Steroids Information

Trenbolone is a steroid used by veterinarians on livestock to increase muscle growth and appetite. To increase its effective half-life, trenbolone is not used in an unrefined form, but is rather administered as trenbolone acetate (Finaplix Gold from Valopharm USA, TREMBLONA QV75 from Quality Vet, Mexico), Trenbolone enanthate or Trenbolone cyclohexylmethylcarbonate (Parabolan from Laboratoires NEGMA until 1997). Plasma lipases then remove the ester in the bloodstream leaving the trenbolone base.

Illicit Use
No trenbolone compounds have been approved by the FDA for human use,[3] due to a lack of clinical applications and some potential negative side-effects.[4] It is classified as a Schedule III drug under the Controlled Substances Act. However, bodybuilders have been known to use the drug illicitly in order to increase body mass more effectively than by weight training alone. A normal bodybuilding dosage can range from 200 mg/week up to 1400 mg/week. Due to the relatively short metabolic half-life of trenbolone acetate, dosages should commonly be split into injections at least once every two days. Trenbolone enanthate can be injected once a week.

The 2006 book Game of Shadows alleges that baseball superstar Barry Bonds used this drug in 2001, when he set the current single-season home run record.

Trenbolone compounds have a binding affinity for the androgen receptor three times as high as that of testosterone.[citation needed] Once metabolised, the drugs have the effect of increasing nitrogen uptake by muscles, leading to an increase in the rate of protein synthesis. It also has the secondary effects of stimulating appetite, reducing the amount of fat being deposited in the body, and decreasing the rate of catabolism. Trenbolone has proven popular with anabolic steroid users as it is not metabolised by aromatase or 5α-reductase into estrogenic compounds such as estradiol, or into DHT. This means that it also does not cause any water retention normally associated with highly androgenic steroidal compounds like testosterone or methandrostenolone. It is also loved by many for the dramatic strength increases commonly experienced with it. Some short-term side effects include insomnia, high blood pressure, increased aggression and libido. However, since women will suffer virilization effects even at small doses, this drug should not be taken by a female. Urban wisdom/myth in bodybuilding culture, states that the use of the drug over extended periods of time can lead to kidney damage. The kidney toxicity has not yet been proven, and scientific evidence supporting the idea is suspiciously absent from the bodybuilding community that perpetuates this idea. The origin of this myth most likely has to do with the rust colored oxidized metabolites of trenbolone which are excreted in urine and often mistaken for blood. After Schänzer (Clin Chem 1996; 42(7): 1001-1020, Metabolism of anabolic androgenic steroids) trenbolone and 17epi-trenbolone are both excreted (in urine) as conjugates that can be hydrolyzed with beta

Oxandrolone (Oxandrin) is an anabolic steroid created by Searle Laboratories under the trademark Anavar, and introduced into the US in 1964. It is taken orally, and unlike other steroids delivered in this manner, most of which are Class II steroids, the majority of its effects are due to reaction with the androgen receptor. In sufficient dosage, Oxandrolone is highly likely to bind well with the receptor, and is therefore a Class I steroid, while having few other side-effects.

The drug was prescribed for a number of medical disorders causing involuntary weight loss, in order to promote muscle regrowth. It had also been shown to be partially successful in treating cases of osteoporosis. However, in part due to bad publicity from its illegal use by bodybuilders, Oxandrolone was discontinued by Searle Laboratories in 1989. It was picked up by Bio-Technology General Corporation, now Savient Pharmaceuticals, Inc. who, following successful clinical trials in 1995, released it under the tradename Oxandrin.

It was approved for orphan drug status by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in treating alcoholic hepatitis, Turner’s syndrome, and weight loss caused by HIV. In addition, the drug has shown positive results in treating anaemia and hereditary angioedema. Clinical studies however have shown links between prolonged use of the drug and problems of liver toxicity similar to those found with other 17α-alkylated steroids. Even in small dosages, many users reported gastro-intestinal problems such as bloating, nausea, and diarrhoea.

Before the Controlled Substances Act was passed to restrict the production, sale, and usage of anabolic steroids, Oxandrolone’s characteristics lent itself well towards use by female athletes. Its specificity targeting the androgen receptor meant that, unlike many other steroids, it had not been reported to cause stunted growth in younger users, and at typical dosage rarely caused noticeable masculinising effects outside of stimulating muscle growth. In addition, Oxandrolone does not aromatise at any dosage, and is not easily metabolised into DHT or estrogen. As such, a typical dose of 20-30 mg provided elevated androgen levels for up to eight hours. To increase effectiveness, bodybuilders typically “stacked” the drug with others such as Testosterone, further enhancing body mass gain.

Testosterone

Testosterone is a steroid hormone from the androgen group. Testosterone is primarily secreted in the testes of males and the ovaries of females although small amounts are secreted by the adrenal glands. It is the principal male sex hormone and an anabolic steroid. In both males and females, it plays key roles in health and well-being. Examples include enhanced libido, energy, immune function, and protection against osteoporosis. On average, the adult male body produces about twenty to thirty times the amount of testosterone that an adult female’s body does

Production
Like other steroid hormones, testosterone is derived from cholesterol. The largest amounts of testosterone are produced by the testes in men, but it is also synthesized in smaller quantities in women by the thecal cells of the ovaries, by the placenta, as well as by the zona reticularis of the adrenal cortex in both sexes.

In the testes, testosterone is produced by the Leydig cells. The male generative glands also contain Sertoli cells which require testosterone for spermatogenesis. Like most hormones, testosterone is supplied to target tissues in the blood where much of it is transported bound to a specific plasma protein, sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG).

A 2001 study[2] examined the effect of a 3-week period of sexual abstinence followed by masturbation-induced orgasm. It found that abstinence over such periods “does not change the neuroendocrine response to orgasm but does produce elevated levels of testosterone in males.”

A 2003 study[3] showed that serum testosterone levels reach a peak seven days after abstaining from ejaculation
Virilizing and anabolic effects on humans
In general, androgens promote protein synthesis and growth of those tissues with androgen receptors. Testosterone effects can be classified as virilizing and anabolic effects, although the distinction is somewhat artificial, as many of the effects can be considered both.

Anabolic effects include growth of muscle mass and strength, increased bone density and strength, and stimulation of linear growth and bone maturation.
Virilizing effects include maturation of the sex organs, particularly the penis and the formation of the scrotum in fetuses, and after birth (usually at puberty) a deepening of the voice, growth of the beard and axillary hair. Many of these fall into the category of male secondary sex characteristics.
Testosterone effects can also be classified by the age of usual occurrence. For postnatal effects in both males and females, these are mostly dependent on the levels and duration of circulating free testosterone.
 Prenatal androgen effects
Most of the prenatal androgen effects occur between 7 and 12 weeks of gestation.

Genital virilization (midline fusion, phallic urethra, scrotal thinning and rugation, phallic enlargement)
Development of prostate and seminal vesicles

Early infancy androgen effects
Early infancy androgen effects are the least understood. In the first weeks of life for male infants, testosterone levels rise. The levels remain in a pubertal range for a few months, but usually reach the barely detectable levels of childhood by 4-6 months of age. The function of this rise in humans is unknown. It has been speculated that “brain masculinization” is occurring since no significant changes have been identified in other parts of the body.
Early postnatal effects
Early postnatal effects are the first visible effects of rising androgen levels in childhood, and occur in both boys and girls in puberty.

Adult-type body odour
Increased oiliness of skin and hair, acne
Pubarche (appearance of pubic hair)
Axillary hair
Growth spurt, accelerated bone maturation
Fine upper lip and sideburn hair

Advanced postnatal effects
Advanced postnatal effects begin to occur when androgen has been higher than normal adult female levels for months or years. In males these are usual late pubertal effects, and occur in women after prolonged periods of heightened levels of free testosterone in the blood.

Phallic enlargement (including clitoromegaly)
Increased libido and frequency of erection or clitoral engorgement
Pubic hair extends to thighs and up toward umbilicus
Facial hair (sideburns, beard, moustache)
Chest hair, periareolar hair, perianal hair
Subcutaneous fat in face decreases
Increased muscle strength and mass
Deepening of voice
Growth of the adam’s apple
Growth of spermatogenic tissue in testes, male fertility
Growth of jaw, brow, chin, nose, and remodeling of facial bone contours
Shoulders widen and rib cage expands
Completion of bone maturation and termination of growth. This occurs indirectly via estradiol metabolites and hence more gradually in men than women.

Fluoxymesterone (Halotestin) is an androgenic steroid that is only useful to a small select group of athletes who seeks very specific goals. Athletes tend to use it to increase strength and aggression in the gym or in competitions such as strongman contests, fighting (like boxing) or MMA. The lack of estrogenic activity makes Halotestin perfect for pre-fight usage – as weigh-ins would not be effected by water retention. Even in such an events, Fluoxymesterone usage is usually limited to mere few weeks rather then cycled like real steroids for months.

Fluoxymesterone (Halotestin) has poor binding to the AR. Studies have shown the effects to be mostly non-AR mediated. However, it is considered a very toxic oral drug, and a poor choice in most bodybuilding/steroid use applications.

The half life of Fluoxymesterone (Halotestin) is commonly misunderstood. The rumored belief is that 30-90 minutes is the half-life but this rumor is false, the half life of Fluoxymesterone is about 9.5 hours.[2]

Side effects of Oxymetholone (Anadrol)

The side-effects of short-term use of the drug itself include nausea, bloating, acne, and masculinising effects such as deepening of the voice, growth of facial hair and clitoral hypertrophy . In addition, oxymetholone is readily aromatized by aromatase to form a progestagen, and unless selective estrogen receptor modulators such as tamoxifen or clomifene are taken in conjunction with the drug, there is a significant risk of the appearance of estrogenic effects such as gynaecomastia over time. Because of its 17α-alkylated structure, oxymetholone is highly hepatotoxic. Long term use of the drug can cause a variety of serious ailments, including hepatitis, liver cancer, and cirrhosis. It is very dangerous to take oxymetholone in high dosages for periods of time exceeding six weeks, and is commonly used by bodybuilders during the start of a steroid cycles to help gain mass and increase serum levels of androgens quickly.

Oxymetholone (Anadrol), is a synthetic anabolic steroid developed by Syntex in 1960. Its primary clinical applications include treatment of osteoporosis and anaemia, as well as stimulating muscle growth in undernourished or underdeveloped patients. The drug was approved for human use by the FDA. However, later non-steroidal drugs such as Epogen were developed and proven to be more effective as a treatment for anaemia and osteoporosis without the side-effects of oxymetholone. The drug remained available despite this, and eventually found a new use in treating HIV wasting syndrome. While classified as a Schedule III drug under the Controlled Substances Act, it remains available via prescription as Anadrol (registered as a trademark of Unimed Pharmaceuticals.)

Presented most commonly as a 50 mg tablet, Oxymetholone is the strongest androgenic steroid available. Similarly, it also poses the greatest risk of side effects of any steroid. Despite very low binding affinity with the androgen receptor, oxymetholone is highly effective in promoting extensive gains in body mass, mostly by greatly improving muscular water retention. For this reason, it is often used illegally by bodybuilders and athletes. Many athletes also use Oxymetholone as a method of protection for the joints under heavy loads. Due to the high water retention users experience from this drug, it similarly lubricates the joints and helps protect them from injury. Oxymetholone is widely considered by bodybuilders to have the strongest anabolic effect out of any oral steroid available; weight increases of 20 pounds in 2 weeks are not unusual of with this drug.

List of anabolic compounds commonly used as ergogenic aids
Testosterone (attached to various esters enanthate, cypionate, propinate or suspended in oil or water)
Methandrostenolone / methandienone (Dianabol)
Nandrolone Decanoate (Deca-durabolin)
Nandrolone Phenylpropionate (Durabolin)
Boldenone Undecylenate (Equipoise)
Stanozolol (Winstrol)
Oxymetholone (Anadrol-50)
Oxandrolone (Anavar)
Fluoxymesterone (Halotestin)
Trenbolone (Fina)
Methenolone Enanthate (Primobolan)
4-chlordehydromethyltestosterone (Turinabol)
Mesterolone (Proviron)
Mibolerone (Cheque Drops)
Tetrahydrogestrinone
NB: Many of these products are no longer available from the original manufacturers and are now manufactured by underground laboratories in the United States, Mexico, and Canada, but are still widely available in certain countries, in most cases from a subsidiary of the original manufacturer (e.g. Schering, Organon).

Movement for decriminalization of Steroids

Anabolic steroids are Schedule III controlled substances in the United States and are strictly regulated in some other countries. (It is perhaps worth noting that anabolic steroids are readily available without a prescription in some other countries such as Mexico, Germany, and Thailand.) However, since the U.S. Congress passed the Anabolic Steroid Control Act of 1990, a small movement has arisen that is highly critical of current laws concerning anabolic steroids. On June 21, 2005 Real Sports aired a segment discussing the legality and prohibition of anabolic steroids in America.[61] The show featured Gary I. Wadler, M.D., chairman of the U.S. Anti- Doping Agency and a prominent anti-steroid activist. When pressed for scientific evidence by correspondent Armen Keteyian that anabolic steroids are as ‘highly fatal’ as he claims, Wadler admitted there was no evidence. Gumbel concluded the ‘hoopla’ concerning the dangers of anabolic steroids in the media was ‘all smoke and no fire.’ The show also featured John Romano, a pro-steroid activist who authors ‘The Romano Factor,’ a pro-steroid column for bodybuilding magazine Muscular Development.[62]

In July 2005 Philip Sweitzer, an Attorney and Author, published an open letter to the Members of the House Committee on Government Reform, and the Senate Committee on Commerce et al. In it he criticized lawmakers’ actions in scheduling anabolic steroids, as well as criticized their ‘disregard of scientific reality for symbolic effect.’ He also pleaded for the consideration of the decriminalization of anabolic steroids and asked for a new policy direction.[63] Several other legal reviewers have criticized controlled substance status for anabolic steroids, including lawyer Rick Collins whose book, Legal Muscle, is one of the most detailed published resources on anabolic steroids and the law. Collins opposes non-medical teen steroid use or steroid use to cheat in sports, but advocates wider discretion for physicians in the case of mature adults. In 2006 he argued at “PUMPED” a steroid seminar in Manhattan the risks associated with anabolic steroids in the media are overtly bias as well as incredibly misinformed. He also argues that anabolic steroid criminalization increases the risks associated with anabolic steroids due to impurities in the black market.[64][65] However, the U.S. government’s position since the late 1980s has been and continues to be that the risks of steroid use are ‘too great’ to allow them to be decriminalized or unregulated.

Illegal trade in anabolic steroids

Since anabolic steroids are often produced in different countries than in which they are distributed, they must be smuggled across international borders. Like most significant smuggling operations, sophisticated organized crime is involved, often in conjunction with other smuggling efforts (including other illegal drugs). Unlike psychoactive recreational drugs such as cannabis and heroin, there have not been many high profile cases of individual smugglers of anabolic steroids being caught. The majority of those using illegally obtain the drugs through this black market,[58][59] and more specifically, pharmacists, veterinarians, and physicians. Anabolic steroids purchased through the Black Market may be counterfeit, or originally manufactured for veterinary applications. Which in and of itself isn’t dangerous except for the fact they are sometimes produced and handled in cruder and less sterile environments.[60][61]

 Production
Anabolic steroids need sophisticated pharmaceutical processes and equipment to produce, so they are produced by legitimate pharmaceutical companies or underground laboratories with large overheads. Common problems associated with illegal drug trades, such as chemical substitutions, cutting, and diluting, affect illegal anabolic steroids such that when it reaches distribution the quality may be questionable or possibly dangerous.

In the 1990s most US producers such as Ciba, Searle and Syntex stopped making and marketing anabolic steroids within the US. However, in many other regions, particularly Eastern Europe, they are still produced in quantity. European anabolic steroids are the source of most medical grade anabolic steroids sold illegally in North America. However, anabolic steroids are still in wider use for veterinary purposes, and many illegal anabolic steroids are actually veterinary grade.
Distribution
In the United States and Canada, steroids are purchased just like any illegal drug through dealers who are able to obtain the drugs from a number of sources. Most users would prefer to buy from legitimate sources but cannot because of the restrictive laws against steroid possession. Counterfeit steroids are a common solution to the lack of legal availability in the United States and Canada, although black-market importation continues from Mexico, Thailand and other countries where steroids are more easily available and, in many countries, not illegal at all. Many people produce fake steroids and attempt to sell them over the internet which causes a wide variety of health concerns.

Most illicit anabolic steroids are now sold at gyms, competitions, and through the mail. For the most part, these substances are smuggled into the United States. In addition, a significant number of counterfeit products are sold as anabolic steroids, particularly via mail order from websites posing as overseas pharmacies. In addition to the recreational use of anabolic steroids, users in Great Britain have been shown to consume illicit drugs as well, such as cannabis, and cocaine.[58][62][63]

Anabolic steroids, like many other drugs, have been at the center of controversy and because of this there are many popular misconceptions and myths concerning their effects and side effects. As with many infamous drugs in popular culture, the misconceptions relating to anabolic steroids have likely arisen from misunderstandings of their actual side effects. One such common misconception purveyed in popular culture and the media includes the myth that anabolic steroids are highly dangerous and users’ mortality rates are high. Anabolic steroids are used widely in the medical field without any serious health risks to users,[41][42][43] and no scientific evidence has shown any long-term serious health defects from proper use of anabolic steroids. While risk of death is present in many drugs, the risk of premature death from use of anabolic steroids seems to be extremely low.[44]Former assistant professor at the University of Toronto Dr. Mauro Di Pasquale has stated “As used by most people, including athletes, the adverse effects of anabolic steroids appear to be minimal,”.[45] It is possible this myth gained popularity from claims that Lyle Alzado died from brain cancer caused by anabolic steroids. Alzado himself had claimed that his cancer was caused by anabolic steroids. However, there is no medical evidence anabolic steroids can cause brain cancer let alone the type of T-cell lymphoma he suffered from. Moreover Alzado’s doctors stated that anabolic steroids did not contribute to his death.[46]

Other examples might include the misconception that anabolic steroids can ‘shrink’ one’s penis. It is likely that this myth came from the real side effect of anabolic steroids known as testicular atrophy, in which the use of anabolic steroids causes reduced secretion of the gonadotropin luteinizing hormone and follicle stimulating hormone from the anterior pituitary gland, thus reducing testicle size. This side effect is temporary and the testicles return to normal soon after exogenous androgen administration is halted.[47]

More myths relating to purported side effects include claims that anabolic steroids have caused many teenagers to commit suicide. While lower levels of testosterone have been known to cause depression, and ending a steroid cycle is known to result in temporarily lower testosterone levels, the claim that anabolic steroids are responsible for specific suicides among teenagers is highly questionable. In the United States the estimated use of anabolic steroids among high school students was 2.8% in 1999. On the other hand, in the year 2000 in the United States, suicide was the third leading cause of death among 15- to 24-year-olds.[48] With the suicide rate this high among teenagers, concluding anabolic steroids are responsible for the suicides of teenagers who happened to be taking them prior to committing suicide is a post hoc logical fallacy. Also, even though teen bodybuilders have been using steroids since at least the early 1960s, only a few cases suggesting a link between steroids and suicide have been reported in the medical literature.[49]

One of the most common misconceptions regarding the side effects of anabolic steroids is known as ‘roid rage’. There seems to be little or no evidence such a condition actually exists. Some early studies done have shown a slight correlation between manic symptoms and anabolic steroid use,[50] however more comprehensive and recent studies have brought into question their methodology and conclusions. The majority of recent studies done on “angry behavior” and anabolic steroid use show no psychological effect, implying that either “roid rage” doesn’t exist or that anabolic steroids’ effects on aggression are too small to be measured. Harvard researcher Harrison Pope, M.D. stated “With regard to the ‘roid rage’ issue, my first reaction as a scientist, obviously, is that ‘roid rage’ is a meaningless term that simply arose in popular parlance”. Many scientists and medical professionals have concluded anabolic steroids have no real effect on increased aggressive behavior.[51][52][53][54][55]

Arnold Schwarzenegger is the subject of another myth regarding the side effects of anabolic steroids. Arnold Schwarzenegger has admitted to using anabolic steroids during his bodybuilding career for many years,[56] and in 1997 he underwent surgery to correct a defect relating to his heart. Some have assumed this was due to anabolic steroids. Although anabolic steroids when abused can sometimes cause unfavorable enlargement and thickening of the left ventricle, Arnold Schwarzenegger was born with a congenital genetic defect in which his heart had a bicuspid aortic valve — in other words, whereas normal hearts have three cusps, his had only two, which can occasionally cause problems later in life.[57]
^ Schroeder, ET; Vallejo AF, Zheng L, Stewart Y, Flores C, Nakao S, Martinez C, Sattler FR. (2005 December). “Six-week improvements in muscle mass and strength during androgen therapy in older men.”. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci 12 (60): 1586-92.Click here to read. PMID 16424293. Retrieved on 2007-02-24. 
^ Grunfeld, C; Kotler DP, Dobs A, Glesby M, Bhasin S. (2006 March). “Oxandrolone in the treatment of HIV-associated weight loss in men: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study.”. J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr 3 (41): 304-14. PMID 16540931. Retrieved on 2007-02-05. 
^ Bhasin, S; Woodhouse L, Casaburi R, Singh AB, Bhasin D, Berman N, Chen X, Yarasheski KE, Magliano L, Dzekov C, Dzekov J, Bross R, Phillips J, Sinha-Hikim I, Shen R, Storer TW. (2001 December). “Testosterone dose-response relationships in healthy young men.”. Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab 6 (281): 1172-81.. PMID 11701431. Retrieved on 2007-02-05. 
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^ Kotler, Steven (July 2005). Sympathy for the Devil. LA Weekly.
^ Real Sports, Lyle Alzado.
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^ Tricker, R; R Casaburi, TW Storer, B Clevenger, N Berman, A Shirazi and S Bhasin (1996). “The effects of supraphysiological doses of testosterone on angry behavior in healthy eugonadal men–a clinical research center study”. Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism 81: 3754-3758,. PMID 8855834. Retrieved on 2007-02-05. 
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^ Guttman, Monika (1997). Schwarzenegger gets new role: patient at University Hospital. University of Southern California. Retrieved on February 5, 2007.