A brief history of steroids

[Curt James]

History of Steroids

In order to trace the history and development of anabolic steroids from their beginning to their present day form, we first need to look back towards ancient times, when it was known that the testicles were required for both the development and maintenance of male sexual characteristics. In modernity, this concept was further developed, by a scientist named Berthold and his experiments on cockerels done in 1849. He removed the testes from these birds, and they lost several of the characteristics common to the male of their species, including sexual function.

So, we knew as early as 1849 that the testicles functioned to promote what we consider to be primary male sexual properties; in other words, they are what "make men into men". Berthold also found that if the testicles were removed and then transplanted to the abdomen, the sexual function of the birds was largely unaffected. When the birds were dissected, it was found that no nervous connections were formed, but a vastly extensive series of capillarization took place. (1) This provided strong evidence that "the testes act upon the blood" (2) and he further concluded that this blood then had a systemic effect on the entire organism. Anabolic Steroid history, therefore, can be truly said to have made its first step with this simple series of experiments.

Later, in 1929 a procedure to produce an extract of potent activity from bull's testicles was attempted, and in 1935 a more purified form of this extract was created. A year later, a scientist named Ruzicka synthesized this compound, testosterone, from cholesterol, as did two other scientists, Butenandt and Hanisch (3). Testosterone was, of course, the first anabolic steroid ever created, and remains the basis for all other derivations we have currently being used in medicine today.

Testosterone was then used in 1936, in an experiment demonstrating that nitrogen excretion of the castrated dog could be increased by giving the dog supplemental testosterone, and this would increase its body weight. (4) Shortly after this time, the Nazi´s were rumored to have given their soldiers anabolic steroids, but that rumor seems to be largely undocumented. Later, further experiments were carried out in men, of course showing that testosterone was a potent anabolic substance in humans.

Later, between the years of 1948 and 1954, the pharmaceutical firms Searle and Ciba had experimented with the synthesizing of over a thousand different testosterone derivatives and similar analogues (15).

The story of steroids in athletics is now about to begin:

In 1954, a physician named John Ziegler attended the World Weightlifting Championships in Vienna, Austria, as the team's doctor. The Soviets dominated the competition that year, easily breaking several world records and winning gold medals in legions of weight classes.

According to anecdotal reports, Ziegler invited the Soviet´s team doctor to a bar and the doctor told him that that his lifters had used testosterone injections as part of their training programs. Whether that story is true or not, ultimately, the Americans returned from the World Championships that year and immediately began their efforts to defeat the Soviets using pharmaceutical enhancement.

As you may have expected, when they returned to the United States, the team doctor began administering straight testosterone to his weightlifters. He also got involved with Ciba, the large pharmaceutical firm, and attempted to synthesize a substance with strength enhancing effects comparable or better than testosterone's. In 1956, Methandrostenolone was created, and given the name "Dianabol".

In the following years, little pink Dianabol tablets found their way into many weightlifter´s training program, fast forward a few years, and in the early 1960s, there was a clear gap between Ziegler´s weightlifters and the rest of the country, and much less of one between them and the Soviets. It was also in the 1960´s that another anabolic steroid had been developed and used to treat short stature in children with Turner Disease syndrome (13)

At this time, physicians around the United States began to take notice of steroids, and numerous studies were performed on athletes taking them, in an effort to stem the tide of athletes attempting to obtain steroids for use in sports. The early studies on steroids clearly showed that anabolic steroids offered no athletic benefit whatsoever, but in retrospect can be said to have several design flaws.

The first issue with those studies, and the most glaring one was that the doses were usually very low, too low to really produce much of an effect at all. In addition, it was neither common for these studies to not be double blind nor to be randomized. A double blind study is one where neither the scientists nor the subjects of the study know if they are getting a real medication or a placebo. A randomized study is where the real medicine is randomly dispersed throughout the test group.

Finally, in those early studies, nutrition and exercise was not really controlled or standardized. Not long after those flawed studies were concluded, the Physicians Desk Reference boldly (and wrongly) claimed that anabolic steroids were not useful in enhancing athletic performance. Despite this, in 1967, the International Olympic Council banned the use of anabolic steroids and by the mid 1970´s most major sporting organizations had also banned them.

Steroids in Olympics

Just prior to the ban on steroids in the Olympics, the German Democratic Republic (GDR) began a program with the goals of synthesizing new anabolic steroids for their athletes to use in various sports. Their body of research remains the most extensive collection of information on the use of steroids in athletes ever complied (5). Despite the small size of their country, they managed to consistently dominate the top ranks of various sports, competing with both the United States and the Soviet Union for total medals in both the Olympics and various World Championships. In 1972, the IOC began a full scale drug-testing program (8).

By 1982, the International Olympic Council had developed a test for the detection of excess levels of testosterone in athletes, known as the "Testosterone: Epitestosterone test". In this test, levels of testosterone vs/ epitestosterone are measured, and if the testosterone level is 6x that of the epitestosterone level, it can safely be concluded that some form of testosterone has been used by the athlete. This is because testosterone is commonly no more than 6x the natural level of epitestosterone found naturally in the body. Thus, if there were more than that ratio, it was not naturally occurring, in all probability.

The IOC was, as usual, one step behind the athletes. The GDR had already done a study on their athletes using a form of testosterone which would leave the body quickly, and thus they would be ready for the IOC test within three days of their last injection (6). They then developed a protocol to allow their athletes to continue steroid use, ceasing it only long enough to pass the drug test. In addition, the German firm Jenapharm, who had been supplying the government with steroids for their athletes, developed an epitestosterone product to administer to athletes to bring the ratio back to normal without discontinuing steroid use (5).

Their doping methods were so advanced, however, that they remained undetected for many years, until late 1989 when information was leaked to the western media about a government sponsored program of systematic anabolic steroid administration and concealment. Eventually, in the early 1990´s, the Germans had finally gotten caught, and the ensuing scandal was one which helped give anabolic steroids the bad reputation they have had ever since.

Ironically, it was also in the early 1990´s that anabolic steroids had started to be used by the medical community to improve survival rates of AIDS and Cancer patients, when it was discovered that loss of lean body mass was associated with increased mortality rates respective to those diseases (14).

A similar story was being played out in the United States at about that same time. Before 1988, steroids were only prescription drugs, as classified by by the FDA (Food and Drug Administration). FDA determines which drugs will be classified as over-the-counter versus those which will only be available through prescription. At this time, the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, was invoked to restrict the access of steroids, making them available only by prescription. They were still not controlled substances at this time, however.

A "Controlled substance" is one that is more firmly regulated than uncontrolled prescription drugs. As an example, contact lenses can only be legally purchased with a prescription, but they are not "controlled" per se. This stricter control of steroids created a vastly more intense examination of the doctors prescribing them; and of course, more harsh penalties for wrongful dispensing.

1988 also marked the passage of the Anti-Drug Abuse Act, which put steroids in a totally different prescription category, one that stipulated very severe legal penalties for illegal sale or possession with intent to distribute. Now, steroid possession and/or distribution was considered a felony.

Next, the United States Congress added steroids to the Controlled Substances Act as an amendment known as the Anabolic Steroid Control Act of 1990. Steroids were now placed in "Schedule III" classification, along with amphetamines, methamphetamines, opium, and morphine, and carrying the same penalties for buying or selling them.

This legislation and classification was passed without the support of the American Medical Association, the FDA, the DEA, and the National Institute on Drug Abuse, all of whom actually protested the federal and state classification.

In the early part of the new millennium, steroids have again been pushed to the forefront of the news by the introduction of prohormones which were first developed and marketed by Patrick Arnold. It is at this point that the history of steroids in baseball begins to become more prominent.

During his epic quest to break Roger Maris home-run record, Mark Maguire was spotted by a reporter to have had a bottle of Androstendione in his locker. Although androstendione is not a steroid, and is simply a prohormone, the word steroid was again found circulating in the news on a nightly basis.

Not shortly after Roger Maris record was broken, another baseball player, Jason Giambi and various other athletes were either suspected of, or proven to have, taken anabolic steroids. Again, Congress convened a hearing, and just as they did the first time in 1990, they did not determine that steroids were a danger, but rather that the danger was more in protecting professional sports organizations.

The updated statute has been updated to proscribe pro-hormones also The definition of an anabolic steroid as defined currently in the United States under (41)(A) is that "anabolic steroid" means any drug or hormonal substance, chemically and pharmacologically related to testosterone (other than estrogens, progestins, corticosteroids, and dehydroepiandrosterone (7).

Currently, steroid use is far from declining. Among 12th graders surveyed in 2000, 2.5% reported using steroids at least once in their lives, while in 2004 the number was 3.4% (9). A recent internet study also concluded that anabolic steroid use among weightlifters and bodybuilders continues (12), and by all accounts, there are no signs of it stopping in athletics any time soon.

In addition, the legitimate use of anabolic steroids for a variety of medical problems also continues, ranging from the treatment of Andropause or Menopause, and ranging from speeding the recovery in burn victims to helping improve quality of life in AIDS patients, to helping fight breast cancer and stave off osteoporosis.

Thus, the history of anabolic steroids is not something that has already occurred and been written, but rather it is a continuing history being written every day by scientists, lawmakers, doctors and of course, athletes.

References

1. Maisel AQ. The Hormone Quest (1965) Random House
2. Kochakian CD. J Nutr (1935) 23 135
3. Kenyon AT et al. Endocrinology (1938) 23 135
4. Kochakian CD. Handbook Exp Pharmacol (1975) 43 1
5. Clinical Chemistry. 43, No7, 1997.
6. Clausnitzer, et al [Article in German] 1982.
7. United States Congressional records.
8. Vet Hum Toxicol. 2003 Mar;45(2):97-102.
9. United States Bureau of Statistics, 2005.
10. National Institute on Drug Abuse
11. United States Drug Enforcement Agency
12. Clin J Sport Med. 2005 Sep;15(5):326-30.
13. Marti Henneberg, C, et al. J. Pediatr 6;783-88. 1975.
14. Journal of the American Medical Association, Editorial. April 14, 1999, vol 281, No. 14.
15. Steroids. 1996 Aug;61(8):492-503.

From Anabolic Steroids - Steroid .com

 

[Vibrant]

curt, does this mean you'll start gearing up?

 

[ctr10]

Curt when did PCT drugs become prominent in our sport

 

[Curt James]

Vibrant, I'm a non-pinner for now. No knowledge and not especially pressed to educate myself on AAS. Interesting to read about, obviously, but not for me right now. Regardless, I do believe AAS reform is needed for a variety of reasons. Prohibition does not work as just one example.

ctr10, no idea, but that's something I'd be interested to know, too. Googling in 3... 2... 1...

 

[_LG_]

Thanks CJ.
Now I just need some bird nuts to transplant onto myself.

 

[Curt James]

Thanks CJ.
Now I just need some bird nuts to transplant onto myself.

Make sure they're cockerels.

Was Googling PCT and found this article:

Post Cycle Therapy

By Anthony Roberts

The goal of any athlete after they have completed a cycle of steroids is to maintain all of the gains they have made. This is generally easier said than done though due to the various hormones and substances that are in your body throughout the cycle. You generally have more testosterone, GH, and less glucocorticoids. To help you maintain the gains you have made, it is important to try to get your body to make its own anabolic hormones as quickly as possible. You also want fewer of the catabolic ones to be made.

Of course while this is all good information to have in theory, be prepared because your body is likely to have other ideas. The best way you can get it to do what you want it to is to implement Post Cycle Therapy known as PCT. When a cycle ends there are some hormones you need more of and some you need less of. Knowing what you need is going to make the process much easier for you.

I have included a chart for you at the end of this article, and you can go there for a quick reference. I hope you will continue to read this article though because it is important to find out all you can about what we have to offer. You will also question several of the recommendations I have made since you won???t know why I have chose them. It is likely some of the information you read here you will already know about. However, I can guarantee you that you have never seen this PCT protocol anywhere and that it is the most effective one you will ever come across.

Let???s start with a short discussion on how the body works and why there is a lag after the anabolic steroids have left the body. This lag time is when you will start to lose the gains you have made so you want that lag time to be as short as you can possibly make it. Anabolic steroids work to increase the level of androgens in the blood. Once you decide to end your cycle your natural production doesn???t immediately kick in again. The goal is to quickly get the body to start making these androgens.

Let???s take a look at the drug Nolvadex which is a SERM so it is also an anti estrogen product when it comes to particular genes and it will product estrogen for others. This is why it is termed selective. The estrogenic effects on the bones will help the density while it lowers the cholesterol levels. It also increases LH and FSH resulting in more testosterone being produced. If you consume 20 mgs of Nolvadex the amount of testosterone you produce will increase by 150%.

Many athletes find Nolvadex is the perfect PCT solution because it prevents gynocomastia. It does this by binding to the receptor in the breast tissues. Getting enough estrogen is vital to keeping your immune system at a healthy level. Studies show infertile men have been given Nolvadex to help them increase their serum levels of LH, FSH, and testosterone. It can also block the estrogen that gets into the pituitary. This makes it very beneficial when you are using it with HCG.

You may be wondering why I haven???t recommended using the SERM Clomid. It is because it takes a higher dosage for a longer period of time to achieve the same results you will get with Novladex. You also won???t get the benefit of increasing the LH levels. As I explained, Nolvadex is anti estrogenic and Clomid does nothing more than weaken the levels of estrogen. In fact, for this reason I would avoid using Clomid in any PCT.

I recommend using a dose of 20 mgs of Nolvadex daily, but many people can get by with even less. Some people only have to take 5 mgs per day to get the same results. If you haven???t used Nolvadex before I would start out with 20 mgs so you are sure to get the benefits you need from it. Now, we need to add something else to the Nolvadex, and I recommend HCG. You will find that I am one of the few people who recommends HCG during PCT but I will tell you why in a moment.

HCG has been found to successfully cure AAS. It is a peptide hormone that is made by the embryo during the early weeks of a pregnancy. The placenta makes it later in the pregnancy to help regulate hormone levels. It works by stimulating the gonads. So you will be using Nolvadex to stimulate the LH and FSH. Then you will use the HCG to stimulate the Lydia cells so that you are producing more than enough testosterone.

However, while HCG does increase testosterone levels, it will also increase the amount of estrogen. Too much estrogen will result in the Leydig cells changing as part of the negative feedback loop. Studies on rats show that increasing the amount of LH can affect the LH receptors negatively. After the HCG increase of testosterone is done you have to make sure you have used it enough to prevent your estrogen level from increasing too much. Such an increase in estrogen will cause your body to be able to produce less testosterone.

It would seem then that if you are using Nolvadex and you only add HCG when the gonatropins are low then you won???t be inhibited. There is still one more issue to take care of before this can be true for you though. The body will produce estrogen from the HCG stimulated testosterone. We can use very low doses to avoid it spiking but you will need to use more HCG to accomplish this. The result would be your body functioning normally again and less losses to the recent gains you have made. It also doesn???t hurt to add some Vitamin E with the HCG.

Next you will need to look at adding an aromatase inhibitor (AI). You don???t want to use Letrozole or Arimidex because when they are combined with Nolvadex you will end up with a decrease in the levels of blood plasma. You should choose to use Aromasin as your AI. It works by making the estrogen receptors useless rather than just inhibiting them. You will also find your mood improves because of the androgenic properties. It can effectively remove about 85% of the estrogen in the body but it won???t reduce the effectiveness of Nolvadex.

Hopefully you can now see why I think using HCG is a good choice at a dose of around 500 mg per day. This entire PCT will result in your LH, FSH, and testosterone levels rapidly increasing. It will also block the various factors that prevent your body from being able to naturally produce what you need. For this reason I recommend starting your PCT during your last week of the cycle. It isn???t worth the losses you will have if you wait until the very end of the cycle to introduce it. The sooner your body is able to recover from the cycle the more you will be able to maximize the gains you made. Waiting to start your PCT will only reduce the progress you have made.

The HCG needs to be discontinued in 10-14 days but you can run the Nolvadex and Aromasin for 30 days. You should get blood work done on a weekly basis so that you can find out when your body has the hormone levels back to normal. Keep in mind you will want to consider your diet and other types of supplements during this process as well. I didn???t mention them here because I wanted to focus on hormone levels only for this article.

References:

1. Human Anatomy and Physiology, 6th ed. John W. Hole jr
2. Postgrad Med J. 1998 Jan;74(867):45-6.
3. Disparate effect of clomiphene and tamoxifen on pituitary gonadotropin release in vitro. Adashi EY, Hsueh AJ, Bambino TH, Yen SS. Am J Physiol 1981 Feb;240(2):E125-30
4. Mol Cell Endocrinol. 2004 Sep 30;224(1-2):73-82.
5. Inhibitory effect of co
6. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 1989 Jul;69(1):170-6
7. Mol Cell Endocr inol. 1984 Jan;34(1):31-8
8. Effect of lower versus higher doses of tamoxifen on pituitary-gonadal function and sperm indices in oligozoospermic men.m Dony JM, Smals AG, Rolland R, Fauser BC, Thomas CM
9. Clin Endocrinol Metab. 1978 Dec;47(6):1368-73
10. J Steroid Biochem. 1989;34(1-6):205-17
11. Effect of vitamin E on function of pituitary-gonadal axis in male rats and human subjects. Umeda F, Kato K, Muta K, Ibayashi H.
12. Fertil Steril. 1978 Mar;29(3):320-7

From Post Cycle Therapy | PCT

 

[Curt James]

That's Anthony Roberts' take on the subject. ^^^^

In defense of clomid, I present...

Clomid FAQs

Question: What is Clomid?
Answer: Clomid is a synthetic estrogen and is generally prescribed by doctors to trigger ovulation in females.

Question: Why should bodybuilders use Clomid?
Answer: Almost all anabolic androgenic steroids will cause an inhibition of the bodies own testosterone production. When he comes off the steroids he has no natural test production and no more steroids. The body is left in a state of catabolism (catabolic hormones are high and anabolic hormones are low) and as a result much of the muscle tissue that was gained on the cycle is now going to be lost. Clomid stimulates the hypophysis to release more gonadotropin so that a faster and higher release of follicle stimulating hormone aud luteinizing hormone occurs. This results in an increase of the body???s own testosterone production.

Question: Does Clomid also work as an anti estrogen?
Answer: Clomid is a synthetic estrogen, however it does also work as an anti-estrogen. How does it work? Because it is a weak synthetic estrogen, it will bind to the estrogen receptor (ER) and not cause any problems. At the same time the increase in estrogen from steroids are blocked from attaching to the ER.

Question: How effective is Clomid as an anti-estrogen?
Answer: It is very weak and should not be relied upon if you are going to be using steroids that aromatise at any rapid rate, or if you are pre disposed to gyno. Arimidex, Proviron and Nolvadex will all make better choices for this purpose.

Question: Some say Clomid during a cycle is a waste, is this true?
Answer: Lets first examine what happens when someone is using anabolic androgenic steroids. When the level of androgens in the body get too high, the androgen receptor becomes more highly activated, and the hypothalamus stops sending a signal to the pituitary. In short the signal tells our body to stop producing testosterone. During a cycle the body has higher levels than normal of androgens and as long as this level is high enough clomid will not help to keep natural test production up. It will be almost all but completely shut off. The only purpose of clomid during a cycle is as an anti-estrogen.

Question: When do I start Clomid? Some say 2 weeks others 3.
Answer: When you start using your clomid all depends on what steroids you were using during your cycle. Different steroids have different half lifes and you should adjust your clomid intake accordingly. As we have seen above, if we take clomid when the androgen levels in our body is still high it will be a waste. We need to wait for androgen levels to fall before implementing our clomid therapy. However if we take it too late we could possibly lose gains. Look at the list below to determine when you should start clomid therapy. By selecting from the list all the steroids you used in your cycle and which ever one has the latest starting point then go with that. For example if I cycled dbol, sustanon and winstrol I would use sustanon as it remains active in the body for the longest period of time.

• Anadrol/Anapolan: 8 ??? 12 hours after last administration
• Deca: 3 weeks after last injection and clomid for 4 weeks
• Dianabol: 4 ??? 8 hours after last administration
• Equipoise: 3 weeks after last injection
• Finaplix: 3 days after last injection
• Primobolan depot: 10 ??? 14 days after last injection
• Sustanon 250: 3 weeks after last injection
• Testosterone Cypionate: 2 weeks after last injection
• Testosterone Enanthate: 2 weeks after last injection
• Testosterone Propionate: 3 days after last injection
• Testosterone Suspension: 4 ??? 8 hours after last administration
• Winstrol: 8 ??? 12 hours after last administration

Question: What is the most effective way for Clomid therapy.
Answer: Clomid has a long half life and as such there is no need to split up doses throughout the day. I read some where that it was 5 days (any feedback on this). Now if we used sustanon and we start using clomid 3 weeks after our last injection we anticipate that androgen levels are low enough to start sending the correct signals. If androgen levels are still a little high then the normal 50mgs/day of clomid for 1 week is not going to be effective. We need to start at a high enough amount that will work or help even if androgen levels are still a little high.

300mgs on day 1. I know I said don???t split it up due to its long half life but try and split this up 2 tabs 3 times a day. After we have finished this first day we seek to use 100mgs for 10 days and then followed by 50mgs for 10 days.
300mgs day1
100mgs next 10 days
50mgs next 10 days

Question: Do I need to use Clomid for 3 weeks?
Answer: Why don???t you want too? It is very cheap, very effective and can mean the difference between maintaining gains and losing them.

Question: How cheap is Clomid?
Answer: Clomid normally comes in 50mg tablets but also comes in capsule form of 25mgs. A 50mg tablet can be anywhere between 25 cents and $2.50. (15 pence and 75 pence in England).

Question: Do all steroids cause shut down of the hpta.
Answer: Not all steroids do. Everyone is different and you must also take into account how long you have been using a certain steroid and at what dose in order to determine if you need clomid or not. However as the price is so cheap, why risk not using it.

From Clomid FAQs

 

[Curt James]

Curt when did PCT drugs become prominent in our sport

Found this exchange as well. Note: It's up to you to verify the content of this exchange as I'm definitely no PCT expert. Does seem that they're saying the old school bodybuilders didn't juice as hard and therefore weren't shut down as severely as athletes are today.

That said, I do remember reading at least one Arnold Schwarzenegger biography (Wendy Leigh's book, I believe) where it was stated he ate steroids like they were candy.

Question: The 70's and 80's never had Clomid, Tribulus, etc. PCT wasn't mentioned then and they all did fine, so what are we doing wrong? Why are we spending nearly as much as the initial roid course itself on stuff to get our natural testosterone level back when the older generation didn't?

Answer 1: First of all there was no need for Clomid because it doesn't work anyway. In some people it temporarily raises T. In others, it raises estrogen.

People mistake nolva for a recovery drug when it's only an anti gynecomastia drug.

What went wrong? The internet. A few idiots misinterpreted the information and called themselves "gurus." People who came along followed the advice, and passed it along to another generation.

Also, those old time champions used a fraction of what the typical gym rat uses today. That's because they knew how to train.

Answer 2: My guess is they ran short cycles and their HPTA - hypothalamic-pituitary-testicular axis - wasn't fully shut down so recovery was easy.

You run a 10 week cycle of Deca-Durabolin - nandrolone decanoate - and I guarantee you that your HPTA is gonna be shut down big time.

Answer 3: Robby Robinson said he took 1 shot of Deca-Durabolin - nandrolone decanoate - 100mg every other week 12 weeks out from a show. I know everyone is gonna say all those old timers lie but I think they ate more whole foods and trained a hell of a lot more and harder than today's gym rat.

Some of them had awesome genetics (Robbie, etc.), but most of the guys I know that juice today are naturally smaller and want to get big quick and they think more is better which I don't think is the case. These guys were taking small amounts and usually it was done leading up to a contest not year-round. You don't need PCT if cycles are kept sane. I see so many guys that run 3 to 4 steroids stacked and they weigh less than 180 lbs. Wtf?

From http://www.elitefitness.com/forum/p...ecover-courses-when-there-not-pct-752547.html