Introduction In 1990, researchers published the discovery of a new nuclear receptor—named the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor ((PPAR)—in the journal Nature [1]. The name refers to the proliferation of peroxisomes, organelles of cells with a prominent metabolic function, upon activation of these receptors. This discovery would finally help solve the mystery of how a class of […]
Anabolic Steroid Articles
Our steroid articles provided detailed, practical information on how anabolic steroids are used to build muscle size, strength and otherwise improve physical performance. They cover topics such as the history of steroids, steroids in baseball, the medical uses of steroids including testosterone replacement therapy (TRT), the side effects of steroids and how to manage steroid side effects.
Enclomiphene – A SERM That was Seeking FDA Approval for the Treatment of Hypogonadism
Repros Therapeutics Inc, made an attempt at making a SERM approved by the FDA for the treatment of secondary hypogonadism. Before I continue about how this process went, I’d like to provide some background on their SERM: enclomiphene citrate (brand name Androxal, later rebranded to EnCyzix).
Dude, make some space – Women’s experiences in an online steroid community
Historically, the use of steroids has more or less been a question of men, muscles, and masculinity. This “holy trinity” has long prevailed. By the 1970s, for example, we saw the bodybuilding icon Arnold Schwarzenegger and his bodybuilding buddies hitting the weights in the documentary Pumping Iron. At that time, and outside the sphere of […]
Anabolic Steroids and Fertility
Anabolic steroids don’t only affect the endogenous testosterone production, but also sperm production—a process called spermatogenesis. In this article I will walk you through how spermatogenesis works, how anabolic steroid use ties into this, and what you can possibly do about this.
Regulation of Testosterone Production
Introduction Most people are aware that testosterone, in men, is produced by the testes. A lot of people are also aware that this is the result of stimulation of the Leydig cell in the testes by a hormone called luteinizing hormone (LH). In turn, this hormone is produced in response to another hormone called gonadotropin-releasing […]
The Effects of Anabolic Steroids on the Heart’s Structure and Function
Perhaps one of the most worrying side effects of prolonged anabolic steroid use are those related to the heart. Indeed, a startling amount of case reports associating anabolic steroid use and adverse heart events have been published in the literature [1]. Most frequently, this included myocardial infarction. While case reports obviously can’t establish anabolic steroid […]
The Hepatotoxicity of Anabolic Steroids
It is well-known that anabolic steroids can be damaging for the liver (hepatotoxic). In particular, oral anabolic steroids with a specific chemical alteration are the usual suspects for this. This is reflected in the blood by increases in aspartate aminotransferase (ASAT) and alanine aminotransferase (ALAT). Both of these can increase due to damage to the […]
Measuring Kidney Function in Anabolic Steroid Users
The kidneys are responsible, among other things, for filtering the blood and producing urine. They do so by creating a filtrate from the large amounts of blood that are flowing through them. Usually, over a liter of blood passes through the kidneys every minute. If you subtract the nonfluid fraction of this, thus leaving you […]
Should You Take Tren? The Pros and Cons of Trenbolone as Described by Bodybuilders
I have never heard of an enhancement drug that is more polarising than trenbolone. Some love it, others hate it, and many have a love/hate relationship with it. What is there to love about trenbolone? And what is there to hate? The following are descriptions of trenbolone collected from forums, social media, and interviews with […]
Measuring and Treating High Blood Pressure in Anabolic Steroid Users
In my previous article I discussed how there’s an increased mortality and morbidity risk when systolic blood pressure increases beyond 115 mmHg and diastolic blood pressure exceeds 75 mmHg [1]. A rough indication in how much anabolic steroids tend to affect blood pressure is an increase of around 5 to 10 mmHg in systolic blood […]