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23Again
1 BUSTED : YOU SHOULD TAKE MILK THISTLE ON A CYCLE THAT INCLUDES ORALS .
While it will help protect the liver , the active component in milk thistle effectively reduces nuclear androgen receptor levels and down-regulates several androgen-regulated genes primarily by inhibiting the transactivation activity of the AR , and can also inhibit nuclear localisation of the androgen receptor . Milk thistle will also have an inhibitory effect on the insulin-like growth factor receptor-mediated signalling pathway . All in all , there seems to be a reasonable expectation that this stuff is anti-anabolic . It ’ s a real loser to include during a cycle . A much better alternative
2 BUSTED : STEROIDS DOWN-REGULATE YOUR ANDROGEN RECEPTORS ( This is why your first cycle is always your best ).
The logic for this myth actually makes a lot of sense – receptor down-regulation is pretty obvious when you drink a cup of coffee every day for a month , then find you need to keep increasing the size to get the same “ kick ”. We see ( and feel ) this receptor downgrade with caffeine , clenbuterol , ephedrine and a ton of other stuff , so it ’ s logical to think that we ’ re seeing the same thing with steroids . Sadly , the science tells us otherwise . Steroids actually do the opposite – they up-regulate androgen receptors . It ’ s wrong to think about androgen receptors as permanent receptacles for the androgen ligand ( sort of like a fixed electrical outlet in your house ). In reality , your androgen receptors are constantly being turned over . When unattached to an androgen they have a half life of approximately three hours and are ultimately replaced with new ones . However , in the presence of an androgen ( i . e . when they ’ re attached ), they become more sensitive , their half life is doubled and the amount of new receptors being formed also increases substantially . It ’ s also important to remember that AR-mediated effects are not the whole story when it comes to anabolic steroid activity in the body . There are still a host of other effects that have little to nothing at all to do with AR , known as non-AR dependent effects , which include central nervous system stimulation and a host of other anabolic and potentially anabolic activities . But that still leaves us with the question of why gains seem to slow down after a few cycles , and why users need to keep upping the dose . In truth , the answer probably has more to do with the body attempting to return to homeostasis through other mechanisms than it has with the androgen receptor per se . Still , athletes worried about their androgen receptors can take some L-Carnitine L-Tartrate , a nutritional supplement that has been shown to increase androgen receptors . is Prunella Vulgaris , which has been shown to protect liver cells and activate the Aryl hydrocarbon receptor , thereby allowing it to work as an anti-oestrogen as well . As long as a user is going to take oral steroids , he may as well take a liver protector that isn ’ t going to hinder his gains .
3 BUSTED :
IF YOU INJECT DOUBLE THE AMOUNT OF TESTOSTERONE YOU HAVE TWICE AS MUCH IN YOUR BLOODSTREAM .
, this one seems to make a lot of sense . If one injects 600 milligrams of testosterone there should be twice as much in the blood as there would be injecting 300 milligrams ... but this isn ’ t how it works . The dose someone is taking isn ’ t equivalent to the blood plasma levels they ’ ll achieve – nor will doubling the dose necessarily double the blood plasma levels of testosterone . When scientists compared a 300 milligram shot of testosterone to a 600 milligram shot , they found that the 300mg weekly shot will get a normal male to approximately 1,345 ng / dl , while a 600mg weekly shot will get a normal male to 2,370 ng / dl ( less than double the amount achieved with half the dose ).
IN REALITY , YOUR ANDROGEN
RECEPTORS ARE CONSTANTLY
BEING TURNED OVER . WHEN
UNATTACHED TO
AN ANDROGEN THEY HAVE A HALF LIFE OF
APPROXIMATELY
THREE HOURS AND ARE ULTIMATELY REPLACED WITH
NEW ONES .
4Although we see this “ testosterone is testosterone ” fable repeated , we also see top-flight bodybuilders taking advantage of the differences in various testosterones – long esters for bulking , short esters for cutting .
4 BUSTED :
TESTOSTERONE IS TESTOSTERONE .
Although this seems like something that can ’ t be a myth , it is . Methyltestosterone ( oral testosterone ) converts to a much more potent version of oestrogen ( methylestrogen ) in the liver , while injectable testosterone does not . And , even the injectable testosterones have their differences ; short esters convert to less oestrogen than longer esters . And , just to make things even more complicated , the patches and gels are convert to dihydrotestosterone to a much greater degree than either the injectable or oral testosterones .
Both oestrogen and dihydrotestosterone have profound physiological effects on the body and , because every type of testosterone doesn ’ t converted to them equally , people find varying effects depending on the one they ’ re using . Oestrogen promotes greater adipose ( fat ) gain , but also greater muscle gain , while DHT gives a harder , more quality look to the physique . Still , although we see this “ testosterone is testosterone ” fable repeated ( online mostly ) we also see topflight bodybuilders taking advantage of the differences in various testosterones – long esters for bulking , short esters for cutting . So it ’ s not only the route of administration ( oral , transdermal or injectable ) that matters , but also the ester of the injectable versions . Testosterone is , strangely , not just testosterone . www . muscleevolution . co . za
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