonal system. Therefore, in order not to pick up a “bouquet” of sores, you need to notice in time that the body is malfunctioning, and begin to take appropriate steps towards resolving the problem (by the way, this is why you also need to do PCT - post-cycle therapy).
Thus, we can summarize that taking tests, especially blood and urine, when taking anabolic steroids is mandatory , because it helps:
- avoid health problems
- minimize side effects
- PCT correctly
- identify existing health problems in the body
- prescribe the correct treatment
In addition, taking tests before and after a steroid course will help you identify a “ working ” and “not working” pharmacological drug.
What blood and urine tests are required?[edit | edit code]
Conversion table for measurement units of hormones
Let's list all the necessary diagnostic measures in sequential order, determine the feasibility, and also indicate the degree of need for them: mandatory tests are highlighted in red, yellow - of medium importance, green - of little use
. You can limit yourself to only red lists.
Before starting a course of steroids[edit | edit code]
Norm of sex hormones Norm of biochemical parameters Norm of adrenal hormones
At this stage, diagnosis is necessary primarily to identify contraindications to taking steroids. You can find contraindications in the article Side effects of steroids. If information is not indicated for increased and decreased levels, then this does not matter when using AS. If you have not been examined for the last 2-3 years and are starting to take anabolic steroids for the first time, then you should do the following:
Hormone tests
- Total and free testosterone
(read) -
set a baseline for comparison - FSH
(follicle stimulating hormone) -
set a baseline for comparison - LH
(luteinizing hormone, a natural analogue of gonadotropin) -
set a baseline level for comparison - Estrogens
(read) -
set baseline for comparison - Prolactin
(read) -
set a baseline level for comparison, if elevated, taking progestin drugs is not recommended - Progesterone
(read) -
set baseline for comparison - Cortisol
(read) -
set baseline for comparison - Thyroxine
(read) -
set a baseline for comparison
General blood analysis
- Red blood cells
-
detection of blood pathology - Leukocytes
-
immune disorders
Blood chemistry
- Glucose
-
during the course, its level may decrease or increase even more, depending on the drugs used. - Cholesterol (HDL, triglycerides)
(read) -
if elevated, the risk of developing atherosclerosis increases. Important for people over 35. - Liver enzymes
-
if elevated, rule out liver disease - Protein (total, globulins, albumins)
-
if low, kidney and liver disease is possible - Bilirubin
-
if elevated, rule out liver disease - Potassium, sodium, magnesium
-
if reduced, seizures may develop during the course, in this case additional intake is necessary
Analysis of urine
- Urea if elevated, rule out kidney disease
- Creatinine if elevated, rule out kidney disease
Instrumental methods
- Blood pressure measurement
must also be performed during the course - ECG
-
to detect heart pathology - ECHO-CG
-
to detect heart pathology - Ultrasound of the liver
-
to detect liver pathology, especially if bilirubin and enzymes are elevated
2-3 weeks after the course[edit | edit code]
Hormone tests
- Total and free testosterone
(read) -
almost always low - LH
(luteinizing hormone, a natural analogue of gonadotropin) is
almost always low - Estrogens
(read) -
if elevated, it is necessary to use antiestrogens - Prolactin
-
necessary if progestin steroids (nandrolone) were taken. - Cortisol
(read) -
if elevated, cortisol blockers are needed
Blood chemistry
- Glucose
-
should be normal; if elevated, additional diagnosis of iatrogenic diabetes may be required - Cholesterol (LDL, triglycerides)
-
if elevated, a course of treatment is necessary to reduce the level - Liver enzymes
-
if elevated, hepatoprotectors must be taken - Bilirubin
-
if elevated, it is necessary to take hepatoprotectors - Potassium, sodium, magnesium
-
necessary if cramps occur
Instrumental method
- ECG
-
to detect heart pathology
2-3 months after the course[edit | edit code]
Hormone tests
- Total and free testosterone
(read) -
if it is low, it is necessary to stimulate secretion with boosters and gonadotropin - LH
(luteinizing hormone, a natural analogue of gonadotropin) -
necessary only if testosterone is low, to determine why it is low - Estrogens
(read) -
if elevated, it is necessary to use antiestrogens - Cortisol
(read) -
if elevated, cortisol blockers are needed - Repeat other tests that were not within normal limits
Where to get tested if you want to take steroids?
Many athletes are interested in where is the best place to get blood and urine tests when planning to take anabolic steroids. We always advise everyone to give preference private clinics, since, as a rule, they always have better, technologically advanced equipment, unlike public ones , which means there will be a more accurate analysis.
In any case, you have two ways, the first is to go to the clinic (to your attending physician), to which you are assigned at your place of residence, and complain to him about non-existent problems with your health, he, in turn, will refer you to an endocrinologist to undergo the appropriate tests, of course the list will not be all that is given on our page, but it’s free .
The second way is to go directly to a private clinic (in order to save time, install the 2GIS , and in the search bar type the query “testing”, the program will show you all the clinics that provide this service, in addition, you can read reviews about each), of course, you will have to pay for them; on average, taking all tests will cost 3-5 thousand.
Choosing a clinic before taking tests?
So, let’s emphasize the advantages of private blades:
- You don't have to wait in a "kilometer-long queue"
- Test results are accurate, fast and anonymous
In addition, there are quite a lot of private clinics in every city and you don’t have to travel to the end of the city to get an appointment with an endocrinologist in a public clinic.
The only downside is that you have to pay for all tests.
Thus, the process of taking tests in a private clinic may seem like a sweet walk, and not a “road of torture”, as in a public clinic.
Recommendations before taking tests[edit | edit code]
- Tests must be taken on an empty stomach.
There is no problem in skipping breakfast. Food distorts test results. After taking glucose, testosterone levels may decrease. [1] - Avoid sexual activity 24 hours before testing
. This can affect both prolactin levels and LH, FSH and Testosterone levels. - Avoid physical activity at least 48 hours before testing. Research shows that training (including cardio sessions) has a strong effect on androgen and thyroid hormone levels.[2][3]
- It is recommended to take tests in the morning and after a good sleep. Stress can distort test results.[4]
Where to get tested
There are two options here:
- budget clinic
- private laboratory
In the clinic, a referral for biochemical tests must be written by a therapist, and an endocrinologist is responsible for hormonal tests.
But this process takes much more time and effort, so most bodybuilders prefer to get tested in a private laboratory.
Modern equipment gives more accurate results, which are obtained in a short period of time. But you need to take into account the financial side of the issue.
Take care of testosterone from a young age
A man’s normal hormonal levels are the key not only to his “intimate” activity, but also to his personal effectiveness and level of motivation. At the same time, such trivial reasons as prolonged stress, alcohol intake and elevated blood sugar levels can significantly undermine men's health. And the first signs of violations are almost invisible.
Decisive atom
According to modern data, every minute up to 11 million testosterone molecules are produced in the body of a healthy man, each of which can potentially become estradiol.
We are talking about the addition of a hydrogen atom to the testosterone molecule, this process itself is called aromatization, and the enzyme responsible for it is aromatase.
The normal content of female hormones in a man ensures the “health” of a number of organs and systems (bones, blood vessels and even neurogenesis). But, if there are too many such “transformations”, the man begins to “resemble” a woman. Moreover, both from the point of view of physiology (hair growth, voice timbre, fat distribution, and so on) and psyche (mood lability, moodiness, tearfulness).
There are many factors that can provoke this process in the modern world. Here we will look at just a few of them.
Stress
Recent studies have shown that stress caused, for example, by financial problems provokes a decrease in testosterone by 10-20%. And a return to normality occurs only when a positive result is achieved in the troubling issue.
Alcohol and excess weight
US researchers demonstrated in an experiment that a man only needs 3 months of alcohol abuse combined with a gain of 20 kg of weight for his secondary sexual characteristics to begin to feminize.
This is due both to the “estrogenic” influence of alcohol itself and the ability to “produce” female hormones in adipose tissue.
So both alcohol and excess weight are a serious risk of losing your masculine appearance.
Nutrition
One of the most powerful “competitors” of testosterone is insulin. Its release occurs after eating and, normally, quickly returns to its original “position”. However, an excess amount of sugar or easily digestible carbohydrates also requires an increase in insulin concentration.
Under such conditions, testosterone “has no choice” but to wait until insulin “calms down” and returns to normal. And the level of “male” hormone in the blood systematically decreases.
Don’t forget about phytoestrogens, which are present in significant quantities in soy and, oddly enough, in fatty milks.
By the way, men should be careful with the consumption of grapefruits - they increase the level of aromatase in the blood and the risk of “reincarnation” of testosterone into estrogen.
Condition of the heart and blood vessels
Surprisingly, a man's potency has a direct connection with blood pressure and heart rate.
Scientists have proven that an increase in heart rate above 80 beats per minute entails a decrease in testosterone levels. The same applies to the condition of blood vessels.
High blood pressure and pathologies of the coronary (heart) vessels literally “block” the production of testosterone.
Both mechanisms are strictly compensatory in nature and “turn on” when it is necessary to stop the tonic effect of the hormone on the heart and blood vessels.
Thyroid
A lack of thyroid hormones (hypothyroidism) is directly related to a decrease in testosterone.
And among other things, the thyroid gland has a large-scale effect on metabolic and anabolic processes throughout the body. So thyroid control matters far beyond just testosterone.
Warning signs
Hormonally healthy men are associated with high activity. Mental, physical and sexual. And the first “bell” of testosterone decline is often apathy.
Noteworthy is a decrease in libido and potency disorders, mood instability and moodiness, which are outwardly similar to “female” premenstrual syndrome.
With a significant decrease in the hormone, female-type obesity begins - adipose tissue is formed in the waist, hips and abdomen. And the timbre of the voice becomes “softer”.
Diagnostics
Testosterone, like many other hormones, is “under the control” of the pituitary gland. This influence is realized according to the feedback principle, when a decrease in testosterone provokes an increase in LH of the pituitary gland, and vice versa. For this reason, it is more appropriate to assess hormonal balance in a comprehensive manner.
The concentration of the hormone in the blood is also influenced by SHBG, a globulin that binds sex hormones. This protein is produced by the liver and serves as a carrier of testosterone to target organs and tissues. In this case, “during delivery” testosterone becomes bound and cannot exert its biological effects. And excess SHBG in the blood can cause symptomatic testosterone deficiency, when its production is normal.
Thus, to diagnose male hormonal balance, it is necessary to evaluate at least three indicators:
- LG,
- free fraction of testosterone,
- SHBG.
To this list, the endocrinologist can add pituitary prolactin, which is often the cause of decreased testosterone, and TSH, to assess the functioning of the thyroid gland.
In the KDL laboratory departments, the listed indicators can be taken either separately or in the convenient format of the “Hormonal Profile for Men” complex. Tests are also open for taking at home.
When is it better to stop administering synthetic somatotropin?
With poor health and the presence of inflammatory processes in organs or other acute diseases: hepatitis, bacteria, ulcers, gastritis, inflammation of the intestines, prostate gland, thyroid gland and more. The decision to start a course of growth hormone can only be made when everything is in order in the body: from test results to general well-being. But even in this case, consulting a doctor will not hurt. And if there are any problems, they need to be completely eliminated before starting drug therapy.
Important! If there were relatives with cancer in the family, I do not recommend thinking about using artificial somatotropin at all, since the risks of triggering autoimmune processes increase in the event of a disease in the organs that the relatives experienced.
Pressure check
In addition to passing certain tests, before a course of steroids you should definitely check the functioning of your cardiovascular system, which happens by measuring the athlete’s blood pressure. It is better to do this when you are completely calm and relaxed. And if it is clear that even at rest your blood pressure is elevated, then you should expect that it will rise even more in the future. This will happen due to the use of drugs with progestogenic activity or strong shock absorption, which will increase the amount of water in the body. Therefore, if you see that you have high blood pressure, you will need to abandon strong steroids in favor of weaker drugs. It is also advisable to check your blood pressure during the course of taking medications in order to adjust their intake, if necessary.
Normal hormone levels
When you know what tests are taken before a course of steroids, you just have to remember their norm in order to find out whether you should sound the alarm when you receive the results of the examination, or you can simply undergo simple therapy to correct the situation.
- Free testosterone levels in women should be 0.29-3.18 pg/ml, and in men - 8.69-54.69 pg/ml.
- The globulin level in women should be 18-94 nmol/l, in men - 13-71 nmol/l.
- Estradiol levels in women should be 10-90 pg/ml, and in men - 8-36 pg/ml.
- Prolactin levels in women should be 6-24 ng/ml, and in men - 7-18 ng/ml.
- The level of glucose, that is, sugar, in a healthy person cannot exceed 5.5 mmol/l.
- The bilirubin level in women should be 3.2-17 µmol/l, and in men - 3.4-17 µmol/l.
- The level of aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase in women should not exceed 31 U/l, and in men - 37 U/l.
Why is post-cycle therapy needed?
Post-cycle therapy is designed to combat the following list of problems:
- decreased production of your own testosterone;
- increased levels of cortisol in the blood;
- increased estrogen levels;
- depression;
- a drop in metabolic rate in general.
There are other equally significant problems that post-cycle therapy after taking steroids can solve. Among them:
- increasing libido, establishing natural spermatogenesis;
- liver recovery after the course;
- lowering cholesterol levels;
- normalization of pressure.
All activities should be carried out comprehensively, then you can exit the course safely and without losses.
