If you’re taking anabolic steroids you shouldn’t forget these important things
Whether we like it or not, there are more and more users of banned substances nowadays and even those who have no competitive ambitions. We can constantly point out that these are not lentils, but drugs that certainly have many side effects, but even so, there are many recreational exercisers who take them and claim „I don’t feel any side effects.“
Unfortunately, you often don’t feel the side effects of these substances for a long time, but you are all the more surprised when they do appear. If you’ve decided to take AS anyway, no one is going to discourage you, at least put in the work to minimize the risk of taking them to stay as healthy as possible!
CARDIO
Let’s say you decide to use steroids, growth hormone, clenbuterol, SARMs or peptides. Well, it’s your choice. But you should understand how important it is to do everything possible to minimize the negative effects on your health.
The two most important things you can do is to keep both your blood pressure and blood fats/cholesterol under control. Regular cardio can keep you much healthier and delay the aforementioned side effects.
Low intensity cardio at a steady pace is good for improving vascular health and lowering blood pressure. Intervals can help with heart function. Cardio could even increase the elasticity of the heart and potentially help against scar tissue, which would increase heart function and reduce the risk of heart problems.
You don’t even have to do long hours of boring cardio. Even just 20 minutes at a steady pace (heart rate around 110-115 beats per minute) at the beginning or end of your workout can help. And don’t worry, you won’t lose muscle mass or slow muscle gains as many fear. If gym cardio isn’t for you, take at least a few long walks a week and do HIIT once a week.
SUPPLEMENTS FOR HEALTH
Many people are willing to spend a considerable amount of money on performance enhancing substances or muscle mass gains, but they’ve been skimping on spending on supplements for their health. Incomprehensible. Everyone should use supplements for health, but for AS athletes it’s even more important. Why? I think you all know the answer.
Many AS users like to say that steroids and growth hormone are safe when used intelligently. But any foreign substance that alters your physiology can’t help but have potentially harmful effects. The ironic problem with „smart“ use is that problems can arise subtly and slowly, leading to long-term problems that could have been prevented prematurely.
If you don’t do frequent blood tests, you have absolutely no idea how your blood fats are doing, what your cholesterol is, or the amount of liver and kidney stress you are experiencing. The vast majority of AS users don’t even measure their blood pressure. These things don’t really have obvious symptoms. This is why high blood pressure is often called the „silent killer“.
Almost all oral AS will disrupt your lipid profile and cholesterol. And while many think liver problems aren’t that likely, most oral steroids really do put a strain on your liver. Yes, even orals that seem safer, like Oxandrolone, can increase stress on your kidneys, which is much worse than stress on your liver.
All steroids that cause water retention – Dianabol, Anadrol, testosterone, nandrolone, etc will increase blood pressure. This is also true of several SARMs, peptides and growth hormone. Anything that increases water retention will increase blood pressure. Uncontrolled blood pressure is the most dangerous for steroid users.
Most steroids also thicken the blood. This is especially true for Boldenone and Anadrol, but testosterone when taken for extended periods of time also. Thicker blood raises blood pressure, but it also makes it work much harder for the heart to get blood flowing through the system. This can lead to left ventricular hypertrophy, another possible cause of heart problems. Not to mention the increased risk of blood clots, which is exactly what thick blood can cause. That’s why, even in the video, I talked about the need to check hematocrit and hemoglobin with blood tests.
I’m going to digress a little bit. I’ve even experienced a few people on AS who suffer from a disease called Leiden mutation. This is a blood disease where there is increased blood clotting, called a thrombophilic condition. Are muscles really more important than life? Already a person with this disease lives in fear of vein thrombosis with the risk of subsequent pulmonary embolism and still puts steroids under the boiler? It’s like the leg of your pants catching on fire and you’re putting it out with gasoline. Think about it, there’s only one life! You have to be absolutely healthy before taking AS.
That’s not tactically induced fear, that’s reality. If you decide to go the enhanced path, which will lead to more muscle growth, you should invest in supplements that will help your health.
So what supplements should an AS user take? Fish oil, which can lower blood pressure, reduce blood thickening and reduce inflammation. Or Curcumin, which reduces inflammation and can inhibit and even reverse left ventricular hypertrophy. Another option is Ubiquinone (coenzyme q10), which drastically improves heart health and function. There are other supplements that help lower blood pressure, such as extracts of celery, garlic, etc. For example, NAC or UDCA seem to work best for liver support. Astragalus is often used for proper kidney function. Of course, essential vitamins and minerals are essential.
There are a lot of supplements necessary to protect health and every AS user should study everything regarding the side effects of the substances used and subsequent ways to reduce them. Blood tests are essential both before the first cycle, during the cycle, and after the AS cycle. Yes, everything costs money, but you only have one health. Better to catch a health risk early than regret it later.
THE WORST THING FOR STEROID USERS
If you’re on AS, the worst thing you can use are stimulants. Think about it. Your blood pressure may be elevated, your blood may be thicker, and you are taking a drug that raises your blood pressure even more and increases your heart rate. That’s a recipe for long-term disaster.