Estrogen is considered a dirty word among bodybuilders, especially those looking for chemical enhancement with steroids. Estrogen is considered a “female hormone” and therefore is thought that it should be reduced dramatically. Bodybuilders will often take aromotose inhibitors or SERMs in order to reduce the effect of estrogen in the body while taking testosterone.

While reducing estrogen can help against prostate problems, bloat, gyno risk, and female fat pattern gain, it also plays a role in your muscle gains. For this reason, one must be careful to not reduce it too low.

Estrogen effects on muscle gain:

So how can a female hormone help muscle gain? It does it through a variety of ways. Research has shown that it increases the mitogen activated protein kinase cascade, localized IGF-1, and an increase in system growth hormone levels.

The protein kinase cascade is an important reaction for IGF-1 and insulin to cause their anabolic effect. The raising of Growth hormone as a result of estrogen, also plays a synergistic role with testosterone and other anabolic hormones. Estrogen also helps in the process of retaining water, which can help cell volumization and ultimately leads to increased protein synthesis.

Does this mean then that increasing estrogen levels is a good thing for bodybuilders? Absolutely not. High levels of estrogen has a variety of negative health effects on males and will actually reduce muscle gains, if the ratio of estrogen to testosterone is high. What we are saying is that estrogen does help muscle gains, provided it’s in a near balanced ratio with testosterone(not very low or too high).

Muscle Relaxants are prescribed commonly for treatment of injury or pain. However are muscle relaxants really anything special? Once again doctors have been proven to not know what they are doing. A study was done in North Carolina on the effects of Muscle Relaxants on injured areas. They found it did not help recovery or even with the functionality of the muscle area. The study shows that muscle relaxants help with pain, but they are not a treatment or help in recovery in any way.

Most bodybuilders have probably not even heard of this very powerful fat loss agent.

What is Usnic Acid?

Usnic Acid is extracted from Usnea, a lichen. It is a bitter yellow substance. Usnic acid is used in powders and ointments for skin infection treatment. Dan Duchaine was the one that first promoted Usnic Acid heavily in the bodybuilding community.

Usnic acid is a extremely potent fat loss drug like DNP. DNP and Usnic Acid both work as an uncoupler agent in the cellular mitochondria. They both can cause dangerous body overheating and their is a very fine line between effective dose and what can kill you!

Usnic acid is highly toxic to the liver also. A mayo clinic study showed that two patients got hepatoxicity, as a result of “recommended dosages” of 3 months use. One of them had to receive a liver transplant!

Why isn’t Usnic Acid banned?

Usnic acid is technically legal over the counter because it is found occuring in nature. The FDA may eventually ban it for OTC use, but the lack of widespread use in dietary supplements, has helped keep it at a low priority with the FDA.

The mainstream media jumps on the roid rage bandwagon with cases such as Steve Benoit(the wrestler who killed his family) because they love sensationalism. They also don’t understand much about steroids and figure the public doesn’t either, so they can use that to their advantage.

Roid Rage Scientific Studies:

There have been only a few studies done on steroids and testing aggression. Some studies I have come across are Horm Behav. 2001 Nov;40(3):409-18 and Ann N Y Acad Sci. 2004 Dec;1036:399-415 and one done on human males J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 1996 Oct;81(10):3754-8 All three studies concluded that high doses of steroids (testosterone in these studies) showed an increased aggression, but not an unprovoked or irrational psychotic “roid rage”, as displayed by the media.

What does this mean?

What I been saying all along, that steroids are not really a cause of “Roid Rage”. It is people with a bad temper who are looking for an excuse to lose control and do something stupid. If anything, Alcohol is much more of a cause of rage phenomenon, considering it makes you lose your total sense of judgement. Does this mean steroids are totally innocent? No, but it’s effect on the personality is greatly overblown.

You can read another article of mine where I address many of the other Steroid facts & myths from a fair analysis, backed by experience and research.

We americans take so many prescription and over the counter drugs, we forget how they may effect our bodybuilding gains. Some drugs cause water or fat gain, others increase appetite which may make dieting hard.

Drugs that increase water gain:

- Asprin
- NSAIDs
- Lithium
- Oral contraceptive pills
- Androgenic steroids
- Corticosteroids
- Prednisone
- Phenylbutazone
- salt retaining drugs

Drugs that cause significant increase in hunger:

- Oral contraceptive pills
- Tricyclic antidepressants
- Estrogen
- Antidepressants such as Paxil and Zoloft
- Elavil
- Phenothiazines
- Propranolol
- OCP medications
- Some anti-seizure drugs, psychotropic drugs, tranquilizers,schizophrenia drugs, anticonvulsants, and salt-retaining drugs.

Hair loss is topic many bodybuilders discuss. With the higher testosterone levels from working out and the rampant steroid use, many bodybuilders want to know how to prevent it. While Hair loss is mainly genetics, there is products available over the counter that can help you prevent or even cure your current balding significantly.

Hair loss products:

Rogaine - Most people in the mainstream public have heard of rogaine. Rogain was one of the first touted hair loss cures and created a lot of hope. While it didn’t quite live up to the hype, it is still effective. It is available over the counter in the weaker strength.

Nizoral - Brand name shampoo containing the active ingredient ketoconazole. 1% is available OTC. While it is sold as a anti-dandruff shampoo, according to research it is very effective against hair loss. Ketoconazole does have anti-androgen effects on the body.

Spironolactone - Oral pill prescription originally intended for something other than hair loss. It is a potent anti-androgen in the body and therefore is not recommended to be taken orally. Some have taken this idea and prepared commercial available topical solutions of Spiro. It takes a while to absorb in the scalp,

Finasteride - The brand name Propecia, Proscar and others have this active ingredient. This is a prescription hair loss pill. It works by blocking the conversion of testosterone to DHT, the active component behind hair loss.

Anti-dandruff shampoo - Anti-dandruff shampoo such as Head & shoulders containing zinc pyrithione, helps prevent hair loss.

Side effects:

Finasteride(Propecia) is not recommended. It’s anti-androgen effects on the body cause side effects such as increased risk of gyno, lower sex drive, erectile dysfunction, estrogenic fat gains, reduced muscle gains, mood problems. You can get just as good of results from the other products, without the bad systemic side effects from taking Finasteride.

Spiro and Nizoral also have anti-androgen effects. However, they are taken topically to help avoid the more severe systemic effects. There still will be some leaking into the system circulation that cannot be avoided.

Which hair loss products are most effective

Nizoral 2% has been proven to actually be more effective than over the counter rogaine and zinc pyrithione according to studies, with regrowing hair and increasing hair follicle diameter.Those with bad hair loss genes, are recommended to take multiple hair loss products as a stack(except for Finasteride) for best results.

Hormone replacement thereapy is becoming more and more common with men in the last few years. It is also a controversial topic in the medical community.

What is HRT for men?

HRT on men is simply replacing a deficiency in Testosterone levels, in order to get them back into the “normal” range. There is legitimate reasons why a man would need to do it. Sometimes low levels can be caused by an injury. Men’s testosterone levels also decline with age. As men’s testosterone levels wane, it has a term called andropause. Unlike menopause, andropause is slow and steady decline over many years. Diet, excercise and lifestyle can help comabat against this decline in your natural testosterone levels. It is estimated 20% of men over 60 have below the low normal range of testosterone.

Benefits of HRT Therapy:

HRT therapy is very beneficial in many things. Increasing testosterone levels back to normal has the following effects: normalize his energy, better sense of well being, increase libido, improve sleep, treat erectile dysfunction, increased lean mass, reduced fat, improved cardiovascular health, reduced risk against osteoporosis, and help combat depression. The lowering of visceral fat from HRT therapy leads to lower risk of chronic ailments associated with visceral fat. HRT also seems to help many men with low testosterone shrink their prostate. I and many others believe that one cause of prostate growth might be low testosterone and high estrogen ratio, so taking HRT to maintain healthy testosterone levels

Controversy with HRT for men:

Many doctors are cautious about giving testosterone replacement therapy to patients for fear of the possible health side effects of the heart and prostate. There is a belief that testosterone therapy might increase the risk of BPH (benign prostate hypertrophy) and Prostate cancer. Although there are questions to the validity of those risks, bodybuilders also use HRT as a legal way to get steroids, and together this has led doctors being cautious about giving testosterone therapy.

In January 2004 New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) suggested caution before administering HRT therapy for men. A significant percentage of middle aged men may have “dormant” prostate cancer in it’s early stages. Prostate cancer is often slow growing and asymptomatic. Most men will eventually develop prostate cancer, if they were to live into their 70’s and 80’s. NEJM wrote in the article, that supplementing with testosterone, may cause these “hidden” cases of prostate cancer to develop into a more aggressive (clinically significant) cancer. This is why doctors check your PSA (prostate specific antigen) before administering a person to a HRT program. It allows them to assess prostate cancer risk.

This theory between testosterone levels and BPH and Prostate Cancer is highly questionable. I recently wrote a very in depth article on this blog about steroid use(testosterone is a steroid too) and the issues of prostate cancer and benign prostate hyperplasia(BPH) here. It will help give a better understanding of hormonal interactions of steroids and HRT on prostate health.

Permanent infertility is one side effect of HRT therapy that will effect all men. You will permanently lose your ability to produce testosterone naturally, once you stay on HRT for an extended period. This is because your testicles stop producing their own testosterone.

Application of HRT therapy:

HRT can be administered in injection, transdermal, implant, and oral form. Some doctors allow patients to inject themselves at home. Testosterone injections are not the best method for trying to mimic natural test production. The injections give a high dose immediately after injection, which then declines steadily over the next 2 or 3 weeks.

About Clomid:

Clomid, like Nolvadex is both a antagonist or agonist of Estrogen. Depending on the tissue, Clomid can act like an estrogen or block it’s effects.

Clomid & Bodybuilding:

Clomid is most effective in bringing up natural testosterone production after a Steroid cycle. It also has the ability to help against excessive estrogen during a cycle, however, for that Nolvadex is the preferred option. Clomid will also help reduce muscle tissue damage during excercise, improve blood cholesterol. Due to it’s estrogenic effects on the brain, it may give men a more “emotional” or “PMS” mental state.

Clomid effect muscle gains?

Bodybuilders often fear taking clomid during a cycle because they fear reducing estrogen will interfere with their muscle gains. This is a valid point, since estrogen does play a role in muscle gains.
For further reading here are a couple articles of ours on estrogen:

Anabolic effects of estrogen
Fat loss effects of estrogen

Nolvadex is commonly used among bodybuilders for a variety of reasons.

About Nolvadex:

Nolvadex acts as both a antagonist and agonist of Estrogen. In other words it either acts like a Estrogen or blocks against Estrogen. Depending on the tissue, is whether it will act like an antagonist or agonist. Nolvadex does not reduce estrogen levels in the body, instead it blocks the estrogen receptors.

Nolvadex and bodybuilding:

Nolvadex is used as an anti-estrogen to reduce estrogen during a steroid cycle thereby preventing excessive bloat and possible Gyno. Nolvadex helps prevent or cure people who are suffering from Gynecomastia (”gyno”). It has been shown in studies to help prevent or cure in some people gyno. It also can be used after a cycle to bring back natural test production, however Clomid is usually preferred by most bodybuilders.

Nolvadex effect muscle gains?

According to one study Nolvadex has a slight effect at lowering IGF-1 levels. This has caused many bodybuilders to suggest not using it during a steroid cycle. Another reason is the negatives on muscle gain reducing estrogen may cause. Here are a couple articles we wrote on estrogens role:

Anabolic effects of estrogen
Fat loss effects of estrogen

A few years ago Thyroid drugs were popular among bodybuilders for powerful control of the bodies metabolism. These days Clenbuterol seems to be the new and much safer alternative. Clenbuterol is short for the chemical name Clenbuterol Hydrochloride (brand name Spiropent). It is a stimulant that acts in a similiar mechnaism on the receptors to the well known fat loss aid ephedrine.

Clenbuterol vs Ephedrine:

Ephedrine and Clenbuterol have similiarities in fat burning, they both work on beta-2 receptors, although they do not work in the same exact way. You may wonder why some bodybuilders then go to great lengths to pick up illegal Clenbuterol through drug sources. Clenbuterol has advantages over Ephedrine because it is a more powerful fatburner. Ephedrine last for only a few hours, whereas Clenbuterol lasts for days. One also cannot take ephedrine around the clock because even low doses can interfere with sleep. Clenbuterol doesn’t raise the heart rate to the level that ephedrine does for similiar fat loss effects. This means a person using Clenbuterol can get better fat loss effects without equivalent strain on the heart or other stimulant effects.

Unfortunately, it has a significant and quick down-regulation on the beta receptors, unlike ephedrine. As a result Cytomel would be more effective in short burst cycles and Ephedrine more as a long term supplement. Clenbuterol also has a nutrient partioning effect like ephedrine, so it should help bodybuilders maintain muscle mass during extreme calorie restriction. Animal studies show it can help gain muscle and dramatically help lose fat. The study published in Br J Nutr. 1987 May;57(3):417-28 showed a increase in nitrogen retention and 33% slowdown in breakdown
of protein, the keys to muscle gain. The study also showed a significant drop in fat loss. Another study J Anim Sci. 1988 Jan;66(1):12-20 showed that clenbuterol decreases subcutaneous fat by suppressing lipogensis (fat storage). There are countless other studies supporting Clenbuterols ability to maintain a highly anabolic and fat burning effect that could be very useful during cutting, in order to hold onto more muscle and lose even more fat. Clenbuterol would have a better nutrient partiotioning effect than ephedrine because it can be taken at a stronger dose around the clock with no side effects.