Underground Steroid Handbook 2

(don't ask me why), although recent research shows unconverted T 4 to actually be more
anabolic than T 3 .
Both men and women should pay the $70 and get a serum estrogen RIA. This shows
what the estrogen levels are in the blood, and for athletes, both men and women,
estrogen should be in the very low normal range, and with bodybuilders could slightly be
off the low end of the scale for cosmetic benefit. High estrogen levels don't allow efficient
conversion of food to muscle tissue; with high estrogen you will have a propensity to be
fat, and additionally, the fatter you are, usually the higher the serum estrogen reading
will be.
The majority of ordinary doctors haven't a clue about the importance of low estrogen
levels for the athlete, let alone expecting them to know how to adjust it downward. Some
creative endocrinologists believe in balancing estrogen/androgen levels in women; I
have never seen them work with men in such a capacity. The standard therapy in
adjusting estrogen down in athletes is by using an estrogen antagonist, preferably
tamoxifen citrate (Nolvadex), usual dosage being 10 milligrams for men, 20 for women.
The dosage may be adjusted upward in the case of steroid usage, as many steroids
convert to estrogen. The average cost of a CBC, an SMA 25, thyroid assay and serum
estrogen RIA will be around $200. Most doctors will be familiar with the first three tests,
but as to serum estrogen RIA, even sports medicine doctors may be unfamiliar with the
test, especially if a male asks for it.
Of course, your blood pressure and heart rate should be checked. I think that monitoring
and controlling your blood pressure is as important as watching liver and kidney
functions. High blood pressure can alter normal kidney function, sometimes irreversibly.
Strength athletes generally don't have very low heart rates, 60 is considered quite good,
and somewhere in the 70s is normal.
Although doctors don't like to see blood pressure climb over 120/90, I'm afraid that male
strength athletes tend to have high blood pressure, especially while they are trying to
gain weight. I don't think that these athletes should just 'live with it' because they could
very likely die with it. High blood pressure will lead to kidney damage. Have I
repeated this enough? It's important.
There are a number of very good high blood pressure medicines available; the choice of
athletes has been clonidine (brand name Catapres) because it has a dual nature: its
most interesting side effect is to elevate your own natural growth hormone output. I
cannot tolerate the sleepiness and lack of libido that goes along with Clonidine therapy.
The most popular blood pressure medicine for ordinary people is Dyazide, which now is
available as a generic. I view it as ideal by default for athletes.
I am not going into more detail about blood tests. Although I personally think that
monitoring all these internal functions is important, the truth of the matter is that most
athletes who take steroids never get blood tests taken. If they did, they'd find that the
tests might show them to be extremely unhealthy compared to normal people. But
athletes have been using anabolic steroids for almost 50 years. Most athletes have
abused them. Their cholesterol, blood pressure, everything, many times is off the high
end of the scale for years. By all accepted medical logic many athletes should have
become very ill, some should have died. Curiously enough we have no statistics. What
Copyright © 1989 by Daniel Duchaine Copyright © 2006 by QFAC, Inc. All Rights Reserved.