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Steroids Cholesterol and Injuries

 

 

 

Steroids, Cholesterol and Injuries

 

By William Llewellyn

 

Longer Cycles = Slower Cholesterol Recovery

It is well understood that anabolic steroid use can negatively influence certain cardiovascular disease risk factors. Most widely discussed among these is a shift in cholesterol values. This is usually marked by a reduction in “good” HDL cholesterol and an increase in “bad” LDL cholesterol, changes widely believed to support the atherogenic process. Like many side effects of steroid use, however, this change is a temporary one. After the anabolic steroids are discontinued, cholesterol levels should go back to their pre-treated levels. While the “on-cycle” effects of anabolic-androgenic steroids (AAS) are the subject of hundreds of clinical papers, there has been little investigation into the recovery aspect of steroid cessation. Basic unanswered questions include how long lipid recovery takes, and if the recovery window is influenced by duration of AAS intake. A paper published in the British Journal of Sports Medicinebrings us a bit closer to answering these questions.1

 

The paper, which is part of a broader investigation into the physiological effects of anabolic steroids, looks at what effects the self administration of these drugs has on the lipid and lipoprotein profiles of young men. Thirty-five men participated in this study, 19 of them using steroids. The steroid users were further subdivided into two groups, one (n=9) used the drugs for eight weeks, and the other (n=10) used them for 14 weeks. The remaining 16 men served as non-steroid-using controls. Lipid and lipoprotein profiles were taken before, at the end of, and six weeks after the cessation of steroid treatment. The exact drug(s) used varied depending on each individual’s own steroid program. All steroid use exceeded therapeutic dosage levels, and all but one participant was taking two or more steroids together during the same program.

 

The on-cycle results were as expected; steroid use negatively influenced cardiovascular profiles. The uncontrolled AAS programs resulted in a significant increase in LDL cholesterol, along with a more than 50% reduction in total HDL cholesterol (this included a significant suppression of the HDL-2 and HDL-3 cholesterol subfractions). These changes were closely mirrored by the atherogenic and cardioprotective counterparts to LDL and HDL – namely apolipoprotein B (apo-B) and apolipoprotein A1 (apo-A1) respectively. The impact, however, was no worse after 14 weeks of steroid use compared to eight weeks. This is in line with earlier studies suggesting the full impact of AAS is noticed rapidly, usually within the first weeks. After this point, cholesterol interference tends to stabilize in a dose-dependent manner.

 

The data of interest in this study really came from the blood tests during the recovery period. In particular, the researchers found that even though the negative impact on cholesterol/lipoproteins was comparable in both groups, the long-term users noticed a significantly slower recovery of lipid/lipoprotein levels after their cycles. After six weeks of steroid cessation, all lipids and lipoprotein levels (except HDL-2) had returned to baseline levels in the eight-week group. These levels were still not normalized in the 14-week group, however. Drug dose and duration were not controlled in this study. Still, it further supports the idea that lipid profiles are influenced mainly by drug/dose. Beyond that, however, it suggests that longer cycles may involve a longer recovery period for cholesterol values. Regular users of AAS may want to keep this in mind, and perhaps even plan their cycles (and off-cycle time) accordingly.

 

Nandrolone: Bad for Injuries?

We usually think of anabolic steroids as beneficial to the healing process. One of the repeat arguments for their wider medical use comes in the form of a recommendation that these drugs be prescribed for routine musculoskeletal injuries. The expectation is that the anabolic properties of steroids can strengthen muscle and connective tissues that have been subject to injury, shortening the healing process and recovery time. Such use remains highly controversial, however. It has also not been extensively reviewed in the medical literature. While several studies do support the prescribing of anabolic steroids with musculoskeletal injury, more research is needed, especially with regard to the specific situations where these drugs may offer therapeutic benefit. Case in point, new research suggests anabolic steroids may not be the best things to use when trying to heal a rotator cuff injury.2

 

The research in question specifically examined the effect of nandrolone decanoate on rotator cuff repair in a group of male rabbits. At the start of the experiment, the rabbits were subject to injury in the form of rotator cuff incision and reconstruction. Fifteen days after the operation, the tendons were sent for evaluation to determine what effect (if any) the study variables had on the healing process. Nandrolone decanoate (at a dose of 10 mgs/kg) was one of the main study variables. Contrary to some expectations, nandrolone use was associated with reduced tendon strength and a longer healing time. Microscopic analysis showed that the steroid-using group has more localized inflammations and less fibroblastic activity than the non-using controls.

 

Rotator cuff injury is somewhat commonly seen in bodybuilders and high-intensity athletes, and can be quite serious. It often requires surgery, and invariably limits the ability of the individual to continue resistance training for weeks or months. Unfortunately, the researchers in this study determined that not only did nandrolone decanoate fail to offer any anabolic/healing value, but it actually served as an inhibitor of rotator cuff healing. More research is certainly needed on this subject. Still, this study does suggest that the healing properties of anabolic steroids may be more limited than some think. More to the point, you may want to avoid anabolic steroids if you ever find yourself sidelined by a rotator cuff injury, particular if it involves tendon damage. What is often used as an aid may actually prolong the problem.

 

William Llewellyn is widely regarded as one of the world’s foremost authorities on the use of performance-enhancing substances. He is the author of the bestselling anabolic steroid reference guide ANABOLICS and CEO of Molecular Nutrition. William is an accomplished researcher/developer in the field of anabolic substances, and is also a longtime advocate for harm reduction and legislative change. He built the website anabolic.org, an extensive online database of information on anabolic steroids and other performance-enhancing drugs.

 

References:

 

1. Hartgens F, et al. Effects of androgenic-anabolic steroids on apolipoproteins and lipoprotein (a) Br J Sports Med, 2004;38:253-259.

 

2. Papaspiliopoulos A, et al. The effect of local use of nandrolone decanoate on rotator cuff repair in rabbits. J Invest Surg, 2010 Aug;23(4):204-7.

 

 

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