The Infonian

Anabolic (an-ah-BOL-ik) This term refers to the process of building up. Steroids are called anabolic because they build up your muscles.

It is a fact that today’s bodybuilding arena is influenced by the use of anabolic steroids. The trend has become more and more apparent over the years. The use and abuse has become so wide spread that we can no longer afford to ignore the topic. Whether you feel strongly for or against the use of steroids is your own decision. However before making any decision it is your responsibility to fully educate yourself with the facts. Here is an analogy. A parent may not feel comfortable talking to their kids about sex for the first time but they can’t continue to avoid the topic. Simply because a parent talks to their children about sex doesn’t mean that they want them to go out and have sex. Instead they are hoping that with the proper information they will be able to make an educated decision.

Until you can put yourself in someone else’s position it is tough to know why they make the decisions they do. For example, if you are pro athlete and you have the opportunity to extend your career, or compete for a starting position perhaps you may be more likely to consider the alternative. You may call this an unfair advantage or cheating but where do we draw the line. People that use bodybuilding supplements have an unfair advantage over those that chose not to use them. Does that mean they are cheating as well? It is a very gray area and there doesn’t seem to be a clear-cut right or wrong answers to many of the questions we ask ourselves. In some countries it is legal to take steroids. Does that mean it’s ethically okay to use steroids in certain countries and not others? One could argue yes to that question. In the United States Steroids are illegal therefore it would be wrong to take them here. The debate could go on and on and I’m sure it will for many years to come.

One thing you can do is educate yourself about the possible dangers of steroid use. Most of the benefits are commonly known so this article will discuss the other side of the coin.

Dangers of Steroids

When prescribed and used correctly, steroids can be very beneficial for many people. Steroids are often used to control asthma or to improve the health of people with auto-immune disorders. When used without the supervision of a physician, steroids can be very dangerous substances that cause many mental and physical health problems. Understanding the risks involved with using steroids can be helpful in deciding whether or not to proceed with this dangerous habit.

There are two major types of steroids that can be taken by people looking to increase their muscle mass and enhance their athletic performance. Anabolic steroids are synthetic hormones that are very close to the real hormones produced by the body. The most powerful one is testosterone. There are also steroidal supplements that contain DHEA and androstenedione. These steroids and supplements have become popular because they can help increase muscle mass by affecting the body the way that natural testosterone affects the body.

Steroids can cause mild or serious side effects. Some of the minor effects associated with steroid use are usually problems that can occur without the use of steroids and are associated with abnormal hormone levels. These minor side effects can include an increase in facial or body acne, hair loss, irritability, and dizziness. Steroid and supplement use can also cause very serious side effects that can be harmful in the short term and may even cause long-term side effects. Some of the side effects that can affect both men and women when taking steroids can be associated with several systems of the body. Some hormonal problems that can occur include premature balding and stunting of growth. Using steroids can cause cardiac issues such as rapid heartbeat and hypertension that causes permanent damage to the body’s blood vessels. The urinary system can also be affected by steroids and difficulty urinating can be a result.

The risk of developing heart disease, strokes, and some types of cancer is also increased when steroids are used when not needed to manage medical conditions. Digestive problems such as nausea and vomiting can start when the body is subjected to the use of steroids or steroidal supplements. Other medical problems that can result from the use of steroids are sleeplessness, trembling, achy joints, a greater risk of injury to muscles and tendons, liver damage, and skin jaundice. Some of the most startling problems associated with the use of steroids are the psychological problems that are created. Steroid use can cause paranoia, seeing things that don’t exist, severe mood swings, anger, and depression.

There are also gender-specific side effects of using steroids or steroidal supplements. Men can experience painful urination, shrinking of the testicles, impotence, sterility, and the development of breasts and other female characteristics. Women can also experience side effects from using steroids and supplements. These side effects include changes in the menstrual cycle, shrinking of the breasts, deepening of the voice, and increased facial hair growth. While taking steroids and steroidal supplements can have a positive short-term effect on muscle mass and athletic performance, the dangerous side effects make steroids a poor choice for gaining strength. A good diet and exercise program would be a much better way to increase performance and would also improve health.

In closing I’d like to share a Critical Bench Web site poll from 2003. 509 votes were tallied and the results were as followed.

We asked how you felt anabolic steroids and received the following results.

1. Best thing since sliced bread 10%

2. Worth a try 20%

3. Impartial 19%

4. They are for losers 51%

Mike Westerdal is the owner of www.criticalbench.com . Visit his site to receive two free PDF reports entitled, “31 Days To Bigger Arms” and “Boosting Testosterone Levels for Big Muscle Gains.”

Author: Mike Westerdal

There’s no getting around the fact that our bodies age. For men, as we get closer to the middle age mark, natural testosterone production in the body begins to slow down by about one to two percent each year-though this can vary widely. Around age 50 or so, about one-half of men will experience what’s known as “andropause,” which is the result of declining levels of androgen in the body. To fight the symptoms of andropause many men turn to either steroids or hormone replacement therapy (HRT). The symptoms of andropause will vary from one man to another but may include a decrease in energy (lethargy), diminished libido or less interest in sex, erectile dysfunction (ED), muscle weakness, difficulty sleeping, hot flashes, night sweats, mood swings or depression and more. Because of the symptoms’ similarity to what women experience in menopause, andropause is sometimes referred to as the “male menopause,” although in men the reproductive system does not shut down entirely as it does in women-it just slows down.

Steroids are no stranger to the fitness/bodybuilding world but today more and more “regular guys” are taking steroids in an effort to combat the effects of andropause and reduce its impact. While legal steroids do have a place and serve useful, medically-valid purposes, they are frequently abused. Part of this stems from their widespread availability in gyms, health clubs, online from Internet pharmacies, friends and more.

Besides being illegal without a prescription, steroids-when taken without proper medical supervision-are known to cause a variety of health problems. The short-term adverse physical effects of anabolic steroid abuse are fairly well known, but the effects of their long-term use are not well-studied.

The real problems arise when steroid users become steroid abusers. They buy their steroids at the gym or from a friend, self-administering them and regulating their intake themselves, rather than under the guidance of a trained medical professional. This is a recipe for disaster. When someone buys steroids off the black market the potential for dangerous repercussions is astronomical.

First of all, when buying steroids off the black market you never really know what you are going to get. The majority of steroids sold on the streets in the U.S. come from other countries where quality standards can be very lax at best. It’s also very common to take steroids prepared for animals rather than for humans because they are usually cheaper-but also potentially very dangerous. There is also a prevalence of fake or counterfeit steroids on the U.S. black market. These can not only be dangerous, but they can be deadly as well.

Without getting into the subject in detail-entire books have been written about it-suffice to say that the list of potential side effects of self-regulated/self-administered steroid therapy (abuse) is long. Mood swings, fluid retention, thinning or loss of hair, infections, testicular atrophy and the risk of blood-borne diseases are a few of the risks. However many medical professionals state that all drugs have side effects and risk should always be compared to the potential reward. In contrast to self-regulated/self-administered steroid abuse, Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) is a medically supervised regimen that seeks to duplicate the body’s natural testosterone production cycles. Administered properly, HRT can bring about the benefits of restoring testosterone to its previous level, without the significant side effects or safety hazards associated with self-regulated/self-administered steroid regimens or abuse.

HRT starts with a blood test and medical examination to determine testosterone levels and uncover any potential health risks. This is an important-and necessary–step in order to be certain that testosterone deficiency is indeed the root of the andropause symptoms and not diabetes, hypertension or the result of taking certain medications.

Through HRT testosterone is administered orally, by injection or through trans-dermal systems (through the skin). A fourth method-a tablet that adheres to the surface of the gum-was recently approved by the FDA. HRT has proven beneficial to men suffering from symptoms of andropause resulting from a testosterone deficiency in a number of ways including:

Increasing sex drive

Increasing muscle mass

Increasing strength

Improving mood

Increasing bone density

These are just some of the benefits that are associated with a properly-administered, medically-supervised HRT regimen.

Once treatment begins, HRT recipients are monitored for possible side effects or adverse reactions to the treatment. Generally though, this is not the case. The overwhelming majority of HRT recipients are very satisfied with the results, generally reporting few, if any, negative side effects or consequences.

While many of us like to think that we’re smart guys and know what we’re doing with our own bodies, the risks associated with self-administered/self-regulated steroid regimens far outweigh any potential benefits. And in addition, the potential for abuse is great. If you think you may be suffering from andropause/testosterone deficiency, do yourself a favor and consult a qualified medical professional and investigate hormone replacement therapy as a treatment, not your friends at the gym.

Author: Mike Westerdal

Protein is the fundamental building block of muscle growth. Yeah, complex carbs and healthy fats play important roles too, but protein is the primary driver. Spurred in part by tremendous advances in research, there has been a huge explosion in the varieties of protein powders being sold-so much that it can be overwhelming and confusing. This article will sort it all out and help you make the right decision about which protein powders are right for you. There are a range of different types of proteins sold as powdered supplements for bodybuilders: egg, whey, casein, milk and soy.

Egg protein is considered to be the granddaddy of all proteins and the gold standard to which other proteins aspire to be. Nutritionists agree that in terms of protein quality, egg protein is second to none. It is packed with essential amino acids (EAAs) and is ideal for persons with milk allergies or lactose intolerance. The protein from whole eggs ranks a little higher in quality in comparison to protein from egg whites.

The next two proteins on the list-whey and casein-are both derived from milk protein, which is comprised of about 80% casein protein and 20% whey protein.

Whey protein is far and above the most common type used in the majority of powders on the market today. They’re easily digested and like egg proteins, are also loaded with EAAs as well as the three Branched Chain Amino Acids (BCAAs). Whey proteins come in three different varieties: concentrates, isolates and hydrolysates.

Whey protein concentrates are the most economical variety but they also have the lowest overall protein level. Isolates are bit more costly but on they also have higher protein levels. The last one-hydrolysates-is whey protein that is partially broken down, which results in faster digestion and absorption.

Casein proteins comprise the bulk of the protein in milk. Casein takes more time than whey protein to digest and absorb into the body. Because of this, it’s often taken right before prolonged periods of fasting such as at bedtime.

Soy protein is far less commonly taken by bodybuilders than any of the others. It has the lowest overall protein quality among the ones I’ve discussed and also ranks lower than the others in terms of other nutritional benefits such as EAAs.

There are five typical times when bodybuilders take their protein shakes: in the morning; before working out; after working out; in-between meals and right before bedtime.

A protein shake taken right after you wake up provides a stable, sustained energy source after the nutritional void of sleep. It also provides a shot of amino acids that are used in muscle recovery and maintenance. The faster-acting whey proteins are favored for that “good morning” kick.

The pre-workout protein shake primes the body for the workout to come. Taken about an hour before, whey and egg proteins are favored here because of their rapid digestion and content of muscle-pumping EAAs and BCAAs.

The post-workout period-about 30 to 60 minutes-is a critical time in which your body craves protein. After a good training session, your muscles are nutrient-, enzyme- and hormone-starved sponges, anxious to soak up everything they need to launch into the recovery process. Here, whey, casein or egg protein can do the trick.

As a between-meal snack, protein shakes are ideal. They not only knock out hunger pangs but they also help to keep your metabolism functioning at peak level. For between meals, dairy proteins (whey, casein or milk) are the best because they provide a “full” feeling than other proteins.

Last, we come to the bedtime protein shake. Because of the long nutritional drought ahead, slow-digesting casein protein is the clear favorite. Its amino acid-rich formulation helps to fight against any muscle breakdown that can occur during periods of sleep.

Like I say, there are all kinds of different protein powders from which to choose. It’s especially handy that manufacturers have devised various blends to meet specific needs (pre-workout, post-workout, etc.), which can make it easy to choose exactly what you require. The downside is that you can wind up spending a lot of money on all sorts of different protein powders.

In making your choice, think about your goals, your needs and your budget. If you want to economize you might consider a blended protein, which is designed to be the “middle of the road” between fast- and slow-acting proteins. In any case, you’ve now got the information you need to make an educated decision about what’s right for you.

Author: Mike Westerdal

You might not recognize the name, but you may be familiar with the effects of Central Nervous System (CNS) Fatigue. The symptoms of CNS Fatigue can include lack of motivation, poor mood, impaired cognitive ability and abnormally high perceptions in regards to the force of exertion-that is, we think we’re working out a lot harder than we actually are. These are the most obvious symptoms, but there are other less evident ones too. You already know that the central nervous system is what controls our body’s functions, which includes muscle contractions. The theory behind CNS Fatigue is that there are not one, but two points from which our muscles can become fatigued: 1) in the muscle itself; and 2) at the point of origin of the muscular contraction (the central nervous system). Fatigue in the muscle itself is referred to as peripheral fatigue while fatigue at the point of origin is known as central fatigue.

We’re all familiar with peripheral fatigue and what to do about it-proper nutrition, supplementation and allowing sufficient time for recovery between training sessions. But how do you manage fatigue that starts deep down in the brain and hits before it even gets to the muscle? That’s a mystery that researchers have been working to unravel over the past several years and fortunately, they’ve made a lot of headway.

Just like everything else in our bodies, the central nervous system needs fuel to keep it going. If that system is running low on fuel, then performance-including muscle function-is hampered. Specifically, the function of the neurotransmitters-which are responsible for sending signals from the brain to the muscles-are impaired. This would also result in the onset of the psychological symptoms (poor mood, lack of motivation, etc.) mentioned above. Just like the muscle systems, the central nervous system can run out of fuel due to overexertion or lack of nutrition. Some powerlifters and strongmen competitors are particularly susceptible to CNS Fatigue due to the fact that they often do so many single repetition lifts. This can overly stress the nervous system, cause it to “run out of fuel” and can result in the onset of CNS Fatigue.

Much of the research into CNS Fatigue has focused on Serotonin (5-HT) and Dopamine due to their roles in regulating things like sensory perception, mood and more. Research suggests that an imbalance in these neurotransmitters-specifically, a spike in Serotonin and a drop in Dopamine levels-is associated with the onset of CNS Fatigue. The theory is the high 5-HT/low Dopamine brings on CNS Fatigue with low 5-HT/high Dopamine resulting in enhanced performance. That is really good news because proper training, nutrition and supplementation can help manage Serotonin/Dopamine levels in our brains.

Proper training means making sure that your body has plenty of time to rest and recover between workout sessions. It’s not only the muscle systems that need to recover, but the central nervous system as well. That’s only logical given that the symptoms of overtraining are not just physical, but mental too-and exactly like the psychological effects associated with CNS Fatigue. In terms of overtraining, researchers have looked at both insufficient recovery time between training sessions as well as prolonged periods of physical activity, with the presumption being that both result in the onset of CNS Fatigue.

It’s actually very complex, but in layman’s terms, on the nutrition side research has mostly focused on carbs and Branched Chain Amino Acids (BCAAs) and their impact on the 5-HT/Dopamine balance in the brain. Carbs are thought to play an important role in combating the onset of CNS Fatigue due to their impact on fatty acid (FA), tryptophan (TRP) and free tryptophan (f-TRP) levels in the body, all of which are related to 5-HT/Dopamine levels in the brain. Increases in BCAA intake are thought to suppress 5-HT metabolism in the brain during exercise. So in theory, the combination of the two (carbs/BCAAs) should help to maintain the proper balance of 5-HT/Dopamine levels, helping to prevent the onset on CNS Fatigue.

Our nervous systems are incredibly complex and research into CNS Fatigue is still in the early stages so there are no definitive answers. We do know though that for regular bodybuilders, proper training (with plenty of recovery time between sessions) and nutrition can help avoid CNS Fatigue. Powerlifters and strongman competitors should be particularly careful to not overtrain and they may also have to deload or work in some down weeks too if symptoms of CNS Fatigue appear.

Author: Mike Westerdal

Beta Alanine (BA) is a popular supplement widely used by athletes and bodybuilders to improve performance. BA is a non-essential amino acid and is the only naturally occurring beta amino acid. It is “non-essential” because it is produced in our bodies. Some bodybuilders are touting BA as the “new creatine” because of its purported ability to enhance performance-let’s see what the facts say and find out if it’s really true. Amino acids of course are organic compounds that are the building blocks of protein, which in turn is the primary fuel for muscle growth. And though BA-also known as-3-aminopropanoic acid-is an amino acid, it is in fact a non-proteinogenic amino acid, which means that it cannot be synthesized into a protein. Since it can’t be synthesized into a protein, how does BA improve performance?

The efficacy of BA appears to stem from the fact that it’s a pre-cursor to converting to carnosine in muscles. That’s important to know because in our bodies, muscle carnosine synthesis is limited by the availability of beta-alanine. And you may already know that carnosine is important to performance because it acts as a buffering agent, helping to delay the onset of muscular failure. So the theory goes that an increase in the availability of BA should result in a higher degree of muscle carnosine synthesis, which should result in enhanced performance.

In talking about alanine, you’ve probably also heard about a-alanine. Though they sound similar, BA and a-alanine are really very different from one another-and the difference is important to know. For example, whereas a-alanine is involved in enzyme function and protein synthesis, beta-alanine is not. Unlike a-alanine, BA’s role appears to be solely limited to fostering higher levels of muscle carnosine.

Over the past several years, a number of researchers have decided to put this theory to the test. For instance, one group of researchers studied a group of 33 college football players over a period of ten weeks. They found a clear connection between BA supplementation and enhanced performance.

Another study, conducted at the University of Oklahoma, showed that supplementing with BA measurably improved athletes’ endurance. Other studies have shown similar results.

Like I mentioned earlier, the theory is that BA results in an increase of muscle carnosine concentrations and test results appear to confirm that. In another trial, among a group of 13 athletes supplementing with BA, their muscle carnosine levels were measured at 4 weeks and at 10 weeks. After 4 weeks, the carnosine level had jumped by nearly 59% and had skyrocketed more than 80% after 10 weeks.

Interestingly, when BA is taken along with creatine, the outcome is even better. In another study, participants took not only BA, but creatine as well. These tests showed that the performance of the creatine plus BA group was significantly higher than both the creatine-alone and the placebo groups.

The trials that included both supplements showed a synergism between the two that considerably improved the results over the control group and those that supplemented just with BA. In these tests-in comparison to the other two groups-the duo supplement athletes showed a greater increase in their training volume, their strength was greater, their endurance was improved, they added lean mass and dropped body fat.

In fact, in the studies this group showed a more than 1% drop in overall body fat percentage despite the fact that they were not on a calorie-restricted diet. Again, the synergism between the creatine and BA appears to kick the body’s metabolism into high gear, resulting in significantly increased fat burning capacity. That may not seem like a big difference but if you’re competing, it can make a world of difference. It’s especially interesting because neither supplement-when taken alone-has been identified with a decrease in body fat percentage.

Because BA is a non-essential nutrient, there is no established recommended daily allowance for human consumption. In the research studies I mentioned, the daily BA dosage ranged from 3.2 grams to 6 grams. As you can see, in the studies the impact of BA hit its max at about 10 weeks.

So based on both a battery of scientific studies, along with plenty of anecdotal evidence, there seems to be little doubt that beta-alanine can certainly be a worthwhile and effective supplement-especially if it is taken along with creatine. Not only could it result in improved performance and endurance but the combination could also help you to add lean mass and drop your body fat percentage by a point or two-definitely things we like to see.

Author: Mike Westerdal