Anti Aging Medicine: HGH and Steroids

Many anti-aging doctors will also prescribe small amounts of steroids in conjunction with human growth hormone in Chicago, so it stands to reason you may want to understand them as well. Following are some frequently asked questions regarding anabolic steroids.

History of Anabolic Steroids

Until 1935, no one knew that anabolic steroids were associated with the addition and thickening of muscle tissue. Back then, two researchers experimenting on K-9s discovered that testosterone given under certain conditions would increase muscle mass.

The idea of anabolic steroids as abusable drugs began in 1954 among Olympic power-lifters. (of course, today it’s a polarizing issue in Major League Baseball in the forefront of the media) 
In 1956, Dianabol (Methandrostenolone) was first sold in the United States, paving the way for the use of anabolics by U.S. athletes. At first, only top athletes in high-strength sports such as weight lifting used anabolics to enhance performance.

Among Olympic athletes, anabolic steroids were a problem as long ago as 1964. Athletes and their trainers developed high dose, multiple-drug cocktails that were not based in medical research. These dosing regimen were passed by word of mouth from one training group to another. Even today, the use of many types of steroids in high doses has never been examined in controlled scientific studies.

Anabolic steroid abusers mistrust scientific opinions about high-dose use. When steroid abuse was first published as a growing problem, some scientists and public officials stated that there was no evidence that steroids caused muscle growth or improved performance, and that use of large amounts would lead to dramatic, toxic side effects in all users. These propagandic statements went against the common knowledge and experience of the athletes, who did not see large numbers of their steroid-using friends ending up dead. As their reputation for increased performance spread, anabolic abuse began in other sports.

Today, the only Olympic sports in which anabolic steroids have not been detected are women’s field hockey and figure skating. Steroid abuse spread beyond the Olympics throughout the 1970’s and 1980’s. In 1983, nineteen athletes were disqualified from the Olympics for steroid abuse.

A 1970 survey of five American universities showed 15% of college athletes were using steroids. By 1984, 20% of college athletes were using. In 1975, anabolic abuse in Arizona high schools was 0.7% over all, with 4% of athletes admitting steroid use. A 1986 survey in Minneapolis revealed a 3% average rate of steroid abuse in grades 8, 10, and 12. In one of these high schools, the rate of use was 8% in senior men. In a 1988 survey in a suburban Chicago school, 6.5% of male students admitted taking steroids, and 2.5% of female students admitted steroid abuse. Surveys in 1989 estimated that there were 500,000 adolescent steroid abusers nationwide, and as many as 1 million steroid abusers of all ages in the United States. In November 1990, U.S. Federal Law classified all anabolic steroids as Controlled Dangerous Substances (Type 2).

Anabolic/androgenic steroids are analogues of male hormone testosterone. Both have a core 17-carbon steroid chemical structure that gives them anabolic (protein building) and androgenic (masculinizing) properties. Studies were developed to separate the anabolic from the androgenic effects, but this has been only partially accomplished. The androgenic effects of endogenous testosterone are the development of male reproductive system and secondary sexual characters. The anabolic effects include growth and epiphyses closure of long bones during puberty, enlargement of larynx and vocal cords, improvement of red cells number, reduce body fat, and improve muscle mass.

The ergogenic effects of anabolic steroids use are valued for three main mechanisms of action:

· They shift the nitrogen equilibrium to the positive side for better utilization of ingested protein and the increased retention of nitrogen. Although temporary and needing a high-protein complementary diet, this effect helps the body to “build” muscles.

· The formation of a steroid-receptor complex in skeletal muscle stimulates the RNA-polymerase system which, in turn, increase protein synthesis in the cell.

· Anabolic steroids compete for glucocorticoides receptors, resulting in an anti-catabolic effect by blocking the protein synthesis inhibition which physiologically occurs after exercises due to glucocorticoides liberation.

· Frequently, an euphoric and more aggressive behavior are experienced by anabolic steroids users, stimulating them to practice more and without fatigue for longer periods.

It should be noted that doses used by athletes often greatly exceed doses recommended for legitimate medical reasons, causing the potential for even greater negative consequences. Moreover, many athletes will use more than one anabolic steroid simultaneously.

There are two common regimens practiced by anabolic steroid abusers:

· Cycling –The athlete take the steroid for 6 to 12 weeks and then stops for 10 to 12 weeks. The steroid can be oral or injectable and doses are often 10 to 100 times higher than standard therapeutic dose.

· Stacking –This is the use of more than one anabolic steroid at a time to break through response plateaus that often occurs. About 40% of steroid abusers use this kind of regimen, presenting a high risk for central nervous system.

There are side effects in all cases, so handle with care and under your anti-aging medicine specialty physician.