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The Anabolic Steroid Family Tree – A Framework That Simplifies How Different Steroids Impact Muscle Building And Performance
The anabolic steroid family tree is a framework that simplifies how different steroids impact muscle building and performance.In general, the most commonly used anabolic steroids fall into one of three different families/categories.Testosterone and its derivatives, Dihydrotestosterone (DHT) and its derivatives, and Nandrolone (19-Nortestosterone) and its derivatives.Expectedly, many of the anabolic steroids in each family have similar attributes to one another.There are exceptions to this in each family, but in general breaking down anabolic steroids into the three families provides a simplified framework to identify the targeted action of each compound, as well as how they impact muscle building and overall performance.[embedded content]Table of ContentsHow Anabolic Steroids Enhance Muscle Building And PerformanceThere are countless processes in the body that are enhanced or inhibited by anabolic steroids.To avoid overcomplicating this article with minutia, I will provide a bird’s-eye view of the main mechanisms that drive athletic performance or muscle building via exogenous anabolics.When choosing which anabolic agents are most conducive to an athlete’s goals the following mechanisms should be taken into consideration, and compounds that are more heavily levered towards the desired effects should be favored.Anabolic activity via androgen receptor activation, aromatization, 5α-reduction, or the downstream conversion into metabolites that facilitate increases in muscle size and strengthAntagonism of glucocorticoid receptors leading to the inhibition of protein breakdown and a net increase in muscle size and strength via muscle sparingPsychoactive effects in the brain leading to stronger training and subsequent increases in muscle sizeStimulation of Erythropoietin (EPO) production leading to improved aerobic performanceWhen you start going down rabbit holes of how different anabolics impact different functions in the body outside of the basic understanding that drugs = results, it can become very overwhelming to make heads or tails of what the optimal protocol choice is for your personal goals.At a higher level, even once you generally understand what compound choices would be wise just based on your goals, you will soon realize afterwards that you also have to factor in your tolerance of side effects with specific compounds, your current state of health, your age, your history of performance enhancing drug use, and a myriad of other factors.Wise compound selection to maximize performance varies widely between different sports.For example, an optimized protocol for a bodybuilder will likely be completely different than an optimized protocol for a MMA fighter.This article will serve as an overarching introduction to how each category can be leveraged in the anabolic steroid family tree, as well as the general approach I would take towards compound selection.Testosterone And Testosterone DerivativesTestosterone is the parent hormone of this part of the family tree, and is also technically the parent hormone of the entire anabolic steroid family tree because DHT and Nandrolone are both derived from Testosterone.Among Testosterone, the most notable Testosterone derivatives used for performance enhancement in this family are as follows:Testosterone Equipoise (Boldenone)Dianabol (Methandrostenolone)Halotestin (Fluoxymesterone)Turinabol (Chlorodehydromethyltestosterone)The three compounds from this family most commonly used in a bodybuilding context are Testosterone, Boldenone (Equipoise) and Dianabol.These three compounds are characterized mainly by their broad spectrum effects on anabolic and androgenic dependent functions, as well as their interaction with aromatase.They all have strong influences on red blood cell count, energy systems, and exhibit a hybrid of behaviors in the body analogous to how endogenous steroidogenesis would otherwise regulate balanced activity.They are anabolic, but not wildly so.In general, this class of compounds facilitates a middle ground level of muscle growth, neurological effects, and enhancement of aerobic mechanisms.Testosterone and Dianabol are both substrates for aromatase and can be enzymatically metabolized into potent estrogens.Testosterone can be metabolized into Estradiol (E2), and Dianabol can be metabolized into Methylestradiol (17α-methylestradiol).Boldenone’s level of estrogenicity is less clear as there is no solid data available that provides details on its interaction with aromatase in humans.William Llewellyn stated in in his book Anabolics that Boldenone is a less potent substrate for aromatase and is enzymatically metabolized into Estrogen at 50% of the rate of Testosterone.This claim is not supported in any of the clinical data I have personally seen, so I would be hesitant to assume that Boldenone can facilitate sufficient Estrogen receptor activation in practical application as the base of a cycle.There is also speculation around whether or not certain Boldenone metabolites act as aromatase inhibitors and attenuate the estrogenic activity of the parent hormone.While this is certainly possible and warrants further research before we can make any conclusive statements about Boldenone, in general with our knowledge to date it is fairly well accepted in the community that Boldenone is mildly estrogenic, but significantly less so than Testosterone and Dianabol.Halotestin and Turinabol are not substrates for aromatase so Testosterone, Dianabol and Boldenone are the only compounds in this section of the anabolic steroid family tree that can fill the role of a “Test base” and be used as the foundation of a steroid cycle.[embedded content]Unlike the main three hormones used among bodybuilders in this family, Turinabol and Halotestin are Testosterone derivatives that induce effects analogous to potent DHT derivatives.These two anabolics were chemically designed to lack estrogenic activity and a capacity to drive significant gains in mass, and be levered more towards pure protein expression and the neurological side of the spectrum.Dihydrotestosterone (DHT) And DHT DerivativesThe next family in the anabolic steroid family tree is Dihydrotestosterone (DHT) and DHT derivatives.DHT is the 5α-reduced metabolite of Testosterone that facilitates sexual differentiation of the male genitalia during embryogenesis and drives the maturation of boys into men during puberty.It is much more androgenic than Testosterone, and sufficient amounts of it in androgen dependent tissues is necessary during puberty to ensure full maturation is achieved.A common misconception is that steroids derived from DHT are guaranteed to be extremely androgenic simply because they are DHT derivatives.On the contrary, DHT derivatives are almost all more tissue selective than Testosterone.In general, all anabolic steroids were designed with that exact goal in mind, not just DHT derivatives.Anabolic/androgenic ratios were evaluated in preclinical animal models before transitioning to human use in a clinical setting.If a steroid did not exhibit a more favorable anabolic/androgenic ratio than Testosterone, it would have been abandoned for any application other than pure androgen replacement in males (e.g. Proviron).The DHT derivatives most commonly used for performance enhancement include the following:DHT derivatives are often perceived to be poor choices for a mass building phase/offseason because they don’t seem to produce as much hypertrophy as the Testosterone and 19-Nor families.This is another misconception, as DHT derivatives simply have more targeted action in the body.They are not substrates for aromatase like Testosterone derivatives, they don’t act as potent agonists of a myriad of different receptors in the body like 19-Nors, and they don’t 5α-reduce into more androgenic metabolites.DHT derivatives weed out a lot of the less predictable activity associated with the other two families and skew more towards pure protein expression and increased force production.There is no water retention, there are no progestogenic side effects, all you get is pure muscle growth and proportionally higher amounts of strength gains relative to Testosterone Derivatives and 19-Nors.DHT derivatives more or less exhibit targeted action on contractile tissue, which is why they’re commonly perceived to be “weak” anabolics, when in reality it is the lack of perceived side effects being misinterpreted as “weak.”When it comes to nitrogen retention, we’ve seen in clinical studies that there is not a significant difference between the most potent steroids from each category of the anabolic steroid family tree.“After 1935 the best method of discovering and measuring the protein-building action of androgenic steroids in humans proved to be metabolic balance studies.In 1955, when anabolic steroids with less androgens were developed, the nitrogen-balance method was used again to evaluate and compare the nitrogen-sparing effect of the various preparations.The findings of the numerous balance studies that were performed are as follows: The injectable 17 beta-esters, such as nandrolone phenylpropionate, nandrolone decanoate and methenolone enanthate exert a strong anabolic action for several weeks, amounting to 2-2.50 g nitrogen/day, which corresponds to a daily gain of 12-15 g protein or 60-75 g lean body mass.The orally active 17-alkyl derivatives induce a dose-dependent nitrogen-saving effect of the same order.”Nitrogen retention was roughly the same between all of the steroids evaluated in the study above [R].It is more often than not the side effects themselves that are misinterpreted as one compound being more potent than another in a muscle building context. If you gain 5 pounds of pure water retention in a week from using Dianabol, is it a more potent muscle builder than Anavar?No, it’s not.When everything is said and done, the amount of actual contractile tissue gained will be similar, but what happens to the body and how other mechanisms are augmented during that time span of you getting from point A to point B is what will differ significantly between those two compounds.Just because DHT derivatives have more targeted action, it doesn’t mean that they are the ideal choice in all scenarios.In fact, sometimes the side effects of certain compounds produce more desirable outcomes, depending on the goal.In general, DHT derivatives are dry strength builders with reliable and predictable levels of anabolic activity.An example of a sport where DHT derivatives are especially useful is MMA.Fighters need to fight at as low of a weight class as possible without compromising their performance, they need to have a favorable ratio of force production relative to their body weight, and they also benefit greatly from increased aggression and neurological enhancement.That is a specific scenario where using something that is skewed more towards the accrual of mass and less androgenic activity would be the worst choice.For example, Nandrolone is 5α-reduced into DHN, a much less androgenic metabolite, and it also interacts with Progesterone receptors in the body which can have an anti-androgenic effect on the body.While that might be a compound ideal for someone seeking maximum hypertrophy with a relative lack of androgenic side effects like hair loss, in this scenario the opposite is what we would be shooting for.For a MMA fighter we want high force production and aggression with a relative lack of weight gain.This is an example of a scenario where a DHT derivative would be wise to plug in.Alternatively, that is an example of a scenario where Turinabol or Halotestin would be good options too, but that is only because they behave more like DHT derivatives than they do like Testosterone derivatives.There are exceptions to the rule in every category of the anabolic steroid family tree, and the DHT derivatives are no different as they have Anadrol.Despite being a DHT derivative, Anadrol behaves more like a 19-Nor as it drives significantly more pronounced gains in sheer mass (not to be confused with lean muscle mass) than the other DHT derivatives, and it is also an agonist of Estrogen receptors.In general though, the DHT derivatives that are most commonly leveraged by athletes are Primobolan, Masteron, Anavar and Winstrol, and they all share similar overlapping effects on body composition and performance.Nandrolone (19-Nortestosterone) And 19-Nortestosterone DerivativesThe last family in the anabolic steroid family tree is Nandrolone (19-Nortestosterone) and 19-Nortestosterone derivatives.Many don’t even realize that Deca and NPP are not different drugs, and aren’t even representative of the actual drug their respective esters are attached to.When someone refers to “Deca” they are referring to Nandrolone with a decanoate ester.When someone refers to “NPP” they are referring to Nandrolone with a phenylpropionate ester.The parent hormone of this family is Nandrolone (19-Nortestosterone), and all of the anabolic steroids in this category are Nandrolone derivatives.Nandrolone derivatives are most commonly referred to simply as “19-Nors” in the bodybuilding community.There are quite a few 19-Nors that have been synthesized and documented over the years, most of which are traditionally used at low dosages in women’s birth control.The 19-Nors most commonly used for performance enhancement include the following:19-Nors are generally characterized by their anabolism and progestogenic activity.They are very anabolic, but they also exhibit significant amounts of satellite interaction with other receptors in the body.The most notable being their interaction with the Progesterone receptor.19-Nor derived progestins are agonists of the Progesterone receptor, which means that they can bind to the Progesterone receptor and activate it.Nandrolone is not a potent substrate for aromatase, and mainly converts to a weaker Estrogen called Estrone (Estradiol is about 10-fold more potent than Estrone).Nandrolone is also mildly estrogenic on its own via its ability to act as an Estrogen receptor alpha (ERα) agonist [R].Overall, Nandrolone is much less androgenic and estrogenic than Testosterone.Trenbolone is not a substrate for aromatase, however, some data suggests that it may interact with Estrogen receptors in a similar way to Nandrolone.Trenbolone also facilitates superior muscle sparing via a handful of anti-catabolic mechanisms surrounding the glucocorticoid receptor.Trenbolone binds to the glucocorticoid receptor and acts as an antagonist [R].It also significantly suppresses glucocorticoid expression [R].In addition, it lowers corticosterone and cortisol levels, while concurrently inhibiting cortisol from binding to skeletal muscle glucocorticoid receptors [R, R, R].Through these mechanisms, Trenbolone exhibits a much more robust inhibition of muscle protein breakdown than Testosterone.This is why Trenbolone seems to excel so much more than other anabolic steroids in a calorie deficit.Trestolone (MENT) is unique from other 19-Nors in that it is a substrate for aromatase, and it behaves almost like a hybrid of a 19-Nor and Testosterone.Because of this interaction with aromatase, Trestolone exhibits therapeutic promise as a potential HRT alternative, and may fill the role of a viable Test base alternative in a cycle.The 19-Nors are the most suppressive family of the anabolic steroid family tree, and will keep your HPTA suppressed even at minuscule trace amounts.Considering this, it would be prudent to reserve your use of them until you have decided if you will be blasting and cruising for the majority of your life.Even one injection of Nandrolone can keep your HPTA suppressed for months, regardless of what you do.The 19-Nor family skews more towards hypertrophy than the DHT derivatives, but is also accompanied by a myriad of satellite interaction with other receptors in the body that are less predictable and often warrant a more experienced user to responsibly manage.19-Nors also have unique interactions with the GH/IGF-1 pathway that DHT derivatives don’t, which further complicates their responsible application, but can also be leveraged for increased levels of muscle growth in certain scenarios.How To Determine Which Anabolics Are Optimal For Your Personal GoalsUnderstanding optimal applications of anabolics and side effect management can get very complicated, especially when you get into the weeds of sport specific applications, drug testing, lack of access to certain drugs, and budget limitations.To simplify things, I highly recommend that you start your education on anabolic steroids by splitting them into the three families and working your way from the ground up.Start in the Testosterone family and learn why a Testosterone base is used in the majority of enhancement protocols.Delve into the mechanisms of Testosterone in the body, and how its aromatization into Estrogen and 5α-reduction into DHT facilitates a balancing act of anabolic and androgenic activity in the body, while simultaneously providing neuro and cardioprotection.The majority of those reading this article will not have sport specific applications or drug tests they need to get around.Considering this, the majority of you will be best served by learning about Testosterone thoroughly before even moving on to the other two families.Testosterone is the bioidentical anabolic androgen we endogenously produce and rely on, and is more often than not the most intelligent hormone to use for a first cycle.Only once you have fully leveraged the Testosterone family should you then move on to adding DHT derivatives in subsequent cycles.If you have goals that cannot be met via Testosterone and DHT derivatives, or you experience undesirable side effects from Testosterone and/or DHT derivatives, then looking to the Nandrolone family would be warranted.For a more elaborate explanation of how I would approach my first steroid cycle and each subsequent cycle thereafter if I could go back in time, I highly recommend you read my article that details what I consider to be wise dosage titration and “stacking” practices.Don’t overwhelm yourself by trying to learn everything at once.Learn about Testosterone and its derivatives.Once you understand that family and know how to responsibly implement that information to achieve your goals, start learning about DHT derivatives.Once you understand that family too and know how to responsibly implement that information to achieve your goals, start learning about Nandrolone and its derivatives.Related
Gorilla Mode Nitric Stimulant Free Pre-Workout Review | Comprehensive Supplement Breakdown
Gorilla Mode Nitric Pre-Workout is the most potent and comprehensive stimulant free pre-workout on the market in ALL aspects.All angles of saturating the muscle with blood and hydration have been addressed in this formula and are quite literally maxed out.[embedded content]Table of ContentsGorilla Mode Nitric Supplement FactsPer Full Daily Dose:L-Citrulline – 10,000 mgCreatine Monohydrate – 5000 mgBetaine Anhydrous – 4000 mgGlycerPump™ (65% Glycerol Powder) – 4000 mgMalic Acid – 3000 mgAgmatine Sulfate – 1500 mgNitrosigine® (inositol-stabilized arginine silicate) – 1500 mgSodium Nitrate – 1500 mgVasoDrive-AP® (isoleucyl-prolyl-proline (IPP) and valyl-prolyl-proline (VPP) isolated from hydrolyzed milk casein) – 254 mgGorilla Mode Nitric Vs. Other Pre-Workouts On The MarketThis is the most maxed out stimulant free pre-workout formula on the market in all aspects.It is also the most comprehensive formula that targets nitric oxide (NO), vasodilation and intracellular hyper-hydration from multiple angles, while maintaining top end dosages across all of those pathways.We completely saturate the traditional Arginine–eNOS–nitric oxide (NO) pathway with a massive 10 gram dose of L-Citrulline, 1.5 grams of Nitrosigine and 1.5 grams of Agmatine Sulfate.The often neglected nitrate–nitrite–nitric oxide (NO) pathway is also topped out with a 1500 mg dose of Sodium Nitrate.A high level of intracellular hyper-hydration is achieved with 5 grams of Creatine Monohydrate, 4 grams of Glycerpump and 4 grams of Betaine Anhydrous.We also addressed the enzyme angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) with VasoDrive-AP®, which acts as an ACE inhibitor and significantly increases vasodilation. Finally, we have 3 grams of Malic Acid added in on top of the 10 grams of pure L-Citrulline to act as a Krebs cycle intermediary and counter lactic acid buildup during training.Some of these pathways are so maxed out that we could have easily just chosen one of them and sold the product for $39.99 and still had one of the most potent pre-workouts in the industry.Instead, I packed it all into one absurd product that clocks in with over 30 grams of efficacious active ingredients per full dose.It was incredibly expensive to create, but I am very happy with how it turned out, and I am not exaggerating when I say that this pre-workout is absolutely unmatched.Basically, I just included exactly what I would want to see in a stimulant free pre-workout, even at the obvious detriment of our margins.This product is even more potent than Gorilla Mode when it comes to pure pump and performance.The full daily dose is 2 scoops.Even a half dose (1 scoop) is still far more potent than the majority of other pre-workouts out there at their max dosages.This is another product I wanted to be head and shoulders, clear as day, superior to everything else in the industry.Just like in my description of how Gorilla Mode stacks up to other products in this industry, we can actually back up why our product is better than the rest.When (insert fitness influencer name here) launches their own supplement line, they will regurgitate the same story about how their products are effectively dosed, only use the highest quality ingredients, blah blah blah.They don’t even know what they’re selling half the time, let alone what combinations of ingredients work synergistically, or how to dose a product properly.They employ others to manufacture their products, or use a pre-made formula their manufacturer uses for every company where they just slap a different label on it and sell it for a huge margin.At the end of the day, most fitness influencers have no idea what goes into making an effective product.They don’t know how their products work, they probably wouldn’t even use them if they didn’t sell them, they didn’t formulate them, and they have to pay the overhead involved with having a team under them who is responsible for all of that.As you’ve already experienced with Gorilla Mode and Gorilla Mind Nootropics, it is me formulating the products, and they work because I actually put in them what I would want in a product and buy myself if I didn’t have a company.The same applies with Gorilla Mode Nitric.If I didn’t have this product, for an effective stim-free pre-workout I would probably be mixing up 6000-10,000 mg of L-Citrulline for vasodilation (with 6000 mg being the bare minimum of pure L-Citrulline, not Citrulline Malate, and would be dependent on my budget at the time), a saturation dose of Creatine Monohydrate (5000 mg), 3000-4000 mg of Glycerpump to hyper-hydrate the muscle with water, and maybe a quarter teaspoon of Himalayan Pink Salt.The fact that a significant amount of supplement companies will skimp out on Creatine Monohydrate and either not include it at all, or only include a subpar dosage, really sheds light on how scammy this industry can be.That is the cheapest ingredient they could easily dose properly, and even that they won’t shell out the money for in their formulas.It’s not hard to put 5 grams of Creatine in a pre-workout, and it is actually pretty cheap to put in there.The reason is, they want you to go buy their creatine product, and will intentionally manipulate their ingredient profile to be deficient in several areas to make you buy more stuff from them.With my products, everything is turnkey.You don’t need to go buy a separate Creatine product from us, you don’t need to stack extra stims on top of our stim-based products, you don’t need to go buy something else to get the max dose of a certain ingredient in any of our formulas, everything you need is in each product at an efficacious dosage.Flavor And MixabilityThe flavor we chose to start with for Nitric was Mango Peach as it is a more mainstream appealing flavor than Tiger’s Blood.Tiger’s Blood and a fruit punch flavor will probably be next in the pipeline of flavor releases.Mango Peach is easily a 9 or 10/10 flavor, even for the pickiest of tongues.As there’s such a high concentration of ingredients in this formula we were really happy with how the flavor systems turned out.We were expecting something this potent to be nearly impossible to avoid tasting like ass.Fortunately, that wasn’t the case.It also mixes very well considering the concentration of L-Citrulline, GlycerPump, and all of the other ingredients in this product.There is some grittiness, but that just comes with the territory with putting out a 35 gram serving size product with 10 grams of L-Citrulline and 4 grams of Glycerpump.You will just have to use a bit more water than you would with your standard pre-workout because there are simply more active ingredients in this product that will require more liquid to mix well.How To Dose Gorilla Mode NitricMix 1-2 scoops of Gorilla Mode Nitric in 12-14 ounces of water and consume 30 minutes prior to training.Vary the amount of water to achieve your desired flavor level.First time users should begin use with 1/2-1 scoop or less to evaluate tolerance.DO NOT EXCEED 2 SCOOPS IN ANY 24 HOUR PERIOD.Gorilla Mode Nitric Ingredients BreakdownL-Citrulline – 10,000 mgL-Citrulline is the most effective supplement you can use to boost nitric oxide (NO) in the body.Why Nitric Oxide (NO) Is ImportantNitric oxide (NO) is made naturally in our bodies and plays a significant role in cardiovascular health.It dilates blood vessels (vasodilation), which lowers blood pressure and increases oxygen in the blood.[embedded content]Nitric oxide (NO) acts as a messenger to signal blood vessels to dilate, or contract and relax.Sufficient nitric oxide is needed to signal blood vessels to contract or relax to ensure blood is able to flow to and from the heart effectively.Nitric oxide production decreases with age, consequently reducing the elasticity of the cardiovascular system, and impairing the body’s ability to ensure sufficient amounts of oxygenated blood are reaching vital organs.Eating enough nitrates and/or supplementing with nitric oxide precursors is very important to ensure that your cardiovascular system maintains optimized function as you get older.In addition, maintaining optimal nitric oxide levels will make you more vascular, allow you to get a much better pump, increase muscle volume, enhance the delivery of oxygen and nutrients to working muscles, support recovery and improve overall physical performance.Increased Muscular EnduranceCitrulline has also shown to significantly increase muscular endurance, with one study finding that compared to placebo, a single 8000 mg dose of Citrulline Malate increased the number of reps performed per set, on every set after set 2 [R].The impact Citrulline had on performance increased the more sets were performed.During the last set performed, the group that took Citrulline had a 52.92% increase in the number of reps they could perform relative to placebo.It also decreased muscle soreness by 40% at 24 and 48 hours after the training session compared to placebo.Effect On Body CompositionThere isn’t much data on the direct effect Citrulline has on muscle growth and fat loss in humans.However, a rodent model assessed the effect Citrulline had on body composition and found that 20 month old rats that were given a diet that included the human equivalent dose of 160 mg/kg per day for 12 weeks had 13% less body fat and 9% more lean body mass relative to the rats fed a standard diet without Citrulline supplementation [R].Visceral fat mass was also reduced by 32%.The mortality rate of the rats taking Citrulline was 0%, while the standard diet fed rats had a mortality rate of 20%.L-Citrulline is one of the most promising supplements on the market and has significantly more upside above and beyond its increase in vascularity and pumps in the gym.The Maximum Effective Dose Of L-CitrullineCitrulline is found in watermelons.You would need to eat 1.5 kg of watermelon every day to get 3 grams of L-Citrulline though, which is the minimum effective dose [R].To get the maximum effective dose of L-Citrulline from your diet, you would need to eat 5.0 kg of watermelon per day to get 10 grams (10,000 mg) of L-Citrulline [R].Obviously, nobody is going to eat that much watermelon, nor is it a good idea to begin with in my opinion when there are far better ways to allocate your macronutrient/micronutrient intake allotments.This is why L-Citrulline supplementation could actually be worthwhile.The Problem With Citrulline Malate In The Supplement IndustryWhile L-Citrulline is a great supplement to have in your daily regimen, there is a red flag around L-Citrulline supplementation that you need to know about.I’m sure you’ve seen that some supplements have L-Citrulline in them, and some have Citrulline Malate.Some even say “L-Citrulline Malate”.This is a cheap trick companies use to deceive customers.Citrulline Malate is composed of 50% Malic Acid, unless the ratio states otherwise.Authentic Citrulline Malate is produced by chemically bonding free-form L-Citrulline to DL-Malic Acid.When L-Citrulline is chemically bonded to DL-Malic Acid, the end result is Citrulline Malate, which has unique properties.But the problem with the Citrulline Malate in the supplement industry is that it doesn’t have this chemical reaction.It’s just Citrulline mixed with malic acid in a big mixing vat in the manufacturing facility.There is no chemical bond like there should be to create authentic Citrulline Malate.It’s just the two ingredients being mixed together in a cheap blend, and it’s sold as “Citrulline Malate”, or “L-Citrulline Malate”.The reality is that it’s just Citrulline stirred up with malic acid.While this isn’t a huge deal in itself, the problem lies in the labeling practices companies use to artificially inflate the perceived potency of their product.6-8 grams is seen as the max clinically proven efficacious dosage in the supplement industry in general.At least, that’s what companies will tell you in their marketing.First of all, we already know that the actual maximum efficacious dosage of L-Citrulline is 10 grams per day [R].In addition, the main issue is that the “L-Citrulline” in their product is actually as low as half of the stated label claim.As mentioned, Citrulline Malate is just a mixture of Citrulline and malic acid.Somehow, companies are getting away with labeling their products with the chemically bonded form Citrulline Malate and claiming they have 6-8 grams per serving in their pre-workout, when they actually just have 3-4 grams of Citrulline and 3-4 grams of malic acid per serving.Instead of labeling the following:L-Citrulline – 3 gramsMalic Acid – 3 gramsThese companies are labeling their products like this:Citrulline Malate – 6 gramsOr like this:L-Citrulline Malate – 6 gramsMaking you think you are getting a high dose, when in reality you are getting the bare minimum efficacious dose per serving of 3 grams.Sometimes, companies will tweak the ratio to be a bit more in favor of a higher Citrulline content relative to malic acid, but this is rarely higher than a 2:1 ratio.So, if you see the following:Citrulline Malate (2:1) – 6 gramsThat just means that the company has 4 grams of L-Citrulline and 2 grams of malic acid per serving.This is the exact manufacturing process involved in producing the L-Citrulline and “Citrulline Malate” you get in pre-workouts in the supplement industry:As you can see, the Citrulline Malate manufacturing flowchart on the right literally just says, “mix”.If this was authentic Citrulline Malate, you wouldn’t need to mix L-Citrulline with malic acid, it would be chemically bonded together by the end of the manufacturing process.You’re not really getting what you’re paying for, and most don’t realize this is a tactic in the industry to get better margins and artificially inflate a products perceived efficacy.Even if a pre-workout had what on paper appears to be a top end efficacious dose of 8 grams per serving, how much L-Citrulline are you actually getting out of that serving?4-6 grams at most.I have yet to see a pre-workout formula actually hit a top end L-Citrulline dosage, and of the ones that get close, they use Citrulline Malate to inflate their label.In addition, even if you had the bonded version (which supplements don’t), reacted Citrulline Malate will break apart into L-Citrulline and malic acid right away after its mixed in water.It’s all just a trick to artificially inflate a products perceived potency on a label, as each ingredient should be listed separately.Most supplements have malic acid anyways in the “other ingredients” section, which is still an active ingredient that does have some potential performance benefits that you would get from the “Malate” portion of Citrulline Malate.L-Citrulline and malic acid work via a different mechanism of action.Citrulline bypasses the liver and gets converted to arginine, which increases NO levels in the body.Malic acid is a Krebs cycle intermediary that counters lactic acid buildup.How much do you need of each though?With Citrulline, we know where the top end data lies.Malic acid, we don’t.There is research on Citrulline and Citrulline Malate, but not much data on supplementing with malic acid to replenish depleted levels as a Krebs cycle intermediary.I don’t think we can make a generalized overview on how effective the malic acid component was in the Citrulline Malate research either because we can’t determine if the results were derived from the malic acid, the L-Citrulline, or both.Considering this, I included an additional 3000 mg of malic acid separately in the Gorilla Mode Nitric formula as an active ingredient in the main ingredients panel.As mentioned, malic acid is most commonly used as a filler in supplements, and will be found in small amounts in many product “other ingredients” sections.The only other time it is used is by companies artificially inflating their perceived L-Citrulline dosage via Citrulline Malate.No companies are including a maxed out dose of pure L-Citrulline as well as malic acid separetely though.It is always a subpar amount of each.So, if there is some sort of performance enhancing benefit to having a high dose of malic acid, you are also getting it via Nitric on top of the maximum efficacious 10,000 mg dose of pure L-Citrulline.At the end of the day, for vasodilation you should concern yourself with is how much pure L-Citrulline is in your pre-workout supplement.I have yet to see a product with more than 6000 mg of PURE L-Citrulline.I have only seen a handful of products with 6 grams of L-Citrulline, and another handful of products with 8 grams of Citrulline Malate (which only yields 4-5 grams of actual L-Citrulline, with the remainder as malic acid).I put 10 grams of PURE L-Citrulline in Gorilla Mode Nitric, as well as 3 grams of malic acid separately, so you can get the full benefits of the max dosage of each ingredient and transparently see exactly what you are actually getting in the product.Even if you decide to only use a half dose of this product you will still get 5000 mg of pure L-Citrulline, and the formula is still top notch even when cut in half.Citrulline Vs ArginineOne of the most well-known pump ingredients is Arginine.The problem with L-Arginine is that it is very ineffective at increasing Nitric Oxide synthesis.Logically, you would assume that taking Arginine would be the most effective way to increase Arginine levels in the body.However, this is not the case.Oral L-Arginine is taken up and metabolized by the liver so much that it does not actually effectively increase Arginine levels, and it may even be unsafe to use because of how much excessive urea it yields [R].L-Citrulline bypasses the liver and passes freely to the kidneys where it is metabolized to Arginine [R].The most effective supplement that can be used to increase Arginine levels in the body to improve cardiovascular and metabolic health outcomes is L-Citrulline [R].L-Citrulline supplementation has shown to lower blood pressure and provide atherogenic-endothelial protection [R].When it comes to NO precursors that significantly improve pumps, nothing beats an efficacious dose of pure L-Citrulline.Creatine Monohydrate – 5000 mgCreatine is the best studied and most effective performance enhancing supplement outside of exogenous hormones and drugs.Creatine’s Effect On Muscle Size And StrengthSupplementing with creatine has shown time and time again to significantly improve strength, power output and muscle size [R].Creatine’s effect on strength is facilitated by increasing the body’s stores of phosphocreatine, which is then used during high intensity exercise to produce ATP [R, R].Creatine’s effect on muscle size is facilitated by drawing water into the muscle via osmosis, consequently increasing body weight and muscle size.In addition, with the increased strength creatine provides, heavier weights can be used in the gym which provide more stimulus for growth, consequently increasing muscle accrual in the long-term.Creatine supplementation also appears to increase the number of myonuclei that satellite cells will donate to damaged muscle fibers, which increases the potential for growth of those fibers [R].A typical omnivorous diet provides about 1 gram of creatine per day, which isn’t enough to get the benefits you would from supplementation, and also isn’t nearly enough to support health status and methylation in those with genetic polymorphisms.Creatine’s Effect On Methylation And Health StatusAbout 1 gram of creatine is endogenously produced in the body naturally in young healthy adults [R].Most of the human body’s total creatine and phosphocreatine stores are found in skeletal muscle, while the remainder is distributed in the blood, brain, and other tissues [R].While there are a host of processes in the body that rely on creatine to be carried out optimally (and are often completely neglected), one of the most notable functions of creatine is neurological support [R].In addition, the endogenous synthesis of creatine relies on a process called methylation.Arginine and Glycine are combined by an enzyme to form guanidinoacetate, which is then methylated into creatine.The problem is that this process is dependent on a mechanism of action that is commonly inhibited in the general population via endogenous Arginine deficiency, Glycine deficiency, or MTHFR polymorphisms.The MTHFR gene codes for an enzyme called methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase or MTHFR.This enzyme is needed for the production of DNA and methylation pathways that are essential for all bodily functions.Genetic variations in this gene results in reduced activity of the enzyme and has been associated with cardiovascular disease, neurological defects, some forms of cancer, and a myriad of other diseases and disorders [R, R].Personally, I am homozygous for C677T of MTHFR, which results in a 80-90% decrease in my efficiency in processing folic acid.The direct reflection of that in blood biomarkers can be high homocysteine and low B12 and folate levels.I determined this via a simple 23andMe genetics test.Upwards of 45% of your body’s methylation demands are used to synthesize creatine.For someone with a MTHFR polymorphism, you can put a significant amount of stress on your methylation pathway and deplete far more methyl groups than you should be just to create the 1 gram per day that you endogenously synthesize.We lose up to 2-3 grams of creatine per day because it converts to creatinine and is then passed out of the body via urine.As you can see, adequate replenishment of creatine is probably not being accomplished if you aren’t consistently eating a fair bit of meat or fish.And for those with impaired methylation pathways, supplementing with exogenous creatine is likely the only way creatine replenishment can be achieved.One study found that supplementing with 5 grams of creatine per day lowered plasma homocysteine levels by almost 50% in the subject who is homozygous for C677T of MTHFR [R].Creatine supplementation can significantly lower the body’s demands for methylation and prevent the depletion of methyl groups.This is why I personally supplement with 5 grams of creatine per day.Do You Need To Cycle Off Of Creatine?No, you do not need to cycle off of creatine.Your body does not get used to it, and long-term use has shown to be safe in healthy adults [R].Betaine Anhydrous – 4000 mgBetaine, also called Trimethylglycine, acts as a methyl donor and an osmolyte in the body.Earlier in the creatine breakdown, I briefly outlined the importance of having a sufficient amount of methyl donors available for methylation processes in the body, including the endogenous synthesis of creatine.For some individuals (depending on PEMT gene variations) Betaine can substitute for folate and B12 in the regeneration of methionine and can be choline sparing via this mechanism.It can also provide additional needed methyl donors when over-depletion occurs in genetically predisposed individuals that do not supplement with creatine, or have other deficiencies.As an osmolyte, Betaine helps balance fluid levels inside and outside of cells.The main reason I included Betaine in this formula is for its ability to induce intracellular hyper-hydration.By improving hydration status in cells, Betaine increases the pump you get in the gym, and can help prevent dehydration during exercise.Research has also shown that Betaine supplementation may reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, as well as improve digestion and liver function [R, R, R, R].In a performance enhancing context, Betaine supplementation has also shown to increase power, endurance, muscle growth and fat loss [R, R, R].How significant will this effect on body composition be in practical application?Negligible in my honest opinion, but the enhanced pump made this ingredient worthwhile to add into the formula.GlycerPump™ (65% Glycerol Powder) – 4000 mgGlycerol significantly enhances pumps and performance by hyper-hydrating the muscle with water.Glycerol’s Effect On Hydration, Pumps And EnduranceIf you drink a lot of water with nothing else in hopes of hyper-hydrating your muscles, the fall in osmolarity in your body stimulates the kidneys to remove most of the excess water within an hour.If you add glycerol to the water, this prevents the drop in osmolarity and can extend the hyper-hydration of your muscles by up to four hours.By adding Glycerol to your pre-workout, you can hold upwards of an extra liter of water via this hyper-hydrating effect.Hydration is one of the most critical factors when it comes to performance.Aside from massive pumps, Glycerol use has shown to increase endurance by as much as 24%, as well as improve aerobic and anaerobic power and performance [R, R].Only a 2% loss in fluids can result in as much as a 20% decrease in exercise performance.GlycerPump™ Vs Other Forms Of GlycerolWe chose the trademarked GlycerPump because it doesn’t clump up nearly as much as other forms of Glycerol powder and it’s more stable.Glycerol is normally a liquid at standard temperature and pressure, and many supplement companies have attempted to create a powder form of Glycerol that is stable.Glycerol products get clumpy, have horrible viscosity and have a short shelf life.Because of this, most companies avoid this ingredient entirely, as it can cause severe clumping within just a couple months of being manufactured.Regular glycerol containing products only yield as low as 10% glycerol, which makes them ineffective, and higher yielding glycerol products can be unstable within complex formulas like ours and result in a clumpy product, or complete product failure.GlycerPump™ is created using unique spray drying technology, yielding a stable powder form of glycerol standardized to 65%.It is MUCH better than other alternatives and won’t result in the powder turning into a rock.Keep in mind, while it is manageable, this is not a clump-free product, and there’s nothing I could do about that if I wanted to include the high concentration of ingredients that I did in Gorilla Mode Nitric.Store Gorilla Mode Nitric in a cool dry place, and if it clumps, that’s just what comes with the territory with a product dosed like this.If it clumps, just get out a knife or spoon and chop it up, and it will still mix fine once it hits the water in your cup.Agmatine Sulfate – 1500 mgAgmatine has shown to induce NO production via the same processes as arginine, but does it far more effectively [R].This results in even bigger pumps in the gym and improved overall performance.Agmatine has also shown to be neuroprotective against excitotoxicity and stroke, and also has anti-anxiety and anti-depressant effects that may enhance state of well-being and mood elevation with supplementation.Agmatine has also shown to manipulate pain receptors, which may result in an increased pain tolerance during intense training.Agmatine is a very misunderstood compound and is believed by some to antagonize other vasodilators.Agmatine works in a more selective way than other vasodilators, as it only increases one of the three Nitric oxide synthase (NOS) isoforms.It also decreases the other two NOS isoforms, which is where the hypothesis about it being vasoconstricting was raised as a legitimate concern.The three NOS isoforms include iNOS, nNOS and eNOS.They each play their own role in certain tissues to regulate vasodilation.iNOS (inducible) produces high concentrations of NO via an immune system response to kill harmful bacteria. In excess, iNOS can be inflammatory.nNOS (neuronal) regulates neurological health and facilitates communication in the brain across neurons. In excess, nNOS can inhibit the growth and repair of neurons.eNOS (endothelial) facilitates vasodilation in the lining of blood vessels to improve blood flow.eNOS is the main isoform that most are familiar with that increases blood flow and lowers blood pressure.It is also the main isoform that facilitates massive pumps in the gym.While NO is great for the gym and vascular health, it can be inflammatory in excess.NO production by eNOS has shown to play a protective role in cerebral ischemia by maintaining vascular permeability, whereas NO derived from nNOS and iNOS is neurotoxic and can enhance the neuronal damage occurring in ischemia [R].This is where the selective activity of Agmatine shines, as data suggests that Agmatine’s mechanism of action is facilitated by inhibiting iNOS and nNOS and increasing eNOS [R, R].Agmatine has shown to selectively increase eNOS levels while simultaneously decreasing iNOS and MMP-9 protein expression [R, R].Anecdotally, Agmatine does not seem to inhibit any of the positive effects of L-Citrulline or other vasodilators.On the contrary, it seems to complement other “pump” compounds very effectively.On paper, Agmatine sounds like the perfect ancillary compound to add to a pre-workout as it increases expression of the NOS isoform we want, while simultaneously inhibiting the isoforms that can be more inflammatory in excess.Nitrosigine® (inositol-stabilized arginine silicate) – 1500 mgNitrosigine got some hype behind it when independent researchers from the University of Arkansas presented data suggesting that 1500 mg of Nitrosigine was almost as effective as 8000 mg of Citrulline Malate 2:1 (5333.33 mg L-Citrulline and 2666.66 mg Malic Acid) at increasing flow mediated dilation (FMD) [R].FMD refers to dilation of an artery when blood flow increases in that artery.Because the primary cause of FMD is release of nitric oxide by endothelial cells, we can use FMD as a proxy for NO levels.To circumvent the lackluster efficacy of plain oral Arginine, Nutrition 21 (the developers of Nitrosigine) created a complex of bonded arginine and silicon.The inositol acts as a stabilizer and increases the bioavailability of the complex, consequently resulting in a potent NO boosting compound.Remember that the main issue with Arginine is poor bioavailability.The inositol stabilizer helps circumvent that issue [R].Unlike plain Arginine, Inositol-stabilized Arginine silicate (Nitrosigine) has shown to kick in within 15 minutes and elevate blood Arginine levels for up to six hours after ingestion [R, R].Nitrosigine has some impressive data reinforcing its efficacy, and it is purported to be much more effective milligram for milligram than other common vasodilators at increasing NO levels.On top of the increase in vasodilation and pumps, the developers claim that after a single dose Nitrosigine can increase mental acuity and focus by 33% within 15 minutes, with a compounding effect over time.In addition, they claim that Nitrosigine supports enhanced recovery by reducing markers of muscle damage [R].Nitrosigine Vs. L-Citrulline Vs. Agmatine Sulfate In VitroAn in vitro study was designed by Nutrition 21 to compare the cellular production of NO of several sports nutrition ingredients.These ingredients included Nitrosigine, L-Arginine, L-Arginine AKG, L-Citrulline, Citrulline Malate and Agmatine Sulfate.Nitrosigine was dosed at a concentration of 1.0 g/L.Cell culture concentrations of the other compounds were dosed relative to a 1500 mg dose of Nitrosigine using the following doses:L-Arginine – 1500 mgL-Arginine AKG – 4000 mgL-Citrulline – 3000 mgL-Citrulline Malate – 3000 mgAgmatine Sulfate – 1000 mgAs NO is unstable and rapidly converts to nitrites or nitrates, nitrite levels were measured as a proxy for NO production.At the doses used in this study, Nitrosigine significantly increased NO production over each of the five other compounds tested.There was a greater than 5X increase in NO production with Nitrosigine compared to the other tested vasodilators.In addition, of the compounds tested, only Nitrosigine significantly increased NO production versus control.While this looks very impressive for Nitrosigine, you have to consider that this is an in vitro study conducted by Nutrition 21 themselves.The results basically indicate that every single clinically proven vasodilator that we know works is useless as it couldn’t increase NO production above control, meanwhile Nitrosigine somehow cranked it through the roof over 5x higher than the rest.While the results are certainly interesting, I would take this data with a grain of salt.Nitrosigine Vs. Citrulline Malate – Vasodilation Study On Young AdultsUnlike the in vitro study comparing Nitrosigine to Citrulline Malate, another study in 2019 was apparently conducted independently from the company without their knowledge whatsoever [R].This study was conducted on young, healthy, physically active adults, and provides more acceptable parameters for us to take seriously when it comes to evaluating Nitrosigine’s efficacy in humans relative to a decent dose of the most widely used vasodilator in the industry, Citrulline Malate (assuming that the study was actually unbiased as is implied) [R].16 healthy young men and 8 healthy young women participated in the study.Each subject either received 1500 mg of Nitrosigine, 8000 mg of Citrulline Malate 2:1, or dextrose placebo.Keep in mind, this is Citrulline Malate 2:1, so the subjects are only actually getting 5333.33 mg of L-Citrulline.The study was randomized, double-blind, within-subjects design where participants reported for three trials, each preceded by a 7-day washout period.Baseline flow mediated dilation (FMD) measurement was obtained for each visit, followed by consumption of one clinical dose Citrulline Malate (8 grams), Nitrosigine (1.5 grams), or dextrose placebo (8 g).Following a 60-min digestion period, FMD was repeated. Supplementation order was randomized controlling for potential order effects.Basically, the subjects would show up, get their FMD evaluated, take one of the three options, and then get their FMD checked again to see how well the random compound they ingested increased their NO production.They would then take a week off, and come back and repeat, where they would then receive one of the remaining two compounds, with the same measurement process.This would be followed by another week off, and then a third visit where the subjects would receive whatever the third ingredient was that they hadn’t yet tried, and the same measurement process was conducted.Nobody knew what they were ingesting during each trip, but by the end of the experiment every single subject had tried each ingredient, and their vasodilation response was evaluated for comparisons.Expectedly, Citrulline Malate and Nitrosigine yielded a greater improvement in FMD response than placebo.Citrulline Malate increased FMD by 34%.Nitrosigine increased FMD by 31%.Placebo decreased FMD by 2%.Allometric scaling of the FMD values was required afterwards to adjust the results to account for the body size of males relative to females.After allometric scaling of the FMD values, Citrulline Malate was shown to increase FMD by 25%, Nitrosigine increased FMD by 23%, and placebo increased FMD by 0.6%.Clearly Citrulline Malate isn’t as useless as the Nutrition 21 funded in vitro data would lead you to believe.The results from this study suggest that the clinically efficacious 1500 mg dose of Nitrosigine is almost equally effective to 5333.33 mg of L-Citrulline mixed with 2666.66 mg of Malic Acid.Clearly Nitrosigine has a lot of promise as a pre-workout ingredient, which is why I included it in our formula alongside the massive dosages of other potent vasodilators we already have.Every single effective vasodilator we felt was worthwhile is in here at topped out dosages.While it would be nice if there was data we could refer to evaluating if there is a synergy between Nitrosigine and Citrulline, or Nitrosigine and Agmatine, regardless if the end result is 1+1 = 2 or if it’s 1+1 = 3, my goal was to make sure this formula was air tight and ensure you are getting the maximum possible performance enhancing benefit from each and every ingredient.Sodium Nitrate – 1500 mgSodium is one of the most critical and overlooked components of a diet designed to optimize exercise performance.But, keep in mind, you’re not going to get enough sodium in a pre-workout without it tasting terrible.Other companies will put a tiny dose of sodium in their product and then claim you will get all of the benefits of it.Personally, I just toss and wash a quarter teaspoon of a high quality salt 30 minutes pre-workout with Gorilla Mode or Gorilla Mode Nitric, and I take another quarter teaspoon with my post-workout drink.The reason I included sodium nitrate in Gorilla Mode Nitric is not for the sodium, it is for the nitrates.The nitrate–nitrite–nitric oxide (NO) pathway is a series of oxygen-independent and NO synthase–independent single-electron transfer reactions that ultimately facilitate vasodilation.The traditional Arginine–eNOS–nitric oxide (NO) pathway is what most NO precursors focus on.The nitrate–nitrite–nitric oxide (NO) pathway often goes completely neglected though, and is another pathway we can leverage to amplify NO levels to an even greater level.Nitrates found in food can be converted into nitrites in the body, and then reduced to NO via nitrite reductase [R].Several studies have shown that nitrate supplementation can increase plasma nitrite concentrations, and consequently Nitric Oxide, which then enhances pumps, endurance, and all of the other benefits we use NO precursors for [R].Nitrate Dosage – Sodium Nitrate Vs. Beet Root Powder Pre-WorkoutsBeet root is a very popular ingredient that has started to get a lot of attention over the past few years.The reason why beet root works is because it is a densely concentrated source of nitrates.However, despite it being densely concentrated relative to other foods, beet root still only contains 1-2 percent of nitrates per gram of raw material.This would require you to ingest an absurdly high amount of beet root to get the same amount of nitrates that you can get from the 1500 mg of sodium nitrate in Gorilla Mode Nitric.To put it in perspective, your standard beet root powder pre-workout supplement has around 4.3 grams of Beet root juice powder in it.The amount of nitrates in that 4.3 grams is about 43 mg.That means that you would need to chug the entire tub at one time to get the same amount of nitrate as you would get out of a 1500 mg dose of sodium nitrate.There is no feasible way to get a high dose of nitrates from beet root powder without ingesting massive quantities far higher than what you would get in a dietary supplement.By weight, sodium nitrate is the most highly concentrated source of nitrates among any dietary ingredient.Nitrates comprise 73 percent of the total weight of sodium nitrate [R].The optimal dosage of nitrate supplementation appears to be between 6.4-12.8 mg/kg [R].That equates to the following dosage protocols:440-870 mg for a 150 lb person580-1,160 mg for a 200 lb person730-1,450 mg for a 250 lb personFor every gram of sodium nitrate, 730 mg is from nitrate.The 1.5 grams of sodium nitrate in Gorilla Mode Nitric yields 1095 mg of nitrate.There are other nitrate based supplements in the industry like Arginine Nitrate, Creatine Nitrate, Betaine Nitrate that operate via this same nitrate–nitrite–nitric oxide (NO) pathway, however, none of them have as high of a nitrate composition gram for gram as Sodium Nitrate does.VasoDrive-AP® (isoleucyl-prolyl-proline (IPP) and valyl-prolyl-proline (VPP) isolated from hydrolyzed milk casein) – 254 mgVasoDrive-AP consists of 2 lactotripeptides: isoleucyl-prolyl-proline (IPP) and valyl-prolyl-proline (VPP) which are clinically proven to inhibit Angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) and significantly increases vasodilation. Angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) controls blood pressure by regulating the volume of fluids in the body.ACE facilitates this process by converting the hormone angiotensin I to the active vasoconstrictor angiotensin II.Angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors (ACE inhibitors) inhibit ACE, consequently reducing angiotensin II production.Reducing angiotensin II results in the dilation of blood vessels and a reduction of blood pressure.Bradykinin is also a vasodilator in the body that is degraded by ACE.Clinical data suggests that individuals who genetically have lower levels of ACE respond better to training and are at an advantage in endurance sporting events [R, R].The more blood flow you have, presumably the more oxygen and nutrient carrying capacity you will have during exercise.VasoDrive-AP has shown in 30 clinical studies to date a potent effect on vasodilation and blood pressure reduction via this mechanism completely independent from the traditional Arginine–eNOS–nitric oxide (NO) pathway [R]. Ingredients I Didn’t Include In The Formula And WhyVitamin CVitamin C is a very potent antioxidant and plays a crucial role in lowering blood pressure and regulating health blood flow.Supplementing a Vitamin C deficient diet can be very beneficial, except when you’re dosing it pre-workout.Vitamin C is inexpensive and has tons of clinical data to back its efficacy, so it is often thrown in pre-workouts.The problem with this is that using Vitamin C pre-workout can blunt the hormetic response to the workout itself and hinder your results [R].The point of working out is to damage the muscle, which then results in the body signaling repair processes to start that will help you recover and ultimately get bigger and stronger to adapt to the workload.If you manually decrease that hormetic response to exercise by ingesting Vitamin C pre-workout, you will reduce the damage done and ultimately prevent your body from stimulating as much growth.Personally, I don’t take any vitamins, anti inflammatories, or powerful antioxidants for several hours before or after my workout to be safe.Antioxidants And VitaminsAs mentioned, one of the worst things you can do is take antioxidants before your workout.The stress and damage induced by weightlifting or exercise is needed to facilitate muscular recovery and progress.The reactive oxygen species and inflammation produced during intense training assists with that process, and is also why drugs like Ibuprofen can inhibit muscle growth so severely.The inflammatory response to training is what we want in order to recover, and by inhibiting that with antioxidants, vitamins or anti-inflammatory drugs, you prevent your body from breaking down and recovering the way it needs to in order to grow [R, R].A pre-workout formula with a bunch of vitamins and antioxidants in it is more likely to hinder your gains than help.PotassiumI advise reaching your recommended daily intake of 4,700 mg through diet rather than through supplementation.It is not legal to sell Potassium in high amounts, and you will usually find that supplements have no more than 100 mg or so per serving because of this.For this same reason, supplementation isn’t cost effective, and pre-workouts with potassium in them are including it solely to claim the benefits of potassium all the while knowing the dose in their product is next to useless.The amount of potassium in pre-workout supplements does next to nothing for you when it comes to helping you hit the RDA.S7™S7™ is a blend of green coffee bean extract, green tea extract, turmeric extract, tart cherry, blueberry, broccoli and kale that has gotten some hype in pre-workouts recently.I was considering including it in our formula until I saw that the blend was comprised entirely of potent antioxidants and anti-inflammatories.Turmeric is one of the most potent anti-inflammatory spices known to man, which is why it also shows such therapeutic promise via supplementation.However, the last thing you want to use pre-workout is a potent anti-inflammatory compound.Inflammation is what we are striving for during a workout, and using anything that significantly impairs this inflammatory response to training is something that should not be used pre-workout, and should be saved for taking far away from the peri-workout window.Beta AlanineBeta Alanine is the ingredient that makes your skin itchy and has you sitting there scratching your face between sets.I assume it is included in pre-workouts because you can blatantly feel something when you take it, so people associate feeling something with the product being potent.Personally, I can’t stand the itchy skin effect it has, and it can be bad enough that it ruins a pre-workout just based on that.In addition, it doesn’t have more than a negligible effect on performance at best.Acute sporadic bumps in Beta Alanine will do next to nothing if you are only getting your Beta Alanine dosage from your pre workout supplement a few times per week.If you were to take it correctly, dosing it multiple times per day, for weeks on end, at a high enough dosage, the impact on performance is notable, although still fairly insignificant at the end of the day.“The median effect of β-alanine supplementation is a 2.85% (-0.37 to 10.49%) improvement in the outcome of an exercise measure, when a median total of 179 g of β-alanine is supplemented” [R].179 grams (an amount nobody would end up getting in) for a 2.85% improvement in performance, and a ton of itchiness…“Although some laboratory-based studies show an ergogenic effect with beta-alanine supplementation, there is a lack of field-based research in training and competition settings.”“There was an unclear effect (0.4%; ± 0.8%, mean, ± 90% confidence limits) of beta-alanine on competition performance compared to placebo with no meaningful changes in blood chemistry. While there was a transient improvement on training performance after 4 weeks with beta-alanine (-1.3%; ± 1.0%), there was an unclear effect at ten weeks (-0.2%; ± 1.5%) and no meaningful changes in blood chemistry. Beta-alanine supplementation appears to have minimal effect on swimming performance in non-laboratory controlled real-world training and competition settings” [R].LeucineTaking Leucine post-workout promotes muscle growth.However, taking Leucine in your pre-workout has shown to diminish muscular performance via the inhibition of glycogen to glucose conversion within muscle cells and insulin signaling.On top of that, Leucine can prevent the uptake of Tyrosine into the brain, consequently inhibiting dopamine production, which is the opposite of what we are trying to accomplish pre-workout.Should You Ever Cycle Off Of Gorilla Mode Nitric?Despite Nitric being stimulant free, I would still advise cycling your use of Gorilla Mode Nitric every once in a while.In general, I advise cycling your use of any supplement that isn’t being used daily to replace a dietary deficiency.Interfering with balancing mechanisms in the body chronically long-term is almost always going to build up to some unintended negative side effect, and redlining your Nitric Oxide levels and vasodilation on a daily basis for long uninterrupted spans of time will probably be no different.How often you cycle it is ultimately up to your discretion as there is no tolerance build up with the ingredients in Nitric, and some of them actually have accumulative benefits.Personally, I use pre-workouts 4 days per week because I workout 4 times per week.Every month or two I will also take a full week off of everything except for my daily health supplements.How To Combine Gorilla Mode Nitric With Gorilla Mind RushGorilla Mode Nitric has no stimulants in it, so if you want the most potent combination of performance, energy, focus and drive pre-workout you can combine Nitric with Gorilla Mind Rush.Dose each product as you would normally dose them on their own, as there is no overlap between the two formulas.How To Combine Gorilla Mode Nitric With Gorilla ModeGorilla Mode can be combined with Gorilla Mode Nitric to achieve a more middle road level of stimulants but with the maxed out vasodilation and hyper-hydration.The instance in which mixing the two would make the most sense is if you don’t want to use a high dose of Gorilla Mode because the stimulant dosages are higher than you prefer or can tolerate, but still want to max out the benefits of the ingredients included for pump and performance.For example, if 2 scoops of Gorilla Mode contains too high of a dose of stimulants for you, you could use 1 scoop of Gorilla Mode with 1 scoop of Gorilla Mode Nitric.Or, a 1/2 scoop of Gorilla Mode with 1.5 scoops of Gorilla Mode Nitric.Alternatively, if you are using Nitric and want a little bump of stimulants but are too sensitive to the stimulant complex in Gorilla Mind Rush, then you might want to add a bit of Gorilla Mode to your Nitric dose as the blend of stimulants in Mode is a notch less aggressive than the stimulants in Rush.Mix and match at your own discretion based on your own stimulant tolerance and exactly what you are looking to get out of your pre-workout.Personally, I love combining Rush and Nitric pre-workout.Sometimes I will use Mode with Nitric instead though as the Kanna and N-Phenethyl Dimethylamine Citrate hits differently than the stimulants in Rush.It all depends on what I’m training, how well rested I am, and the effects I am shooting for.Conclusion – What To Expect From Gorilla Mode NitricIn general, you can expect a massive increase in nitric oxide (NO) levels, vasodilation, intracellular hydration and as significant of a boost in muscle strength and endurance as you can get from a legal non-hormonal pre-workout.This product is maxed out from all angles.The traditional Arginine–eNOS–nitric oxide (NO) pathway is completely saturated with an unheard of dose of L-Citrulline, as well as topped out dosages of Nitrosigine and Agmatine Sulfate for good measure.Over a gram of nitrates also ensures that the nitrate–nitrite–nitric oxide (NO) pathway is taken care of.Intracellular hyper-hydration is best-in-class too with a huge dose of Creatine Monohydrate, Glycerpump and Betaine Anhydrous to volumize the muscle and support performance and pumps.Inhibiting the enzyme angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) with a clinical dose of VasoDrive-AP® also checks off another pathway to push the boundaries on supraphysiological levels of vasodilation. Finally, a high dose of Malic Acid was included for good measure to act as a Krebs cycle intermediary and support greater levels of muscular endurance.Try Gorilla Mode Nitric for yourself here and let me know what you think.Related
How Different Anabolic Steroids Can Affect Your Immune System And Vulnerability To Viral Infections
Both Testosterone and anabolic androgenic steroids (AAS) adversely influence the immune system, affecting leucocyte growth or activity, and antibody and cytokine production, particularly when used at supraphysiological doses, mimicking a condition of secondary immunodeficiency [R, R].Secondary immunodeficiency, much more common than primary immunodeficiency (that is to say those caused by genetic defects affecting the cells of the immune system), is characterized by various factors that affect a normal immune system, including infectious, iatrogenic, metabolic and environmental factors.These immune deficiencies are manifested clinically with an increased frequency or unusual complications of common infections and occasionally with the onset of opportunistic pathogen infections.[embedded content]Table of ContentsNandrolone And Anadrol Effects On The Immune SystemNandrolone Decanoate and Anadrol directly induce the production of inflammatory cytokines Interleukin 1 Beta (IL-1β) and Tumor Necrosis Factor Alpha (TNF-α) in human peripheral blood leukocyte cultures [R].Testosterone and DHEA had no direct cytokine inducing effect in the same model.Nandrolone Decanoate also inhibits interferon production in NDV-infected mouse L-929 and human WISH cells.Winstrol And Trenbolone Effects On The Immune SystemWinstrol and Trenbolone were found to be genotoxic and cytotoxic to human lymphocytes in a dose dependent manner [R].Testosterone, Teslac, Anavar And Winstrol Effects On The Immune SystemTo evaluate how anabolic steroids affect the immune system, five commercially available steroids with various types of structural differences were studied in a rodent model [R].Animals were divided into five groups and treated with Testosterone (group 1), Testosterone Propionate (Group 2), the steroidal aromatase inhibitor Testolactone (Teslac) (Group 3), Anavar (Group 4), and Winstrol (Group 5).Significant immunosuppression was observed with all groups.However, by day 10, the Teslac, Anavar and Winstrol treated group showed immunostimulation and actually exceeded baseline immunity while the Testosterone treated groups maintained immunosuppressed.To truly test the effects of endogenous androgens on the immune system a second experiment was then performed.Ten animals maintained in a similar manner to the initial experiment were either treated intact or were castrated and then treated for 8 days, with Anavar (1.1 mg/kg/day), Testosterone (1.1 mg/kg/day) or Anavar combined with physiologic amounts of Testosterone (15 μg/day).Anavar was selected because it has the greatest anabolic activity of all Testosterone analogues as compared to Testosterone (androgenic/anabolic activity = 1:13).In the intact animals after 8 days of treatment with Anavar, serum Testosterone levels were measured by radioimmunoassay on tail vein blood.Levels were either undetectable or very low, reflecting what would be significant HPTA suppression.Immune function (DCH responses) measured at the same time revealed a 41% increase over baseline.The Testosterone treated group experienced a 36% suppression of immune function.Further treatment for 8 days with Anavar combined with physiologic amounts of Testosterone eliminated the immune system enhancement provided by Anavar monotherapy and returned the DCH responses to levels that were not significantly different from baseline.The results were different in the castrated animals.Castration, resulted in an increase in immune (DCH) responses.The mean observed change was 90% greater than intact (pre-castration) baseline.That means that castrated rats had a 90% improvement above and beyond rats that weren’t castrated.Eight day administration of Anavar to these animals had an immunodepressive effect returning the DCH response to baseline.Eight day treatment with Anavar combined with physiologic doses of Testosterone produced an even greater suppression, 45% change from baseline.These observations indicate that immune alterations do occur with anabolic steroids which are immunosuppressive when the steroid nucleus is intact and immunostimulatory with nuclear alterations.How Steroids Influence Immune FunctionThe hypothesis to explain the immune system responses to steroids is as follows.Exogenous androgenic anabolic steroids produce two effects on the immune system: (A) a direct early effect on immune function which is suppressive and, (B) an indirect delayed stimulatory effect mediated through the negative feedback on the pituitary.(B) results in inhibition of gonadal Testosterone through diminished LH release.A decrease in the synthesis of Testosterone results in low serum Testosterone level and immune stimulation.Castration, by abolishing the modulation of Testosterone secretion eliminates the effect of (B) but leaves (A) intact.In summation, the more suppressive a steroid is the more it can indirectly enhance immune function, simply by suppressing the endogenous production of Testosterone and its metabolites.However, anabolic steroids will also be genotoxic and cytotoxic to human lymphocytes in a dose dependent manner.So, the only reason anabolic steroids can enhance immunity is by being more tissue selective than Testosterone and by shutting down the HPTA, not by inherently being protective.They too will be inherently immunosuppressive, just to a lesser degree based on their tissue selectivity and magnitude of impact on endogenous androgen production suppression.At the end of the day, the data all suggests that the lower your levels of steroids are in the body, the higher level your immune system will function at in parallel.Are You Increasing Your Risk Of Viral Infection When You Are On Cycle?In summary, the vast majority of studies suggest that steroid use decreases antibody formation, Natural Killer (NK) lymphocyte activity, T and B lymphocyte maturation and stimulation resulting in immunosuppression [R].Supraphysiological doses of common anabolic steroids have been shown to directly influence the production of certain cytokines, altering immune function.The results from both animal and human studies suggest that supraphysiological doses of AAS can negatively impact the immune system.The takeaway from all of this is that with an easily spread virus infecting thousands of people throughout the world right now, it would be prudent to reduce your exogenous AAS use at least down to therapeutic levels to support immune function during this time where having increased vulnerability to viral infection is the most risky.Regardless if you are young and believe you are invincible based on the mortality rate statistics showing that the elderly are the most at risk of being symptomatic or ending up in critical condition, you may still be increasing your chances of becoming an infected carrier who then transmits the virus to the elderly (including your parents or grandparents) as a result of self-induced immunosuppression.Related
Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Steroid Cycle – Dbol And Primobolan
Arnold Schwarzenegger’s steroid cycle from the golden era of bodybuilding is a topic that is often heavily debated.There’s a lot of speculation around what kind of drug use the golden era bodybuilders deployed to get the physiques that are so sought after nowadays.While Arnold himself never detailed exactly what he took, we have a handful of credible sources of information that all seem to overlap in their descriptions of his steroid use.Despite this information being very accessible, it often goes overlooked because it is buried in the nooks and crannies of the internet.There is such an overwhelming amount of content on the internet now that this information has become increasingly more difficult to find over the years.While Arnold likely experimented a bit here and there, this article will detail what he built his physique on, and the staple anabolics he very likely used throughout his Mr. Olympia reign.[embedded content]Table of ContentsArnold Schwarzenegger Briefly Touches On His First Steroid CycleIn Arnold Schwarzenegger’s autobiography “Total Recall – My Unbelievably True Life Story” he gives some insight into what his first steroid cycle consisted of, and when he started it.The first thing of note is that he discovered steroid use before the 1967 Mr. Universe competition while researching about the training methods of the East Germans and the Soviets.There were rumors that they were using performance enhancing drugs to get superior results from their weightlifters, shot-putters, and swimmers and he soon found out that steroids were the drugs that they were using.Arnold goes on to touch on how he went to a doctor to ask for a prescription of anabolic steroids.He simply asked:Can you let me try it?The doctor agreed, and he was then prescribed an injection every two weeks and pills to take in between.Keep in mind, this was Arnold’s first steroid cycle ever.His dosages may have titrated up in subsequent cycles, and he probably experimented with different anabolics at some point at least once or twice.The more muscle you gain, the higher your requirements will become for increasingly high amounts of calories, training volume, and drug use to support additional hypertrophy above and beyond what you have already achieved.While Arnold didn’t state exactly what he was prescribed, we get some useful insight into the administration practice of each compound (oral and injectable) and what type of drugs would probably fall into these two categories at that time when considering all of the other information from other interviews we have compiled over the years.At this point, we know he was using one injectable compound and one oral compound.Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Interview About Dianabol UseIn another interview Arnold more or less implies that he used 3 Dianabol per day.It is well-known in the community that Arnold was big on using Dianabol back in the day.[embedded content]Obviously he’s not actually straight up saying “this was what my cycle was”, but we can put two and two together based on his prescription for pills and an injection from a doctor, Arnold talking about Dianabol himself, and the widespread information that’s passed through the grapevine reinforcing his Dianabol use.It all culminates to paint a pretty convincing picture that Dianabol was the oral steroid in question that Arnold used.What the injectable compound was is mainly what is debated about.After doing some digging, I uncovered some pretty convincing information suggesting that the injectable compound was Primobolan.Steve Davis Outlines Golden Era Steroid CyclesIn 2012, Ric Drasin interviewed Steve Davis to discuss steroid cycles from the golden era.Both men trained at Gold’s Gym with Arnold in the 70’s and had personal insight into what golden era stacks consisted of, as they literally took the same stacks themselves.Steve DavisAfter prompting the topic of what golden era bodybuilders were using, Steve goes on to touch on what most guys were using:Steve: You know, in my era, it was 3 Dianabol a day and a shot a week.Ric: That’s exactly right.Steve: And we heard that certain Austrians were taking 4 Dianabol a day and a shot a week.Ric: Yeah.[embedded content]I’m sure both Steve and Ric actually had this conversation with Arnold at some point to confirm this, as they trained with him and bodybuilders were supposedly pretty open about their use back then.The standard protocol going around then was 3 Dianabol a day, and 1 shot of Primobolan per week.While some of the protocols definitely differed from person to person (e.g. Robby Robinson and Danny Padilla using Deca-only cycles), for the most part it seems like the majority of guys that trained with Arnold in Gold’s Gym in the 70’s were doing the same thing.Now, the question is are they underplaying their use to not undervalue their training intensity and diet adherence?Perhaps.It is very common for “open” individuals to talk about their steroid use, but basically just cut what their dosages are in half when speaking about what they took.Ric Drasin Details Golden Era Steroid CyclesIn 2018 Ric Drasin circles back to the topic of golden era steroid cycles and outlines more specifics about what steroids the top bodybuilders from Gold’s Gym were using in the 70’s.Now I was there at that time, so I know exactly what everybody took.Without using names of people because I don’t want to implicate anybody, but starting with the top bodybuilders, and some that you know, it wasn’t that muchuse of steroids the way we think of today.Basically, it was Dianabol, Primobolan, Testosterone, Deca, Winstrol, and Anavar.Those are the main ones.There wasn’t anything outside of that.Growth Hormone wasn’t really known about then, so nobody really used it.I mean, maybe it was in some circles, but we sure didn’t hear about it.Mostly tablets.The injectables were the ones I mentioned.The Winstrol, the Dianabol, and the Anavar were strictly tablets, there was no injectable at all of that sort.Dianabol was made by CIBA (C-I-B-A).It was a little blue pill.Came in 100 a bottle.If you bought it at the pharmacy, it was a prescription, it was $8 a bottle.Deca was $1.50 a vial, that’s it.Testosterone.Let’s say, 10 CCs of an enanthate was 10 bucks.Anavar, around the same price and down the line, nothing was really expensive.Now, you have to realize back in ’69 and the 70’s, steroids were not illegal.They were never looked upon as being illegal.There was a doctor’s prescription.You could get it pretty easily if you needed it, and then you had it.There were those doctors that were affiliated with Gold’s Gym back in those days that would just hand it to you.One was a pediatrician who was well-known.The other one was a medical doctor, who was well-known.If you needed something, you got it.Now, from the top of the line bodybuilders, the ones that were competing in the Olympia back then, from Gold’s, their main routine was taking Primobolan, Winstrol, and Deca.Forgot to mention Deca.And not in any great usage.It was like a “CC” of each, maybe once to twice a week.That was it.People seem to think that some of these guys were taking like “10 CCs” a day, every day.I never saw it happen.No way in hell that ever happened.Dianabol, no more than three to four pills a day, at most.Anavar was weak, so six to eight pills a day.Winstrol was four pills a day.Now, I started on Dianabol back in the, maybe, late 60’s.I had heard about Bill Pearl taking it.I got it from a pharmacy, CIBA, and I started doing two pills a day.By 10 days in, I had grown so much, it was ridiculous.This is when everything was real.I really grew from that Dbol and they quit making it way back.Maybe, the mid 80’s.CIBA just went out of business and that was it.It became illegal.They said on the bottles themselves that these drugs would not enhance athletic performance.They had to label that on there.And, then they took it off of there.Primobolan coming from Germany, or Austria I might say, was probably one of the best things I ever tried.It was given to me by “one of our big bodybuilders” at the time.I had great results off that.I got so huge in two weeks, I could hardly fit into my Volkswagen.And I’m not kidding.That’s how big I got just off that and the Dbol.I never took great amounts.1 shot a week, 3 Dbol a day, maybe 2 Dbol a day.So, when you asked what these guys took, and how much did they take, and “did they take a lot?”No, it wasn’t a lot at all.And I always felt that “less was more.”You didn’t need a whole lot to get big.If you took too much, it didn’t really work that well.It wasn’t any better than taking less.It was available pretty easy.Like I said, it wasn’t illegal.Everybody had it.And that’s how it was.But most of the results in training came from heavy-lifting old school style, and a lot of protein.[embedded content]One of the “big bodybuilders” gave Ric Primobolan for the first time, and he was following the classic dosing protocol we’ve seen mentioned time and time again now.A few Dbol per day, and a shot of Primo per week.Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Dosage Titration ProtocolA credible guru in the industry details what is purported to be Arnold’s dosage titration protocol at the 37:18 mark in the following video:[embedded content]Arnold took Dianabol and Primobolan, essentially nothing else.An escalating dose, kind of culminating in about 100 milligrams of Dianabol a day and about 1000 milligrams Primobolan a week, a.k.a. about two total grams of drug and that was it.No aromatase inhibitor, no Tamoxifen, no Insulin or Growth Hormone, just two grams of high-quality anabolic.By the way, you didn’t hear mentioned any Testosterone.Testosterone really didn’t come onto the scene ’til the late 70’s, early 80s’.I have no idea how factual that purported titration schedule was, but it still reinforces the likelihood that Arnold’s steroids of choice were Dbol and Primobolan.Frank Zane’s Semi-Cryptic Poem About Golden Era Steroid CyclesThe nail in the coffin in my opinion is Frank Zane’s poem.In Frank Zane’s “Mind, Body, Spirit” training diary, one Reddit user actually found a poem that essentially breaks down in code what the top bodybuilders took in the golden era.Diana Bowl and Louie.Prima bowl onTV, both of whomworked as a team.Known for miles aroundas the best bowlers in town,Primo drove 100 miles a weekcombining 15 milly Gramola bars daily from Diananot worried about getting fat, you cannotnot on that in those days.But that was then, this is nowa growing cast of actors shove, share center stageall playing the same part at the same timeI awoke amazed, wondering howthis ridiculous play isn’t dying by now.Obviously, anyone can see plain as day he’s trying to allude to certain things in code here to outline what drugs guys were taking back then, as well as what appears to be his perspective on modern day bodybuilding as a whole compared to the golden era.The first thing, “Diana Bowl.”Obviously, that’s Dianabol.“Prima bowl on.”Primobolan.“Primo drove 100 miles a week.”100 milligrams per week of Primobolan, which reinforces the one shot a week of Primobolan that Arnold supposedly got.“Combining 15 milly Gramola bars daily from Diana”15 milligrams per day of Dianabol (Dbol) combined with the weekly shot of Primo.After the part where he talks about 100 milligrams of Primo per week and the 15 milligrams of Dianabol per day he says:“But that was then, this is now.A growing cast of actors shove, share center stage.All playing the same part at the same time.I awoke amazed, wondering how this ridiculous play isn’t dying by now.”I assume this part refers to his perspective of modern day bodybuilding compared to the golden era and how this generation abuses high dosages of multiple drugs, and how much of a travesty he believes bodybuilding has become.I believe it more or less stands for everything wrong with modern-day bodybuilding.The excessive mass chasing, the insane dosages of drugs, and him being amazed the “play isn’t dying by now” perhaps alluding to the fact that bodybuilding has continued to remain popular despite an increasing amount of young bodybuilders dropping dead from drug abuse.There’s a lot to take in from that poem.Dianabol (Dbol) And Primobolan DosagesRic Drasin and Frank Zane both trained with Arnold and seem to be credible sources of information.Frank Zane is a Mr. Olympia winner himself and would know better than anyone what others from Gold’s Gym were using.The cumulative evidence strongly suggests that Arnold was at minimum using a shot of Primobolan per week and 3-4 Dianabol per day.It is entirely possible that those dosages titrated up over the years, but in general we at least know that those were likely the compounds he used to build his physique.CIBA Dianabol was prescribed in 2.5 and 5 milligram oral tablets.All forms of Bayer Primobolan Depot were packaged in one milliliter glass ampules and contained 100 milligrams of Metenolone Enanthate.Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Steroid CycleBased on the information provided, we can assume that Arnold Schwarzenegger’s steroid cycle consisted of 15-20 milligrams of Dianabol per day and 100 milligrams of Primobolan per week.Those are very conservative dosages by today’s standards, and this was reinforced by every one in the golden era who has spoke out about the steroid use in that tight knit circle of bodybuilders Arnold hung out with.Obviously they could be wrong or lying, but I think their stories line up too well with each other for it to not be at least somewhat true.Hopefully that lays some myths to rest and sheds light on what the golden era bodybuilders were actually doing to achieve the physiques that everyone strives for nowadays.Nowadays, guys abuse excessive amounts of drugs in hopes of achieving golden era physiques, when the golden era guys were actually using a fraction of what teenage kids are cycling on nowadays.Granted, there may be a huge disparity in product quality between the pharmaceutical grade products available in the golden era compared to the UGL stuff most guys are using now.However, I do not believe that to be the case, with the exception of product purity and complete dosage accuracy.Most top UGL’s are pretty on point and aren’t far off of pharmaceutical quality, so to me that point usually just comes across as an excuse that guys use to justify using massive dosages, or for their lackluster results.The golden era steroid dosages were far more reasonable than most would otherwise believe had they not seen this stuff, or heard it straight from the horse’s mouth.I don’t think you will find a more credible resource than Arnold, Frank, Ric, and Steve themselves who have opened up about the standard dosages used in that era, with their statements all lining up with eachother.Related
The Most Accurate Testosterone Blood Test You Can Get
Of the minority of men taking steroids who actually get blood tests, 99% of them get inaccurate assays.Most doctors don’t realize the importance of high sensitivity testing when it comes to men in general, and even more so in steroid users.The difference between high sensitivity testing and what you have probably been getting in the past can be the entire reference range, or in some cases, it may even be detecting metabolites or analogs of other hormones.This is not limited to just testosterone either.Measuring Estradiol via Roche ECLIA (Electrochemiluminescence Immunoassay) instead of liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS-MS) has similar limitations, as do other hormone tests with insufficient analytical sensitivity.[embedded content]Table of ContentsThe Most Accurate Total Testosterone Blood TestThe gold standard for accurately measuring total testosterone levels is high-performance liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS-MS).Recent studies have shown that the current assays used in total testosterone testing lack the required sensitivity to produce accurate results when working with very low concentrations.This can be especially problematic when trying to accurately measure total testosterone levels in severely testosterone deficient men, normal or testosterone deficient women, and children.In addition, these tests have proven via my own personal tests to detect synthetic anabolic androgenic steroids as testosterone.This issue can be corrected by newer methods based on mass spectrometry.The Most Accurate Free Testosterone Blood TestThe gold standard for accurately measuring free testosterone levels is equilibrium dialysis.Equilibrium ultrafiltration is also sufficient.A comparison of results obtained via equilibrium dialysis and equilibrium ultrafiltration found that the two methods correlated closely (r = 0.97) [R].Direct analog enzyme immunoassay (EIA) is inaccurate and has shown in my own personal tests to detect synthetic anabolic androgenic steroids as testosterone.My Blood Test Results Comparing ECLIA And EIA Vs. LC/MS-MS And Equilibrium UltrafiltrationThis is an example that very clearly shows how important high sensitivity testing can be.I went in for a blood test during a Nandrolone-only experiment.I had no Testosterone in my system whatsoever.Expectedly, by assessing my Total Testosterone level via liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS-MS) and my Free Testosterone level via equilibrium ultrafiltration, we can see that my Testosterone levels were crashed.Both the total and the free were lower than a healthy female.This is what you should see in your blood work if you’re on just Nandrolone.The only Testosterone being produced in my body was indirectly via the trace amounts of androgens produced in my adrenal cortex, which is why the value wasn’t completely bottomed out at 0.I’ve mentioned many times the importance of getting high sensitivity testing done for hormone levels and how Nandrolone will register as Testosterone in primitive garbage blood tests.This is another great example of this.In addition to high sensitivity testing, I had the same blood tested using electrochemiluminescence immunoassay (ECLIA) for my Total Testosterone level, and direct analog enzyme immunoassay (EIA) for my Free Testosterone level.These were the test results using the exact same blood sample with the terrible default assays that doctors will use to determine how to treat you, and that labs will give you in the majority of your blood work panels.According to ECLIA and EIA, I had a normal Total Testosterone and Free Testosterone level.This just one example of why getting accurate hormone testing is critical.My Testosterone levels were actually in the gutter, but ECLIA and EIA couldn’t even tell the difference between Testosterone and 19-nortestosterone in my blood.Where To Order Accurate Blood TestsMost labs offer total testosterone (LC/MS-MS), and some offer free testosterone (equilibrium ultrafiltration).However, very few self-pay labs offer free testosterone (equilibrium dialysis).Of the ones that do offer it, it is extremely expensive and it does not come in a package with a total testosterone test.If your doctor will write you a requisition for it, great.If not, just get equilibrium ultrafiltration.Personally, I drive to the US just so I can get LC/MS-MS and equilibrium ultrafiltration testing done.This is the exact test I order every time to accurately check my testosterone levels: Testosterone, Free, Equilibrium Ultrafiltration With Total Testosterone, LC/MS-MSRelated
The Most Effective GH Dose For Fat Loss Per Administration
[embedded content]Contrary to popular belief, more is not better when it comes to exogenous GH use for fat loss.There is a ceiling on lipolysis, and the highest GH dose for maximizing fat loss per administration is much lower than most people think. As you can see here in the following study assessing the pharmacokinetics and acute lipolytic actions of GH, there were significant dose-response effects when comparing the incremental area under the curve of both free fatty acids and blood 3-hydroxy-butyrate following 0, 1, and 3 mcg/kg GH, whereas there were no differences between the responses following 3 and 6 mcg/kg GH [R].These dosages were administered intravenously. 1 mg of Somatropin corresponds to 3 IU (International Units) of Somatropin [R].So, this means that for someone who weighs 100 kg, lipolysis is maxed out at about 300 mcg of Somatropin, which is 0.9 IU’s of pharma grade GH IV. We need to math out the corresponding subcutaneous dose based on the bioavailability and bioactivity comparison data we have on humans administered HGH. Obviously IV dosages are not representative of what dosages would be via the far more realistic and tolerable method of administration (subcutaneous). In one study, the mean estimated availability of subcutaneous injected HGH was shown to be 63% of that of HGH administered I.V. after correcting for differences in the GH dose [R].Another study found the availability of subcutaneous injected HGH to be about 70% of that of HGH administered I.V. [R].So, for a 100 kg man, fat loss benefits would be maxed out around 1.35 IU of GH per administration subcutaneously. There is a refractory period cells need before another pulse of exogenous GH can even be useful in a lipolysis context, which I will delve into further in a future article. Related
Will Taking GH Before Going To Sleep Suppress Your Natural Production Of GH?
At supraphysiological dosages, taking GH before going to sleep makes sense because there is a negative feedback loop on the growth hormone (GH)/insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-1) axis.In this study, IGF-1 was constantly infused, and the effect on endogenous GH secretion was assessed [R].Overall, GH concentrations were suppressed during the rhIGF-I infusion by 85±3%, mainly by attenuating spontaneous GH pulse amplitude (77±4% suppression).The apparent GH pulse frequency was attenuated from 7.8±0.9 to 4.7±0.6 pulses/24h (P= 0.006).IGF-1 is the primary feedback, and the mechanism is similar to what you see with the HPTA axis.When there is enough Testosterone and Estrogen, your body has this mechanism in place to prevent you from making more.The same thing happens with exogenous GH use.When you administer exogenous GH, IGF-1 elevates.When your body recognizes that IGF-1 is elevated, it starts to suppress GH pulse amplitude in a dose dependent manner.If you are using supraphysiological amounts of GH for bodybuilding purposes, you can assume that your natural secretion is greatly inhibited during sleep as this negative feedback loop will prevent your body from secreting GH in your sleep like it normally would.When endogenous GH production is suppressed, administering exogenous GH at times that lipolysis or muscle growth can be optimized is the most logical approach to injection timing.[embedded content]If fat loss is the goal, then taking GH in a fasted state prior to fasted cardio would be ideal.There is a ceiling on how much GH is needed to maximize lipolysis, so if your dosage exceeds 2 IU per day, then I would advise splitting up that dose into two (or more if needed) different periods of the day with as much time between them as possible.If muscle growth is the goal, GH should still be administered in a pulsatile fashion to mimic endogenous secretions.Topped out stimulation of autocrine IGF-1 in skeletal muscle can be achieved with fairly low dosages of exogenous GH, and administering a higher dose above and beyond that may just be a waste.This is why it would be wise to split up your daily GH dose into multiple administrations if you are using supraphysiological dosages.Related
RU58841 Vs. Finasteride For Hair Loss Prevention – Which Is Better?
RU58841 vs. Finasteride.As of now RU58841 is the most commonly used topical anti-androgen used for hair loss prevention, and Finasteride is the most commonly used 5α-Reductase inhibitor for hair loss prevention.Which is better for hair loss prevention?This is a common question I get asked and a dedicated post is long overdue.[embedded content]Table of ContentsStudy Comparing RU58841 Vs. Finasteride Head To HeadWhile there are tons of anecdotal reviews comparing Finasteride to RU58841, there is very little scientific data for us to refer to.There is some though that is worth delving into.In this study, Finasteride was stacked up against RU58841 to see which would be more effective for hair loss prevention, and how much each would impact systemic hormone levels [R].RU58841 was applied either in a 5% solution, a 0.5% solution, or just a vehicle with no RU58841 in it for 6 months to the bald scalp of 10 stump-tailed macaques.The 5% solution was applied to 4 of the 10 bald stump-tailed macaques, the 0.5% solution was applied to 3 of the 10 bald stump-tailed macaques, and the vehicle with no RU58841 was applied to the last 3 of the 10 bald stump-tailed macaques.The common dosing protocol for RU58841 is typically a 5% solution applied to androgenic alopecia affected areas, so this study was right in line with what we would want to see.Oral Finasteride was given in a dose of 1 mg/kg/day for 6 months to 10 bald stump-tailed macaques.An oral placebo was also given to 10 bald stump-tailed macaques.Male stump-tailed macaques weigh on average between 9.7–10.2 kg, so that would equate to a Finasteride dosage of roughly 10 mg orally per day.This dosage greatly exceeds the point of diminishing returns with Finasteride use, so this is also a great way for us to compare the efficacy of a standard dose of RU58841 to a maxed out dose of Finasteride.The stump-tailed macaque has shown to be a suitable biological model for human androgenetic alopecia as it possesses hereditary balding characteristics similar in many respects to that of androgenetic alopecia in humans [R].ResultsSkin biopsies for micromorphometric analysis (folliculogram) were taken at 0 and 6 months for Finasteride treated macaques and at 0 and 4 months for RU58841 treated macaques.The amount of anagen follicles (hairs in the active growth phase) and vellus follicles (short, thin, and barely noticeable hairs) enlarged to terminal size were compared to those in pre-treatment stages.Anagen follicles increased an average of 88% with Finasteride.Anagen follicles increased an average of 103% with 5% strength RU58841.The growth of vellus follicles to terminal size (thick, strong, pigmented hairs that have fully matured) was 12% with Finasteride.The growth of vellus follicles to terminal size was 26% with 5% strength RU58841.The 0.5% strength RU58841 solution induced almost no effect.Expectedly, the Finasteride placebo induced no effect.The 5% strength RU58841 solution induced the most hair growth after only 2 months of treatment.RU58841 was given less time to work and still significantly outperformed Finasteride in this study.Although Finasteride significantly reduced DHT levels, DHT remaining and produced by Type I 5α-reductase isoenzyme still contributed to hair follicle miniaturization.Because Testosterone and DHT both bind to the androgen receptor, a locally sufficient dose of an “AR blocker” (topical anti-androgen) appears to suppress Testosterone and DHT induced follicular regression more effectively than 5α-reductase inhibition.Systemic EffectsPlasma RU58841 and metabolites (10-20 ng/ml) were detected in 2 of the stump-tailed macaques that were applied the 5% strength RU58841 solution at the 3 month mark of treatment.Only 1 of the stump-tailed macaques had detectable plasma RU58841 and metabolites at at the 6 month mark of treatment.RU58841 had no significant impact on serum DHT or Testosterone levels at any point.Finasteride decreased serum DHT levels by about 70%, and Testosterone levels increased as a result of the 5α-reductase blockade.If Estrogen levels were assessed in the Finasteride treated group, their Estrogen levels would have showed significant elevation as well as a result of increased aromatization.My Concluding Thoughts On This StudyThis study shows that RU58841 can go systemic when topically applied, although there is no effect on endogenous androgen levels.First of all, I do believe that RU58841 can go systemic, in fact, I think it is an inevitable outcome.However, the degree to which it goes systemic and if the amount that goes systemic will cause anti-androgenic side effects will be based on several factors.These factors include but are not limited to endogenous androgen production, sex hormone metabolism, androgen receptor density and expression, scalp skin porosity, the dosage used, if there are open wounds on the scalp or not, the vehicle used, frequency of administration, and more.Does this ensure side effects? No.However, applying anything to your skin with a low enough molecular weight to be absorbed and not expecting it to go systemic at all is wishful thinking.The molecular weight of RU58841 is 369.34 g/mol [R].1 Da (dalton) = 1 g/mol.The molecular weight of a compound must be under 500 Dalton to allow skin absorption (which RU58841 is) [R].With that being said, RU58841 is well tolerated by the majority of users for a reason.In the study, at the 3 month mark 2 of the stump-tailed macaques had detectable plasma RU58841 and metabolites.By the 6 month mark, only 1 of the stump-tailed macaques had detectable plasma RU58841 and metabolites.If there was a cumulative drug effect we would have seen more animals with detectable metabolites after an additional 3 months of dosing, not less.What most fail to consider is that RU58841 is non-steroidal and acts as a competitive silent antagonist of the androgen receptor.This means that even if RU58841 goes systemic, by creating a blockade of the androgen receptor, RU58841 prevents the negative feedback androgens would normally create via the hypothalamic–pituitary–gonadal axis (HPG axis) in men.By binding to androgen receptors, RU58841 will induce anti-androgen effects without reducing serum androgen levels in the body.Finasteride on the other hand works by directly crushing DHT levels rather than by occupying androgen receptors.The ideal treatment would be a topical non-steroidal anti-androgen or SARM with a high binding affinity, and harmless metabolites void of anti-androgenic activity upon systemic absorption.Achieving Complete Hair Loss Protection By Addressing The Androgen Receptor, Not Just 5α-ReductaseWhen you inhibit 5α-Reductase with Finasteride or Dutasteride, serum Testosterone and Estrogen levels increase will increase.A common mistake is to ignore the fact that scalp Testosterone levels rise dramatically after inhibiting 5α-Reductase.This occurs to an even greater degree with Dutasteride use, and I believe is the reason why some men experience accelerated hair loss after switching from Finasteride to Dutasteride.Typically, most men will see better results with Dutasteride as scalp DHT is almost always going to be more of a problem than scalp Testosterone.However, the consequent spike in scalp Testosterone levels with Dutasteride use is significant, and Testosterone will bind to androgen receptors and induce miniaturization just the same.5 mg of Finasteride resulted in a 23% increase in scalp Testosterone levels with a concurrent 41% suppression of scalp DHT levels.0.5 mg Dutasteride resulted in a 99% increase in scalp Testosterone levels with a concurrent 51% suppression of scalp DHT levels.This is why the androgen receptor needs to be addressed, not just nuking 5α-reductase with Dutasteride.Scalp Testosterone will still slowly chip away at your hair, regardless if DHT is there or not.In addition, Finasteride is insufficient to completely eliminate scalp DHT, which also needs to be taken into account and addressed.When you inhibit 5α-reductase, that Testosterone that would have otherwise converted to DHT doesn’t just disappear, it remains as the parent hormone, thus raising total Testosterone levels in the body.Dutasteride doesn’t just randomly stop working one day, Testosterone and other endogenous androgens are still eating away at your hair, just at a much slower pace than DHT would.The only way to prevent other androgens from binding to androgen receptors and miniaturizing hair follicles is by competing with them for androgen receptor binding.That’s where the therapeutic promise of topical anti-androgens, anti-androgens in general, selective androgen receptor modulators, and other similar compounds that bind to androgen receptors can come into play and provide a compounding level of protection when needed, or as a form of monotherapy on their own if sufficient.If you only inhibit 5α-reductase with Finasteride, not only will you have residual amounts of DHT, but you will also have a spike in scalp Testosterone that is totally unaccounted for.Unfortunately, you can’t just partially inhibit 5α-reductase and expect complete protection for life unless you have very mild hair loss to begin with.Permanent prevention can only be achieved by addressing the androgen receptor itself.For some individuals, Finasteride monotherapy will be sufficient to stave off hair loss for a couple decades, but that residual DHT and spike in Testosterone will continue to chip away and eventually win in the end.For some with aggressive hair loss, Finasteride monotherapy isn’t even sufficient in the short-term.At the end of the day, regardless of how aggressive your hair loss is, prevention is mediated via the androgen receptor.Other treatment options may be implemented that interact with different downstream mechanisms in the cascade of events that lead to hair loss, but they will unlikely prove sufficient to completely mitigate androgenic alopecia on their own, and will be best utilized as an adjunct treatment to achieve a compounding level of protection with other compounds.Which Is Better For Hair Loss Prevention?RU58841 and Finasteride work via different mechanisms of action.They shouldn’t be pitted against one another as neither are likely to prove sufficient to completely prevent hair loss on their own.DHT has a much higher binding affinity than RU58841, but Testosterone doesn’t.Those with very aggressive hair loss would likely need to use a massive dose of RU58841 to compete with all of their scalp DHT and Testosterone.On the other hand, Finasteride can significantly decrease DHT levels, but causes a subsequent spike in scalp Testosterone that goes completely unaccounted for that will still work in tandem with the residual DHT to miniaturize hair follicles.A more complete level of protection would be achieved by using both Finasteride and RU58841, not one or the other.Finasteride will significantly reduce the amount of scalp DHT, and leave a hormonal environment that RU58841 is more capable of dealing with.RU58841’s binding affinity is at least as high as Testosterone, so if most of the DHT is cleared out of the way, RU58841 only has to compete with Testosterone and a much lower amount of DHT.Expecting RU58841 to out-compete all endogenous DHT and Testosterone without any assistance when its binding affinity is several times lower than DHT is a strategy that would likely only work long-term for someone with mild hair loss.The dose and frequency of administration relative to the half-life needs to be kept in mind as well.There’s a dose-dependent response with all drugs, including anti-androgens.Just because a 5% RU58841 solution applied once per day proves sufficient for one guy, that doesn’t mean that dosage will be sufficient for you too.Hair loss is basically just a giant chess match where the most efficacious treatments will either knock out the opponent (decrease endogenous androgen levels), or occupy a more advantageous position on the chess board (binding to androgen receptors).The more chess pieces you have, the better your chance of winning against the finite number of opponent chess pieces.This is why certain anti-androgens with very poor binding affinity can still be effective in a clinical setting.An anti-androgen dosed very aggressively will eventually overpower Testosterone and DHT just by sheer volume (e.g. Bicalutamide).The same applies for RU58841, assuming it gets absorbed, which will boil down to scalp skin porosity, vehicle, and so on.If you opted for CB-03-01 instead of RU58841, the same concept would apply, it would just need to be dosed even more aggressively until sufficient AR binding is achieved.For those prone to side effects, that strategy may be the better alternative with CB-03-01 rather than RU58841 as it seems that the metabolites of CB-03-01 may be better tolerated at higher dosages than those of RU58841.The binding affinity of CB-03-01 is much lower than RU58841 though and it is very cost prohibitive, so for the time being, that strategy is likely not viable for most.Where To Buy RU58841Most RU58841 sources do not third party test their products, nor do they have any satisfactory level of quality control whatsoever.I strongly advise that before you buy RU58841 from a company online you thoroughly evaluate their track record, their third party test results, and how they are marketing their products in general.These are the only companies I currently use for my own personal research:(Greater Than 99% Purity: FTIR, HPLC, GC-MS, LC-MS & NMR Tested)Anageninc – 10% off coupon code “DC10”Science.bio – 10% off coupon code “DC10”Chemyo – 10% off coupon code “DC10”Related
Injectable SARMs Review – LGD-4033 (Magnalone)
This article will be a continually updated log for my injectable SARMs cycle and review of injectable LGD-4033 (Magnalone).Rather than publish a separate article for each update, I will come back and update this article accordingly with any blood work or new findings.For those that are just here find out where to buy injectable SARMs, this is the company I used for this log:Swiss Chems – 25% off coupon code “DC25”This is another company I have experimented with for injectable SR9009, injectable L-Carnitine and some other miscellaneous products:Amino Asylum – 20% off coupon code “DC20”Table of ContentsThe Goal Of This ExperimentIn my log introduction I outlined the goal of this experiment.[embedded content]My goal of this experiment was to truly evaluate how anabolic injectable SARMs are without any interfering factors.To be more specific, I wanted to find out if injectable LGD-4033 could “replace” a TRT dose of Testosterone entirely in a muscle growth/retention context.If injectable SARMs could replicate the same muscle building potential as traditionally used anabolic steroids with a fraction of the androgenic activity, the potential applications would be endless.LGD-4033 is purported to have a 500:1 anabolic to androgenic ratio.The following graph illustrates the data derived from the preclinical studies which exhibits how much LGD-4033 stimulated muscle growth relative to prostate growth in comparison to Testosterone.LGD-4033 Selectivity For Muscle To Prostate Compared To TestosteroneLGD-4033 stacked up against Testosterone very well in the preclinical models with a greater than 500x tissue selectivity of muscle to prostate.As LGD-4033 is so tissue selective, individuals who are extremely prone to the androgenic side effects of Testosterone may be able to utilize LGD-4033 as a way to build supraphysiological amounts of muscle mass, or retain it, with a relative absence of those same side effects.How I Determined Exactly How Anabolic Injectable LGD-4033 Is By Utilizing Exogenous EstradiolMost guys using injectable SARMs are using them alongside a Testosterone base at minimum.To truly evaluate the efficacy of injectable LGD-4033 in an anabolism context, all other androgens would need to be removed from the equation.As I just finished a Nandrolone monotherapy experiment prior to starting LGD-4033, my endogenous androgen production was completely shutdown.Estrogen is what has shown to be neuroprotective and not Testosterone (and potentially cardioprotective as well).Estrogen also supports several other functions in the body that would be inhibited if I were to forgo Estrogen replacement during this experiment.These include but are not limited to muscle growth and fat loss.I needed to isolate LGD-4033 and keep myself shut down to accurately assess how anabolic it is, so adding an exogenous aromatizing compound was not an option.The most common solution to insufficient Estrogen would be a Testosterone base, DHEA, HCG, or an aromatizing anabolic steroid like Dianabol or Trestolone to act as a makeshift “Test base”.None of these were viable options as they would add anabolic and androgenic activity to my body and skew my findings.The only option was to utilize exogenous Estradiol at a physiologic dose.This is because exogenous Estradiol would prevent my natural Testosterone production from turning back on (endogenous Testosterone production would also skew my findings), it would activate Estrogen receptors sufficiently to bandaid the issue of insufficient aromatization to fulfill physiologic functions, and it would not elevate androgenic activity in the body at all.In theory, by maintaining a physiologic level of Estrogen in the body I could largely avert the inhibition of anabolic pathways and assess exactly how anabolic LGD-4033 is with no factors interfering.The only potential drawback here is that aromatase is what normally regulates Estrogen production endogenously, and by bypassing this process entirely I could very well be missing out on some downstream anabolic pathways that would otherwise be fulfilled by Testosterone aromatizing into Estrogen.Just one of these being the IGF-1 pathway.The experiment is not perfect, but it is the closest I am going to get to it.Prior to my Nandrolone experiment I was maintaining my physique on 100 mg of Testosterone per week, and I was able to retain the same level of muscle mass and strength during my Nandrolone experiment with no other factors changed.If injectable LGD-4033 proved capable of maintaining my physique with no factors changed in my diet or training, then I would know that it is at least as anabolic as Testosterone and Nandrolone, but with a fraction of the androgenic activity.Oral SARMs Vs. Injectable SARMsOral SARMs have shown to have a handful of common side effects in a clinical setting, with numerous other side effects cropping up when utilized in a performance enhancing context at higher dosages.The main side effects that are consistently seen both clinically as well as anecdotally with oral SARMs are:Negative Effect On Lipid ProfileNatural Testosterone SuppressionLiver Toxicity (less common)[embedded content]Other less common side effects start to crop up once the dosage used greatly exceeds what has been evaluated on humans clinically.The potential benefits that injectable SARMs have over oral SARMs mainly come down to increased bioavailability and skipping the first pass effect in the body after administration.BioavailabilityMany SARMs have undisclosed oral bioavailability and are presumed to be low based on the lack of published data.Obviously this isn’t a scientific way to go about determining a SARM’s oral bioavailability, but until these pharmaceutical companies start to release more transparent data, researchers will speculate and make assumptions that could be true, or could be way off.Some SARMs have shown to have reasonable levels of oral bioavailability, but we don’t have exact figures for the majority of them.The closer a SARM is to 100% the closer it is to complete absorption after oral dosing.With injection, complete bioavailability is guaranteed as we are basically forcing the body to assimilate it into the blood and carry it to target tissues, whereas with oral administration we are giving the body’s oral drug metabolism an opportunity to break down the compound however it sees fit.By ensuring complete bioavailability with injection, we may be able to minimize the dosage required to yield a desired effect.In theory, this should result in less side effects and more anabolic activity milligram for milligram.This is the first potential benefit of injectable SARMs over oral SARMs.In some cases, like with SR9009 (not a SARM but is commonly lumped into the “SARMs” category), the body nearly completely breaks it down when it is administered orally, rendering it ineffective.Some oral SARMs are very bioavailable as is and we do have the data to reinforce that.For example, the SARM S23 is 96% orally bioavailable [R].This means that S23 can be administered orally, as opposed to requiring injections to achieve maximal blood serum concentration levels, which is obviously advantageous when it comes to ease of use and adoption.The First Pass Effect – Drug MetabolismDespite having nearly 100% bioavailability, oral S23 administration may have a completely different effect in the body simply by injecting it.The same could apply for any other SARM too, not just S23.After a drug is swallowed, the digestive system absorbs it and it enters the hepatic portal system.Afterwards, the portal vein carries it into the liver for metabolization, which then essentially regulates how much is filtered out prior to delivery to the circulatory system for delivery to target tissues.Not only can this process greatly reduce how much of a drug actually gets through for utilization, but it can produce a variety of side effects that wouldn’t occur with methods of administration that skip the first pass.Methods of administration like transdermal delivery or injection skip the first pass and can avoid the hepatotoxicity often associated with oral drug metabolism, as well as other side effects that can stem from the drug metabolism process itself.More often than not, this is a good thing.However, in the case of anabolic agents, it seems that the first pass can actually be responsbile for the potentiation of certain compounds, rather than the other way around.You can see how this can start to make injectable SARMs vs. oral SARMs murky territory, as we basically need to experiment with it ourselves to see if the increased bioavailability and skipping the first pass improves the anabolic activity relative to the side effect profile of SARMs, or makes it worse.For what it is worth, as of now the results seem promising, with the majority of individuals noting only drastically increased levels of anabolic activity at lower dosages, and less side effects.However, regardless of how promising and exciting this may seem, we need to consider the possibility of negative outcomes and not let the hype around injectable SARMs shroud our judgment.Examples Of How The First Pass Effect Can Greatly Impact Drug EffectsThe following are two examples of how drastic of a difference just changing the method of administration can have when it comes to a drug’s effects on the body.The first shows how injectable and transdermal estradiol was superior to oral estradiol, and the second shows how oral Superdrol was superior to injectable Superdrol (in a tissue selectivity context, not a hepatotoxicity or lipid dysfunction context).Oral Estrogen Vs. Transdermal Or Injectable EstrogenA few of the most notable drawbacks of oral estrogen pills are that they can be somewhat liver toxic, they significantly spike SHBG levels, and they result in the production of clotting factors in the blood that do not develop with forms of administration that skip the first pass.Also, the ratio of Estrone-to-Estradiol is skewed with massive elevations in Estrone with oral Estrogen administration.None of these issues occur with transdermal topical application, or injection.High levels of serum Estrone sulfate (E1S) were found after long-term oral estrogen treatment of commonly prescribed dosages, whereas there was a small increase in E1S levels after transdermal Estradiol (E2) therapy.The mean maximum E1S levels were more than 20-fold higher with oral estradiol (E2) when compared with the 0.05 mg/day transdermal estradiol patch.This is consistent with the 20-fold higher dose of E2 when compared with the transdermal dose [R].Oral estrogen also has very low bioavailability, thus requiring a much higher dosage to achieve the same effect that could be achieved with a much lower dosage of injectable estrogen.Oral Superdrol Vs. Injectable SuperdrolNot only is the side effect profile of oral Superdrol compared to injectable Superdrol substantially different, but even its anabolic to androgenic ratio changes based on the method of administration.When administered orally, Superdrol was more anabolic than methyltestosterone and several times less androgenic than methyltestosterone.Methyltestosterone has an anabolic to androgenic ratio similar to that of testosterone (close to 1:1).When administered via injection, Superdrol was nearly twice as anabolic as testosterone and twice as androgenic as testosterone.The results of subsequent assays to determine Superdrol’s anabolic and androgenic activity found that that Superdrol possessed the oral bioavailability of methyltestosterone while being 400% as anabolic and 20% as androgenic, yielding an anabolic to androgenic ratio of 20:1 [R].In the case of Superdrol, injecting it actually made it less tissue selective, despite oral administration having the obvious drawback of lower bioavailability and hepatotoxicity.My Daily Injectable LGD-4033 And Estradiol DosageAs the goal of this experiment was to determine the lowest effective dose of LGD-4033 that could replicate the same anabolic activity as 100 mg of Testosterone per week and 100 mg of Nandrolone per week, my dose was much lower than what most are utilizing in their own experiments.Once I could determine the lowest effective dosage, I could evaluate the side effect profile of that dosage, how my blood work looks on that dose, how I feel, and then make an informed decision about the overall efficacy profile of injectable LGD-4033 based on all of those factors.As injectable LGD-4033 is more bioavailable, the dosage required to replicate the anabolic activity I was shooting for would likely be much lower than you would expect via oral dosing.I spoke to Tony and Trevor about this experiment and asked for their feedback on what dose they think I should start at.They were the two who brought injectable SARMs to my attention in the first place, and nobody else I know had any experience with them at the time.At 7:02 in the following video Tony and Trevor are referring to me, and that is partially what influenced my decision to go with 3 mg per day as my daily dose.[embedded content]I also applied 2.5 grams of transdermal Estrogel (delivering 1.5 mg Estradiol) per day for the first couple weeks.I got my blood test results back from my Nandrolone experiment a couple weeks into my LGD-4033 experiment which showed that I was absorbing Estrogel very poorly, which prompted me to switch to oral Estradiol pills.My dose was 1 mg per day of Estrofem (oral 17ß-oestradiol).Ideally I would have switched to Estradiol injections, but I did not have any injectable Estradiol on hand, so I was forced to use oral pills if I wanted to maintain an optimal Estradiol level throughout the experiment.Injectable LGD-4033 Half-Life And Dosing ScheduleOrally, LGD-4033 displayed a prolonged elimination half-life (24–36 hours), linear pharmacokinetics, and predictable accumulation with multiple dosing [R].LGD-4033 dose proportional increase in systemic exposure on days 1 and 21.There was a dose-proportional increase in LGD-4033 concentrations on days 1 and 21 because of its long half-life.Serum LGD-4033 concentrations were nearly threefold higher on day 21 than on day 1, reflecting accumulation upon multiple dosing.There is not any human data we can refer to that evaluates the pharmacokinetics of injectable LGD-4033, so any statements made about how often it should be dosed are largely based on speculation and educated guesses.Tony and Trevor believe that injectable LGD-4033 can be dosed every other day and still maintain stable blood serum concentrations.[embedded content]For the sake of ensuring stability once dose saturation was reached, I maintained a daily dosing schedule from day 1 where I administered 3 mg every 24 hours.Muscle Growth And Strength Levels[embedded content]How I assess if something is working or not is by comparing it to my previous baseline metrics I have established on a therapeutic dose of TRT.If I suddenly start getting stronger while using the exact same diet and training regimen with the only factor changed being a drug, I can logically conclude that the drug is stronger milligram for milligram than my baseline on TRT.By now, I know exactly how my body responds to 100 mg of Testosterone per week, as well as 100 mg of Nandrolone per week.After swapping to injectable LGD-4033 with no other factors changed, it was very easy to assess if there were any positive or negative changes in my body composition or strength.Other than feeling a bit deflated, I didn’t experience any changes in my strength or size.My weight stayed exactly the same, my strength stayed exactly the same, and my body composition stayed the same, with the exception of being a bit flatter.Perhaps the reason I’m flatter is that LGD-4033 has less “off target” activation than something like Testosterone and Nandrolone, whereby they can increase intramuscular fullness via indirect mechanisms.That is just speculation though.At the end of the day, I haven’t lost any contractile tissue, which is the most important thing to note.I believe that a relatively low dose of injectable LGD-4033 is at least as anabolic as 100 mg of Testosterone per week or 100 mg of Nandrolone per week.While this is promising for those on TRT or who use “low” dosages of anabolic steroids, the main drawback we have seen in the past with oral SARMs is that the ceiling where diminishing returns starts to set in is far lower than with anabolic steroids.Whether or not injectable LGD-4033 has that same drawback remains to be seen.Anecdotally, other users have reported that the ceiling of diminishing returns is much higher with injectable LGD-4033, but I cannot confirm or deny this myself as that is beyond the scope of my experiment (at least for now).My only hope for this experiment was that I could retain all my muscle with just a SARM, which I did.I may consider a “blast” phase in the future where I titrate the dose up and evaluate how well it can support supraphysiological muscle growth, but that will be dictated by its androgenicity in practical application.Injectable LGD-4033’s androgenicity still needs to be explored more via further experimentation, as I did have a few red flags of androgenic activity that have me a bit hesitant to utilize a higher dose.If injectable LGD-4033 is as tissue selective as the clinical data has shown, there are several doors that open up in a bodybuilding and hair loss prevention context.Side EffectsChanges In LibidoMy sex drive went up substantially after swapping Nandrolone out for LGD-4033.Many were quick to comment on my YouTube video about how exogenous Estradiol (E2) is the reason why my libido spiked.I was already on exogenous Estradiol prior to the injectable LGD-4033 for my Nandrolone-only experiment.I have been on the same dose of transdermal E2 for almost 3 months, the only thing that changed was swapping NPP out for LGD.The libido change was from the swap.No other factors were changed.After I switched from transdermal Estradiol to oral Estradiol, my libido was no different either.The change in libido occurred almost overnight after adding LGD-4033 in.Several other individuals have come forward since that video was published reporting that injectable LGD-4033 increased their libido as well.They were all using a dose at least 5-10x higher than I was, but it is still notable nonetheless.As LGD-4033 is supposed to be so tissue selective and have such a lack of androgenicity I was very surprised that my libido spiked.If anything, I was expecting my libido to drop.With a 500:1 anabolic to androgenic ratio, obviously you wouldn’t expect one of the biggest red flags of androgenic activity to spike.Keep in mind, 100 mg of Nandrolone per week is not nothing.Despite Nandrolone being one of the least androgenic steroids ever developed (if not the least of the mainstream anabolic steroids), 100 mg per week has shown to be a high enough dose to cause virilization in women.Within 12 weeks, some women will experience virilization on Nandrolone even using only 100 mg every 2 weeks.When duration of use exceeds a year, significant virilization in women is found even at a dosage of only 50 mg every 2 weeks.My libido doubled after switching from NPP to injectable LGD-4033, which is a red flag and should be noted.My libido isn’t as high as it is on 100 mg per week of Testosterone, but it is significantly higher than on Nandrolone.Hair LossI noticed an increase in shedding using injectable LGD-4033.Further experimentation will be needed before I have a concrete conclusion on the androgenicity of injectable LGD-4033.If it ends up being hair safe, there are several applications I have in mind for this compound.Not only would it be a potent androgen receptor agonist for use in a bodybuilding context, but it could also be utilized during a hair recovery phase.For example, if you have any androgenic alopecia, periodically switching to SARMs with exogenous Estradiol (or an Estrogen precursor) in cycles could be a way to maintain muscle built via supraphysiological steroid use in the past, while reducing the androgen load on the scalp significantly enough to allow for regrowth.Or, if you don’t use steroids, it could serve as a means of recovering hair lost via endogenous androgen induced miniaturization by reducing androgenicity below baseline periodically throughout the year.Basically like a makeshift anti-androgen that won’t strip the muscle off your body.These are hypothetical examples, but these are just a few of the potential applications I see for SARMs in the future.*Update February 26th, 2020*I do not believe injectable LGD-4033 at the dosage I used is hair safe, and it may be even worse than some traditional AAS (see my blood work results video below for more elaborate details).Changes In Body Hair GrowthThis one was a metric I should have kept a closer eye on, but I usually manscape every single week so it wasn’t something I originally planned on evaluating.A few weeks into my LGD-4033 experiment I noticed that my body hair seemed to be growing a bit faster than usual.Whether this was in my head or not, I’m not positive as I was not even planning on using this as a metric, but I got backlogged on work throughout the holidays and ended up skipping my weekly manscaping sessions.While it may not be fair to say for certain that LGD-4033 increased my rate of body hair growth, I can confidently say that at the absolute least, it did not reduce my body hair growth.This is notable as well because I had no androgens in my body.If I only had Estrogen in my system and no androgens I would notice a drastic reduction in body hair growth and libido, just like transgenders who transition from male to female.The only anabolic compound in my body throughout this entire experiment was injectable LGD-4033, and I didn’t notice a reduction in androgenic activity via body hair growth either.When I crushed my DHT levels to 0 with Dutasteride, I noticed a significant reduction in back hair growth.On injectable LGD-4033, I did not notice a reduction in body hair growth at all.However, on Nandrolone I did not experience a significant reduction in body hair growth either, despite it dramatically reducing my libido.While this metric isn’t a scientific way to assess androgenic activity, in general, the body can tell you pretty accurately when androgenic activity is high or low when sufficient Estrogen is present to support erections.Increase the androgenic activity in your body and you will likely experience an increase in libido, an increase in scalp hair loss, and an increase in body hair growth (in general).Decrease the androgenic activity in your body and you will likely experience a decrease in libido, a decrease in scalp hair loss, and a decrease in body hair growth (in general).Changes In Blood PressureMy blood pressure on injectable LGD-4033 is identical to what it is normally on TRT.My blood pressure on injectable LGD-4033 and TRT is far better than it is on Nandrolone.For whatever reason, Nandrolone has a unique negative impact on systolic blood pressure, making it difficult to maintain healthy levels.On only 100 mg of NPP per week my systolic blood pressure was consistently 125-128 eating the exact same diet I was on TRT and LGD-4033.So far so good in regards to blood pressure on injectable LGD-4033 though.Changes In Resting Heart RateMy resting heart rate did not increase on injectable LGD-4033 and is no different than what it is on TRT.Potential In Preventing Or Reversing Cardiovascular Issues Caused By Steroid UseEven if injectable LGD-4033 does not end up being as purely anabolic as we hoped, there is another very promising application I see for injectable SARMs that is largely overlooked.That is the potential lack of heart stimulation.Anecdotally, many users have reported far better outcomes using SARMs than anabolic steroids in a cardiovascular health context.One example is a friend of mine, Alek Mitrevski.He used 100 mg of oral S4 (Andarine) with 0.5 mg oral Estradiol per day for over a year straight.During that time he did not experience any cardiac hypertrophy, LVH, or any kind of deleterious effect on his cardiovascular system.At the start of 2019 Alek ran a high dose Deca only cycle with Anadrol intermittently added in.[embedded content]Within 9 months, he experienced significant thickening and enlargement of his heart.He switched back to SARMs only to try and reverse this damage while maintaining the muscle he built with the Deca + Anadrol blast.Although the reports are obscure and not well documented, I have seen a handful of individuals report the reversal of cardiomyopathy and LVH after switching to SARMs only.SARMs are supposed to be tissue selective, whereas anabolic steroids have shown to significantly impair cardiac health.The potential applications this may have for athletes seeking supraphysiological muscle growth with a minimization of cardiac hypertrophy, LVH, etc. makes injectable SARMs worth further exploration in itself.Athletes seeking to reverse cardiovascular issues as a result of past AAS abuse while maintaining most (or all) of their hard earned muscle mass would also be strong candidates for benefiting from injectable SARMs if the hype around them turns out to be justified.My Blood Test Results*Update February 26th, 2020* I got my blood test results and I am adding them to the article now here:[embedded content]My commentary is also available in the video, but to put it simply, the blood test results were disappointing and I will be ending the experiment now.Reviews From Other UsersI have curated all of the injectable LGD-4033 reviews I could find and included them here for your reference as well.[embedded content][embedded content]The following comments weren’t reviews about injectable LGD-4033 specifically, but they were relevant to include nonetheless:ConclusionSome of the classic signs of androgenic activity are red flags worth keeping an eye on.But other than that, so far so good.I feel good, I am not depressed and have not experienced any negative mental or physical side effects so far despite the near complete absence of Testosterone and DHT in my body.The fact that injectable LGD-4033 has proved capable of maintaining the same amount of muscle and strength that I could maintain on 100 mg of Testosterone per week and 100 mg of Nandrolone per week is a good sign.I was hoping for that outcome, and expecting more than that is wishful thinking.If a relatively low dose of injectable SARMs can replicate the same anabolic activity of traditionally used steroids, then it is absolutely worth further experimentation.I’m going to continue digging into injectable SARMs, and I look forward to seeing more data come from other researchers in the community as well.This is a very promising area of research, and I hope that more individuals start to come forward with their personal findings too.I’ll keep you guys updated, but that is where we’re at with my injectable SARMs experiment so far.*Update February 26th 2020*My blood test results came back, and I have some concluding thoughts on this experiment I highly recommend you listen to thoroughly prior to any experimentation of your own.[embedded content]Where To Buy Injectable SARMsI strongly advise that before you buy SARMs from a company online you thoroughly evaluate their track record, their third party test results, and how they are marketing their products in general.Disclaimer: The information included in this article is intended for entertainment and informational purposes only. It is not intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. Prior to buying anything, check that it is compliant where you live with your current government laws.Related
Deca Only For HRT – A Comprehensive Overview And My Personal Blood Work
There’s been a growing amount of hype around the “Deca only cycle”.While it is most commonly referred to as the Deca only cycle, it is actually based on the compound Nandrolone being used on its own.The decanoate ester being abbreviated as “Deca” has just become synonymous nowadays in the bodybuilding community with Nandrolone itself.Seeing the potential merits of Nandrolone as a makeshift hormone replacement therapy alternative to Testosterone, I stopped using Testosterone and instead started using Nandrolone on its own with exogenous Estradiol for 3 months and paid over $1000 for an elaborate blood panel to assess how it affected my health markers.[embedded content]Table of ContentsHow Nandrolone Could Potentially Be A Superior HRT Alternative To TestosteroneThe primitive thought process is that Nandrolone used in conjunction with Testosterone will lead to horrible side effects, but Nandrolone used on its own will just result in all of the benefits of steroids with a near absence of the androgenic or estrogenic side effects associated with Testosterone use.In reality, it’s a lot more nuanced than that.The reason why I found this experiment worth pursuing is the lack of androgenicity of Nandrolone in the body.Nandrolone 5α-reduces in tissues that express 5α-reductase to the much less androgenic metabolite Dihydronandrolone (DHN).Nandrolone is basically the only anabolic steroid that is going to maintain 100% anabolic activity of the Nandrolone in muscle tissue where you want it, but also be converted into a much less androgenic metabolite with a lower binding affinity in certain areas of the body where you wouldn’t want Nandrolone to bind.The two areas of concern for most individuals being hair follicles and skin.By converting to DHN in these areas, Nandrolone (and by extension DHN) causes less hair loss and acne than Testosterone (and by extension DHT).In addition, some men are genetically predisposed to high levels of aromatization and estrogen receptor expression and can’t even use TRT doses of Testosterone without experiencing estrogenic side effects.Nandrolone is not a potent substrate for aromatase, and mainly converts to a weaker estrogen called Estrone (Estradiol is about 10-fold more potent than Estrone).Nandrolone is also mildly estrogenic on its own via its ability to act as an estrogen receptor alpha (ERα) agonist [R].Overall, Nandrolone is much less androgenic and estrogenic than Testosterone, and may provide symptom relief in those seeking a viable hormone replacement therapy alternative.In this context, Nandrolone may also have great potential as an efficacious alternative to Testosterone as an anabolic agent for some individuals who are prone to androgenic and/or estrogenic side effects.The Neurotoxicity And Cardiotoxicity Of NandroloneBased on the limited data available, Nandrolone has shown to be more deleterious to cardiovascular and neurological health than testosterone.[embedded content]By extrapolating the data, we start to get a clearer picture as to why this likely is.Nandrolone is mildly estrogenic on its own, and it does not aromatize nearly enough to create as much Estradiol as Testosterone does.Comparing the effect of testosterone with that of 19-nortestosterone (Nandrolone) and Stanozolol (Winstrol) on neurotoxicity we can clearly see that Estrogen is what protects neurons in the brain, not Testosterone itself.In this study, a physiologic dosage of Testosterone was neuroprotective [R].Testosterone only amplified neurotoxicity at supraphysiological dosages.The neuroprotective effect of a physiologic dosage of Testosterone was completely eliminated when the aromatase inhibitor Anastrozole (Arimidex) was co-administered, suggesting that the intrinsic toxicity of Testosterone as an androgen is only counterbalanced by its aromatization into 17β-estradiol.As opposed to testosterone, Nandrolone does not appear to aromatize sufficiently into estrogen.As you would expect, Nandrolone was neurotoxic at every single dose evaluated regardless of Arimidex being co-administered or not.If Nandrolone was inherently able to provide enough estrogen receptor alpha (ERα) activation to balance out its androgenicity without even requiring aromatization (it acts as an estrogen on its own to some extent), we would see a neuroprotective effect at equivalent dosages to a physiologic concentration of Testosterone when no AI is used, but that does not appear to be the case either.The anti-androgen flutamide attenuated the neurotoxicity of all three androgens, thus further reinforcing that physiologic dosages of androgens without a sufficient amount of opposing estrogens, or supraphysiological dosages of androgens may facilitate neuronal death.I suspect that the same applies for the inherent cardiotoxicity of Nandrolone as well.Just because you can get your Estradiol levels up to 15 pg/mL with a gram of Deca only, that ratio of androgens to estrogen in the body is way off of what would otherwise be optimal for health based on what I’ve seen.This is reinforced by the fact that Flutamide (an anti-androgen) was able to attenuate the neurotoxicity of Nandrolone.By preventing Nandrolone from binding to androgen receptors, it is no longer able to transcribe its effects in tissues.Hair loss and acne are one thing, cardiotoxicity and neurotoxicity are another thing and should ultimately take precedence obviously.However, just because Nandrolone monotherapy cannot produce a sufficient ratio of androgens to estrogens, that doesn’t mean that there isn’t a potential loophole.That loophole is exogenous Estradiol administration.Exogenous Estradiol Use With Nandrolone Only CyclesAs we’ve seen, Estrogen produced via aromatase is what provides neuroprotection from the androgenicity of Testosterone, not the Testosterone itself.We also know that Nandrolone is not able to produce enough estrogenic activity in the body to facilitate this same level of neuroprotection.I theorize that Nandrolone in conjunction with exogenous Estradiol to replace this otherwise missing component could attenuate a significant amount of the deleterious impact Nandrolone has on the heart and brain.In addition, by providing a sufficient amount of exogenous estrogen, libido, muscle growth, fat loss, and several other aspects of health and performance should be more optimized.It isn’t a coincidence that cardiovascular disease rates skyrocket once women hit menopause and stop producing Estrogen properly.The same negative effects will apply in men with low Estrogen levels.The lack of sufficient Estrogen is often addressed in Deca only cycles by adding an adjunct anabolic steroid that aromatizes into Estrogen or Estrogen analogs.Obviously for those seeking to minimize androgenic side effects, the ideal way to go about achieving sufficient Estrogen receptor activation is probably not going to be by adding more steroids to their protocol.This is where exogenous Estradiol comes into play, and I believe the majority of Deca only cycles would be more sustainable from a health perspective, and successful in a bodybuilding context as well with its inclusion.I have yet to see one person on a Deca only cycle achieve a sufficient Estradiol level relative to their Nandrolone dosage via a sensitive assay Estradiol blood test.The following blood test result was submitted by an individual on over 1000 mg per week of Deca only.Over a gram of androgens relative to a 19.2 pg/mL Estradiol level is far from ideal in my opinion.I had a good conversation with Vigorous Steve as well about his Deca only cycle experience.He told me that his Estradiol was 12 pg/mL on 1000 mg of Deca per week after 4 weeks, and he ended up adding 25 mg DHEA per day just to bring it up to 25 pg/mL.When it comes to Nandrolone use on its own, most would benefit from more Estrogen in my opinion.My Weekly Nandrolone And Estradiol Dosage For “HRT”Most guys doing Deca only cycles are evaluating Nandrolone at dosages of 600 mg or higher per week for short blasts.My experiment was based on its potential as an alternative long term HRT option for those prone to androgenic side effects.Or alternatively, its potential as a compound to swap to periodically throughout the year from TRT to reverse some of the androgenic side effects of Testosterone and DHT while still maintaining the same amount of muscle mass.Every blood test I’ve seen of Deca only cycle users was on high doses of Nandrolone without a sufficient amount of Estrogen.I wanted to see how Nandrolone on its own at a “therapeutic dose” would affect my blood work if I had a sufficient amount of Estrogen provided through exogenous Estradiol.Long-term, the only way Nandrolone monotherapy could be even relatively safe in a cardiovascular context would be with exogenous Estradiol supplementation from what I’ve seen.And even then, I’m sure it has major drawbacks that will likely accumulate over the years.With that being said, it is still something I wanted to explore nonetheless, as it is one of the few compounds that can actually support supraphysiological muscle growth with a relatively minimal impact on androgenic alopecia.Oral micronized Estradiol tablets have quite a few drawbacks.A few of the most notable drawbacks are that oral Estrogen pills can be somewhat liver toxic, they spike SHBG through the roof, and they result in the production of clotting factors in the blood that do not develop with forms of administration that skip the first pass.The two most viable methods of administration that skip the first pass are transdermal topical application, or injection.I chose to topically apply transdermal Estradiol gel (Estrogel) for this experiment.I used 100 mg of Nandrolone phenylpropionate (NPP) per week split into daily injections using an insulin pin rotating between my glutes and ventroglutes.I also applied 2.5 grams of transdermal Estrogel (delivering 1.5 mg Estradiol) to my inner thighs every day for over 3 months straight.Blood Pressure Changes On NandroloneOne of the first things I noticed was that it was a struggle to keep my blood pressure in check on NPP, even at the mild dose I was using.What that was caused by exactly, I’m not sure.I assumed it was Aldosterone prior to this blood work.When I’m on Testosterone, even when I was using TRT as high as 200 mg per week, I could keep my blood pressure at 110/70 with ease.Even if I ate terribly, I could still hold 115/75 without even trying on Testosterone.Within the first week of switching to NPP it became way harder to control my systolic blood pressure.My diastolic blood pressure was fine for the entire 3 months, but my systolic blood pressure would consistently be around 125-128.That is not normal for me, and is borderline stage 1 hypertension.The fact that I even had to try to lower my blood pressure showed to me that Nandrolone is a lot harder to manage in this regard.This is consistent with almost every single person I know who has blasted high doses of Deca.They all had significant issues with blood pressure.Most of the guys who thought they had normal blood pressure were actually stage 1 hypertensive and didn’t even realize that their results were indicative of cardiovascular stress.My 125-128 systolic occurred without being in a calorie surplus, without any weight changes, and on what I would consider a very low dose of NPP.The exact same diet, weight, lifestyle, etc. would have me at 110/70 on TRT.Muscle Growth And Strength On NandroloneI maintained my muscle and do not feel that there was a substantial difference between the anabolic potency of Nandrolone compared to Testosterone.At the very least, the anabolic activity of Nandrolone is comparable to Testosterone, but the androgenic activity is far less than that of Testosterone.In certain contexts for certain individuals, Nandrolone will be the desirable alternative because of this.Reduced Libido On Nandrolone – Deca Dick?My libido was extremely subdued on NPP.That’s one of the most obvious things I noticed during my experiment.I had a libido and would still want to have sex, but my libido was much lower than it is on regular TRT.On TRT I can barely go one day without sex before it starts to consume my mind. On Nandrolone only, I can easily go a couple days barely even thinking about it.However, when it came time to get the job done, I could still get the job done and stay hard the entire time without any issues in erection quality.It was a bit harder to reach orgasm though.On top of the lack of androgenicity causing a reduction in libido, Nandrolone also has progestogenic activity and binds to the Progesterone receptor.Excessive Progesterone is notorious for killing libido and causing erectile dysfunction, and it seems that Nandrolone has similar effects in many individuals via this pathway in conjunction with its 5α-reduction into DHN.My drive was also lower, and I felt less aggressive overall.In many individuals Testosterone and DHT levels will strongly influence libido, drive, aggression, motivation and productivity.Personally, even if I have that support via DHT or DHT derivatives, the increased motivation and drive is actually more counterproductive in a work productivity context because my libido gets way too high.Even when I had high testosterone levels and 0 DHT in my body I still had sex on my mind far more than I would like.When that happens, I can barely get anything done, and then I end up depleting myself of energy for the day through excessive sex.The subdued and normalized libido on Nandrolone is welcomed for me because of this.I don’t think this is necessarily just because I’m a good responder to Nandrolone, I think it has more so to do with the fact that I was using exogenous Estrogen during this experiment with the Nandrolone.Despite androgens driving aggression and drive, libido and erection quality is largely dictated by adequate Estrogen levels.With all that being said, DHT (with sufficient Estrogen via Testosterone aromatization) is blatantly better for sexual support than Nandrolone, and testosterone itself, even if you completely inhibited 5α-reductase and nuked DHT, still provides better libido and erection quality than Nandrolone does at equivalent “therapeutic” doses for the majority of people.My Blood Work Results On A Deca Only Cycle For HRTI don’t like taking shots in the dark when it comes to something that I see potential in.There is a lot of theory thrown back and forth in the community on Deca only cycles, and I needed to see for myself how Nandrolone in conjunction with exogenous Estradiol would impact my personal blood work.I wanted to check markers of oxidative stress, inflammation, kidney function, Aldosterone, Prolactin, hormone levels via sensitive assay testing, and an array of other health markers that are often debated about but very infrequently actually tested for to reinforce statements made.Expectedly, high dose Deca only cycle blasts will almost always result in low HDL levels, subpar Estradiol levels, and an array of other out of range values that are less common and are more individual dependent.To date I have yet to see someone get their blood work checked with exogenous Estradiol being used in conjunction with Nandrolone at a “therapeutic” dose.This is what I wanted to evaluate.Complete Blood Count with Differential/PlateletsI was actually expecting far worse from my blood test results.At a “therapeutic” dose, it doesn’t seem like my hematology was negatively affected at all.Comprehensive Metabolic PanelIn my metabolic panel, nothing was really off to the point that would cause concern.My BUN being high is likely just the result of being muscular and having a high protein diet.Lipid PanelGoing into the lipid panel, we can see the number one most common blood test result among steroid users.My HDL is low.LDL is also borderline high, but not overly concerning when I can see that my Triglycerides are pretty low.The reason why my HDL was too low was that my Estrogen levels were too low.Again, this just reinforces the fact that Nandrolone does not sufficiently aromatize into Estrogen.I will get into my Estrogen level and why it was still too low even with Estrogel administration later once we get to that part of the blood test results, but my HDL could have been in range if my Estrogen level was in check.If I didn’t use the Estrogel my HDL likely would have been in the single digits.I know I can get my HDL into the reference range if my estradiol levels were doubled, which I have the leeway to do.Iron And Total Iron Binding CapacityGetting into Iron and TIBC we can see that everything looks pretty normal here.Total Testosterone And Free TestosteroneExpectedly, by assessing my Total Testosterone level via liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS-MS) and my Free Testosterone level via equilibrium ultrafiltration, we can see that my Testosterone levels were crashed.Both the total and the free were lower than a healthy female.This is what you should see in your blood work if you’re on just Nandrolone.The only Testosterone being produced in my body was indirectly via the trace amounts of androgens produced in my adrenal cortex, which is why the value wasn’t completely bottomed out at 0.I’ve mentioned many times the importance of getting high sensitivity testing done for hormone levels and how Nandrolone will register as Testosterone in primitive garbage blood tests.This is another great example of this.In addition to high sensitivity testing, I had the same blood tested using electrochemiluminescence immunoassay (ECLIA) for my Total Testosterone level, and direct analog enzyme immunoassay (EIA) for my Free Testosterone level.These were the test results using the exact same blood sample with the terrible default assays that doctors will use to determine how to treat you, and that labs will give you in the majority of your blood work panels.According to ECLIA and EIA, I have a normal Total Testosterone and Free Testosterone level.Hilarious.This just one example of why getting accurate hormone testing is critical.My Testosterone levels are actually in the gutter, but the stupid primitive tests that doctors and labs give out as defaults for people is so f*cking stupid that it can’t even tell the difference between Testosterone and 19-nortestosterone in my blood.Renin Activity and AldosteroneMy renin activity and Aldosterone appeared to be normal.This is one of the main things I wanted to check because there’s a lot of speculation around the effect Nandrolone is going to have on Aldosterone levels.When it comes to the Deca only cycle, there’s something going on that throws off homeostatic mechanisms that regulate blood pressure that does not appear to be Estrogen related or Aldosterone related.At least based on my blood work, my Aldosterone was definitely not at a level that could imply any kind of negative effect on blood pressure.My Aldosterone level was low if anything.Granted, some markers in the serum can be relatively worthless when compared to actual tissue concentrations, but at least based on my blood work, Aldosterone does not appear to be the culprit.The first thing many jump to when explaining blood pressure regulation is the effect Nandrolone supposedly has on spiking Aldosterone through the roof, but it just doesn’t appear to be the case in my experience as you can see yourself here.Vitamin B12 and FolateMy B12 and Folate levels were normal.PregnenolonePregnenolone appeared to be normal and within the reference range for men which is notable, as many assume that Nandrolone will shut down the production of precursor steroids.That does not appear to be the case either.I assumed precursor hormone levels like Pregnenolone would be less affected than many seem to think as most circulating Pregnenolone is derived from the adrenal cortex.Dihydrotestosterone (DHT)Expectedly, my DHT was very low.This is because I have almost no Testosterone being produced to 5α-reduce into DHT.If my Testosterone is low, my DHT will be low as well.DHT Backdoor PathwayContrary to popular belief, there is a backdoor pathway via Pregnenolone that can create DHT as well, which contributes to the chunk of DHT I have in my blood.Hemoglobin A1cHemoglobin A1c appeared to be normal at 5.1%.Thyroxine (T4)My Free T4 was 1.28 ng/dL, which is acceptable.DHEA-SulfateMy DHEA was in range and actually on the high end of normal.Being on exogenous Nandrolone or Testosterone does not shut down DHEA production.CortisolCortisol was “normal” apparently, although it looks a bit high to me.I believe this result was mostly sleep hygiene related rather than entirely Nandrolone related.Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH)My TSH is too high.I’ve never had a TSH this high before.I have had a TSH in the 2’s before, this isn’t the first time, but never this high.However, based on my resting heart rate and my morning waking temperature and my mid-day temperature, my metabolic rate seems to be the same as it usually is on TRT, and I have had no standout hypothyroidism symptoms.Luteinizing Hormone (LH) and Follicle Stimulating Hormone (FSH)Expectedly, LH and FSH were undetectable.ProlactinMy Prolactin was on the low end of normal.This was another interesting health marker to see on Nandrolone, as many will often jump to assuming that Nandrolone spikes Prolactin levels through the roof.That does not appear to be the case though.Prostate-Apecific Antigen (PSA)My PSA level was normal, and did not change from my previous blood work on Testosterone for TRT.D-DimerMy D-Dimer was normal.A friend of mine had a very high D-Dimer level on a Deca only cycle and he wanted me to check mine to see if there was a pattern.It looks like the elevated D-Dimer was case-specific for him and was probably caused by something completely unrelated, as my D-Dimer is normal.C-Reactive ProteinC-Reactive Protein is one of the primary markers we have for assessing inflammation in the body.A C-Reactive Protein level of 0.34 mg/L is not overly concerning, although I would like to see it below 0.3 mg/L.I had undetectable C-Reactive Protein levels in the past on TRT, and on Nandrolone it jumped up to 0.34, which is notable.Estradiol, SensitiveMy Estradiol (E2) level determined via LC/MS-MS was only 15.4 pg/mL, despite administering 2.5 grams of Estrogel per day.This was disappointing, as I would have liked to see my E2 at least around 30 pg/mL based on the amount of Estrogel I was applying daily.Evidently, my inner thigh was not absorbing the Estrogel very well.This is one of the recommended areas of application, but my results were not even close to in line with the average blood levels found in the Estrogel pharmacokinetics studies.With daily administration of 2.5 g or 5 g Estrogel (corresponding to 1.5 mg or 3 mg estradiol, respectively), mean serum estradiol concentrations of approximately 80 pg/ml (294 pmol/L) and 150 pg/ml (551 pmol/L), respectively, are maintained.Administration of Estrogel also results in increased serum estrone concentrations, producing a physiological estradiol/estrone ratio of approximately one.Therefore, serum concentrations of both estradiol and estrone and the serum estradiol/estrone ratio provided by ESTROGEL® are consistent with physiological levels observed during the follicular phase of the normal menstrual cycle.My inner thigh isn’t very hairy at all as I manscape fairly regularly, so I expected at least a 40 pg/mL E2 based on the amount of Estrogel I was applying.I was overly generous with my dose based on the off chance that I would encounter an absorption issue, and my E2 was still way below where I expected it to be.Based on the pharmacokinetics outlined by Merck, 80 pg/mL is the average E2 level for someone applying 2.5 grams of Estrogel per day.There’s no way I could have predicted that I would have an absorption issue so problematic that it would result in five times lower absorption than the average.If my E2 was closer to 30 pg/mL, I expect that my HDL would have been pushed into the reference range, and all Estradiol driven physiologic functions likely would have been more optimized.To me, this just reinforced further that Nandrolone is a subpar source of Estradiol as I was using a high dose of transdermal E2 and still could barely reach a satisfactory E2 level.To increase my E2 levels for similar future experiments I will either have to find a better application area, add some DMSO to my Estrogel to increase absorption, or consider Estradiol injections instead.HomocysteineMy Homocysteine level was higher than I would like.Normally my Homocysteine is closer to 8-8.5 umol/L.Earlier in the year when I did a shorter Nandrolone experiment for a month using 200 mg per week (double the dose I used for this experiment) I had a Homocysteine level around 8.5, so I doubt this spike was Nandrolone related.This is one of the main markers I always have my eye on because I am homozygous for the C667T polymorphism.Gamma-Glutamyl Transferase (GGT)My GGT looked good.I was worried that this would be cranked through the roof as it is a marker of oxidative stress.MagnesiumMy magnesium level looked okay.Copper and ZincMy zinc level looked okay.My copper level may be a bit low, which I am now addressing by eating an ounce of beef liver every day.ProgesteroneMy Progesterone was normal, which is notable as it is another precursor hormone that many assume drops to zero when exogenous anabolic steroids are present in the body.InsulinMy insulin level was good.EstroneExpectedly, my Estrone was a bit high.This can be a major problem with exogenous Estradiol and Nandrolone unfortunately.Estrone Level Increase From Exogenous EstradiolThe ratio of Estrone-to-Estradiol is skewed with massive elevations in Estrone with oral Estrogen administration.Fortunately, this unhealthy ratio can be avoided for the most part with transdermal Estradiol administration.High levels of serum Estrone sulfate (E1S) were found after long-term oral estrogen treatment of commonly prescribed dosages, whereas there was a small increase in E1S levels after transdermal Estradiol (E2) therapy.The mean maximum E1S levels were more than 20-fold higher with oral estradiol (E2) when compared with the 0.05 mg/day transdermal estradiol patch.This is consistent with the 20-fold higher dose of E2 when compared with the transdermal dose [R].Estrone Level Increase From NandroloneNandrolone also significantly elevates concentrations of Estrone in plasma [R].During a pilot study evaluating the possible beneficial effect of Nandrolone Decanoate (ND) on bone metabolism in patients with rheumatoid arthritis there was a significant increase in the serum levels of Estrone [R].Despite the fact that Estrone can convert to Estradiol, we can clearly see that the amount this actually happens in the body is minimal based on the consistently skewed ratios of androgens to Estradiol in the blood test results of Deca only users (or Nandrolone in general).FerritinMy Ferritin level is too low.This is likely the result of phlebotomizing too frequently in 2019.EstriolMy Estriol level was undetectable, which was expected.Triiodothyronine (T3)My Free T3 level was 2.7 pg/mL.It’s not low enough for me to be overly concerned, however, it is suboptimal and should be in the low 3’s at least.This is something I will need to address moving forward.With that being said, I like to look at my resting heart rate as well as my body temperature for a more accurate assessment of my metabolism, and both are where I want them to be.My waking temperature has consistently been 98 degrees Fahrenheit, and my midday temperature has consistently been 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit.Sex Hormone-Binding GlobulinExpectedly, my sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) was low.While this isn’t as relevant for a Nandrolone only user as Nandrolone has a very low affinity for SHBG, this is a value I would still like to see in the reference range, especially if I was on TRT.If I had the Estradiol level I was shooting for, I’m confident that my SHBG would have been in the reference range.My Overall Experience On Nandrolone And Exogenous Estrogen For HRTI was expecting to see a bunch of red flags in my blood work, but nothing really stood out as a major concern to me except for the spike in systolic blood pressure, and the high Estrone level.A before and after echocardiogram and calcium scoring would have been nice to see, but unfortunately I can only afford to do so much in these experiments, and the blood work was expensive enough as is.I felt good throughout the entire experiment, I maintained my physique, my libido and penis were functional, and my blood work looked pretty good considering that each issue was something more so related to my Estradiol administration than the Nandrolone itself.Estrone being out of range is a concern, as I would need to use even more exogenous Estradiol to achieve what I would consider a more therapeutic E2 level, which would likely push my Estrone up even higher.The difficulty in controlling the blood pressure spike is also a huge concern and could be a deal breaker.If I gave this experiment more time, it is entirely possible that certain things would have become problematic that appeared to be fine during my three month assessment, like my libido or sense of well-being.It is also possible that despite maintaining a healthy Estrogen level, the same neurological and cardiovascular issues we see in a significant amount of the Nandrolone data could still accumulate over time.In addition, healthy looking serum levels of Estradiol may not necessarily reflect adequate localized Estrogen receptor activation in each tissue.With Testosterone, there is a regulated amount of aromatization occurring in each tissue to satisfy however much Estrogen receptor (ER) activation we need.In the context of Deca only cycles, or Nandrolone monotherapy, there’s nothing else I can refer to other than serum levels, my libido, sense of well-being, other cardiovascular health markers, etc.In other words, just because you feel good and your Estrogen levels look good on paper, that doesn’t mean that an exogenously administered source of Estrogen is providing the same therapeutic ER activation in all tissues like it would if it were regulated via aromatase.With that being said, you could also argue the opposite as adequate receptor activation via exogenous hormone therapy is essentially all HRT boils down to to begin with in the context of any hormone.More than 95% of our endogenous Testosterone is produced in the testes.Testosterone is supplied to target tissues in the blood, just like most other hormones in the body.If you inject exogenous Testosterone, it then goes into the blood and is supplied to target tissues.If you inject anything it goes into the blood and then is carried to the areas that it is needed.Estrogen replacement has been deemed satisfactory for fulfilling the same functions as endogenously produced Estrogen in women for years, and synthetic Estrogen analogs are handed out like candy to millions of young girls (including teenagers).Is it healthy?Estrogen analogs like Ethinyl Estradiol probably aren’t ideal for regulating Estrogen dependent functions, and they definitely aren’t ideal for developing women who haven’t fully matured.However, there is tons of data to support the fact that exogenous Estradiol is well-tolerated, has a strong safety profile, and can still fulfill physiologic functions sufficiently.In an ideal world, this would be a regulated process in the body in each tissue (aromatization).My experiments do not necessarily reflect what I believe are best practice with these hormones, which should be noted.This was an experiment, and not something that I would recommend someone else do.Using an exogenous progestogen with estrogel certainly isn’t what I would consider an optimal HRT protocol, or what is indicative of an ideal means of providing androgenic and estrogenic support in tissues.With that being said, I don’t see a better way to go about utilizing Nandrolone on its own for HRT.Should it even be considered as an HRT alternative though?That’s the question, and I believe it is largely going to be individual dependent, with a significant amount of users having poor outcomes in one aspect or another.I do believe there are a minority of individuals who are very prone to androgenic and/or estrogenic side effects from exogenous Testosterone use that may benefit from exploring Nandrolone though, and it should not be discarded as a potentially viable alternative simply because it is not the primary bioidentical hormone that men produce.Related