By Leigh Penman

This is part of a continuing series provided exclusively by MuscleSport Mag giving information on a variety of performance-enhancing drugs for educational purposes. While it is apparent that people are going to use these substances regardless of the health and legal risks involved, quality information is necessary and learning as much about them as possible can only assist an adult making a decision either way.

Testosterone Propionate is the shortest estered, fastest acting form of testosterone currently available. Levels generally peak after 24-36 hours, however they soon begin to taper thereafter and the steroid itself only has a 2-3day life span. This can be a good thing for those susceptible to the side effects caused by longer acting testosterones (e.g. enthanate, cypionate, Sustanon 250) with Propionate causing less water retention and the user experiencing an increase in energy, a better muscle pump and an increase in strength and appetite after only one or two days. Continue Reading »

By Leigh Penman

Just as the ups and, mainly, downs of Wall Street seem to be forever in the news so does the use of anabolic steroids in various sports. This week saw the spotlight turning once again on the world of horse racing. On Tuesday (October 14) the New York Racing and Wagering Board let it be known that it is implementing new rules as regards the administration of anabolic steroids in the world of horse racing.

This is a follow up to the earlier revelation that the recently retired racehorse, Big Brown, was juiced on Winstrol whilst competing in the Kentucky Derby. Even though this was in fact entirely legal in terms of horseracing protocol, board chairman John D. Sabini stated in an article in the ‘Daily News’ that by imposing limits on four steroids currently used in horse racing New York would be leading the pack when it came to preserving integrity within the sport. He also made it clear that the intended message to owners and trainers was, “If you flaunt our steroid rules, you will be held accountable.” Continue Reading »

By Leigh Penman

This is part of a continuing series provided exclusively by MuscleSport Mag giving information on a variety of performance-enhancing drugs for educational purposes. While it is apparent that people are going to use these substances regardless of the health and legal risks involved, quality information is necessary and learning as much about them as possible can only assist an adult making a decision either way.

Parabolan is a strong androgenic steroid which has no estrogenic activity at all and is reputed to be five times stronger than testosterone in terms of anabolic and androgenic activity. Also in its favor is its ability to bind fairly well to the androgen receptors which promotes the growth of muscle cells and the subsequent burning of fat cells. In addition, Parabolan also binds to the glucocorticoid receptors which leads to a reduction in catabolism. As if this weren’t enough, it is also considered to be a ‘nutrient partitioning agent’ which, put simply, means that it has the ability to convert more food into muscle and less into fat. This can lead to a visible increase in muscle hardness over the entire body in the course of several weeks. This makes it an excellent pre-contest steroid since it speeds up the metabolism and accelerates the fat burning process.

Another interesting observation about Parabolan is that bodybuilders who have used steroids for some time and who have reached a road block in their development suddenly make new progress whilst using this substance. Continue Reading »

Low Results on Sustanon-250 Cycle Raises Questions to Steroid User

This is Part Two in a series of Q & A interviews by the staff of MuscleSport Mag with an anonymous anabolic steroid user. M.T., a 37 year-old male, recently completed a 10-week cycle of Sustanon-250 and decided to sit down with us and share his results. This is by no means a recommendation to use performance-enhancing drugs, merely for informational purposes.

MSM: So, you followed up the 12-week Deca cycle with 10 weeks of Sustanon-250. How much did you inject weekly?

MT: I was using 1-cc (250 mgs) twice a week, on Monday and Thursday. I know that a lot of guys recommend doing it every other day, but I could only get my hands on a 20-cc bottle and it would have ran out too quick then.

MSM: What did you start out with bodyweight wise?

MT: I was just over 205 and the weight fluctuated throughout the cycle. I was up to 210 at one point and finished right around there. The disappointing part for me was that I had a good four or five weeks left when I hit that number and couldn’t push past it.

MSM: How was the diet?

MT: The diet was excellent. I can’t hang any blame on the type of food I was eating or the amount of meals and calories. I ate tons of protein and spread the meals out well. I trained like an animal five days a week. I feel that I got enough sleep. So that is why I have doubts of the quality of the stuff I was using.

MSM: Wasn’t this from the same source that you had good results with the Deca?

MT: That’s the thing. Yes, it was the same guy. The stuff was from the same lab and looked legit. No crappy labels and bad ink on the expiration date. Not your normal signs of bunk gear. Continue Reading »

By Leigh Penman

This is part of a continuing series provided exclusively by MuscleSport Mag giving information on a variety of performance-enhancing drugs for educational purposes. While it is apparent that people are going to use these substances regardless of the health and legal risks involved, quality information is necessary and learning as much about them as possible can only assist an adult making a decision either way.

(Testosterone blend: 30mg Testosterone Propionate, 60mg Testosterone Phenylpropionate, 60mg Testosterone Isocaproate, 100mg Testosterone Decanoate)

Sustanon 250 is an oil based injectable testosterone blend. Its popularity lies in the fact that it presents the user with a blend of four different testosterone esters: Propionate, Phenylpropionate, Isocaproate and Decanoate. This allows for a fast yet sustained release of testosterone which stays active in the system for around three weeks.

The Propionate and Phenylpropionate esters are the first to be released in the system and take effect within the first four days, whilst the Isocaproate and Decanoate remain active for two to three weeks respectively. This supplies the user with the obvious advantage of more sustained testosterone levels throughout its active life – unlike the shorter activity of other testosterone products. However, despite this fact, some athletes choose to inject Sustenon at a dose of 250mg every seven to ten days. As with all drugs, higher doses have been reported with some using 750-1000mg/week but this is not advisable since side effects are likely to increase hand in hand with dosage. Continue Reading »

By Leigh Penman

This is part of a continuing series provided exclusively by MuscleSport Mag giving information on a variety of performance-enhancing drugs for educational purposes. While it is apparent that people are going to use these substances regardless of the health and legal risks involved, quality information is necessary and learning as much about them as possible can only assist an adult making a decision either way.

Primobolan Depot is the injectable version of the steroid methenolone and, although it produces a weaker effect than Deca-Durabolin it is a very good basic steroid whose effects are predominantly anabolic. The fact that an enanthate ester is added to this steroid enables a slow and gradual release from the injection site. This addition allows for a longer half-life of approx 14 days (similar to Testosterone Enanthate) although most athletes prefer to administer it on a weekly basis.

Primobolan’s popularity stems from the fact that it is the only steroid that seems to work well on a low calorie diet (making it a pre-contest drug of choice) and side effects are rarely a problem since it is relatively non toxic, low in androgens and it does not convert to estrogen (aromatize) therefore estrogen related side effects are not an issue. In addition to this it seems to have a positive effect on the immune system (thus its popular use in Aids patients) and the fact that it adds primarily lean mass leads to a strengthening of the whole body system. When you consider these facts it is hard to believe that Primobolan Depot is not legally approved by the FDA in the United States…but that’s politics for you! Continue Reading »

By Leigh Penman

This is part of a continuing series provided exclusively by MuscleSport Mag giving information on a variety of performance-enhancing drugs for educational purposes. While it is apparent that people are going to use these substances regardless of the health and legal risks involved, quality information is necessary and learning as much about them as possible can only assist an adult making a decision either way.

Nolvadex (tamoxifen citrate) is probably the most popular ancillary drug for male steroid users who wish to avoid the estrogen like effects caused by the use of anabolic steroids (e.g. gynecomastia). Nolvadex binds to estrogen receptors thus blocking the hormones action on target tissues and achieving an anti-estrogenic effect.

Also worth noting is the fact that Nolvadex is an estrogen agonist in the liver and is capable of mimicking estrogen in this organ. At first glance you may wonder why this could be considered a good thing, however, when you realize that estrogen positively effects HDL (good) cholesterol values in the liver its value in this instance becomes obvious. As you know, steroid use tends to suppress HDL levels and raise LDL levels significantly leading to increased cholesterol levels and cardiac risk. Adding Nolvadex may therefore form a protective function in this case, although it certainly does not save the liver from all the other hazards involved with the use of c-17 alpha alkylated orals. Continue Reading »

By Leigh Penman

This is part of a continuing series provided exclusively by MuscleSport Mag giving information on a variety of performance-enhancing drugs for educational purposes. While it is apparent that people are going to use these substances regardless of the health and legal risks involved, quality information is necessary and learning as much about them as possible can only assist an adult making a decision either way.

Until fairly recently the mere suggestion of using the essentially male hormone testosterone to treat female patients would have been considered out of the question by the majority of the medical profession. However, with leading pharmaceutical company Procter & Gamble announcing the development of Intrinsa ( a testosterone patch for women who have gone through menopause after surgical removal of their ovaries and uterus) it seems that the times they are a changing!

The patch - which produces a 50 to 70 percent increase in sexual desire according to studies - is already available on prescription in the UK and, although it is only given to women who have had hysterectomies, it does mark an important change in the way we approach hormone therapy. In fact there are probably a large amount of women who would benefit greatly from treatment with therapeutic doses of testosterone since,even before menopause occurs, many women have significantly lower levels of free testosterone (or any of its precursors such as DHEA). Additionally, in the years following menopause the levels are further reduced, leading to symptoms such as lack of libido, depression, fatigue and difficulty losing weight. When testosterone is administered the results can be quite dramatic with renewed outlook and enthusiasm for life, increased energy levels, reduction in fatigue, restoration of sex drive and greater ability to lose weight when following exercise and diet programs. Continue Reading »

By Leigh Penman

This is part of a continuing series provided exclusively by MuscleSport Mag giving information on a variety of performance-enhancing drugs for educational purposes. While it is apparent that people are going to use these substances regardless of the health and legal risks involved, quality information is necessary and learning as much about them as possible can only assist an adult making a decision either way.

HALOTESTIN (Fluoxymesterone)

Halotestin is chemically a very interesting and complex drug. It is made by modifying testosterone with three major groups - a 17alpha-methyl group, an 11beta-hydroxy group and a 9-fluoro group (this being the group that gives the drug the chemical name ‘Fluoxymesterone’). These modifications enable it to survive the first pass through the liver, inhibit conversion to estrogen and increase its anabolic potential. However, with regard to anabolic potential, Halotestin is not really known as a muscle builder when used alone but the increases in strength and aggression gained by its use may assist the anabolic qualities of other drugs it may be stacked with due to the users accelerated training intensity. In addition, the fact that it has no estrogenic activity leads to zero water and fat retention which makes it ideal for use at the end of cutting cycles since in athletes who already have a low body-fat percentage it adds hardness and definition.

Endurance athletes may also benefit from its use since Halotestin increases the production of red blood cells and therefore cell respiration and aerobic capacity also show increases. Continue Reading »

By Leigh Penman

This is part of a continuing series provided exclusively by MuscleSport Mag giving information on a variety of performance-enhancing drugs for educational purposes. While it is apparent that people are going to use these substances regardless of the health and legal risks involved, quality information is necessary and learning as much about them as possible can only assist an adult making a decision either way.

EPHEDRINE HYDROCHLORIDE

Ephedrine is one of the all time favorites when it comes to fat burning, increasing training energy and enhancing both strength and focus. Unlike Clenbuterol (another popular fat loss agent) ephedrine is both an alpha and beta adrenegenic agonist - Clenbuterol is a selective beta 2 agonist.

Ephedrine enhances the release of norepinephrine - an alpha agonist whose action is similar to adrenaline (the ‘fight or flight’ hormone which prepares the body for action).
On administration ephedrine increases the activity of the Central Nervous System (CNS). This is displayed by an increase in body temperature which reflects an increase in metabolic rate leading to the burning of subcutaneous body fat. This whole process is triggered by the breakdown of triglycerides in fatty tissue and leads to the athlete displaying a more defined appearance - which makes it an ideal pre- contest drug. Continue Reading »