Alcohol and Steroids. Drinking While On A Cycle.

For centuries, people from various civilizations and societies have enjoyed alcohol as a way to unwind from the day and experience a slight level of bliss for a short time. In many countries, alcohol is being served with most meals. Alcohol is a uniter as well as a divider, and responsible for the conception of many of us reading this article today!

Alcohol has a place in society and in many lives and it is important to know about joining alcohol and anabolic steroids.

In bodybuilding and fitness, it’s another story. Alcohol dehydrates muscles that you are trying to hydrate when you consumpt of a lot of water. Alcohol depresses your immune system, which must be ramped up if you want to remain healthy to combat the rigors of your workouts without becoming ill. Alcohol contains a great deal of empty calories which detract from that waistline and deliver the dreaded “beer gut” that no bodybuilder wants to possess. Alcohol saps motivationand introduces a relaxed state to the bodybuilder that needs a bit of a hurried or frantic enthusiasm to wake up and go to the gym.

Bodybuilders use post-cycle therapy (PCT) drugs to help to fight the hormone imbalance that occurs following a 10 to 16 weeks cycle. Following a cycle, estrogen levels tend to be over limit, which leads to bloating and a dreaded puffiness of tissue under the nipple called Gynecomastia. Testosterone tends to be low, as do energy levels. The libido of a bodybuilder will plummet, as his body hasn’t been required to produce any natural testosterone for the past several months.

Most bodybuilders use Clomid, Tamoxifen, or other compounds to help fighting these side effects and to help restore normal and optimal hormone functionality of the body. The body is at a particularly vulnerable time for damage and disruption during that post-cycle therapy period. The use of alcohol during this time is probably more potentially damaging than at any other time in the year. Alcohol rises estrogen levels and drops down testosterone levels. This directly defeats the purpose of the PCT drugs. Additionally, the oral PCT drugs can be very toxic to the liver, as they are essentially oral anabolic steroids.

Alcohol also has a detrimental effect upon the liver. It’s not a great idea to be placing such undue stress upon the organs, particularly when the end results could be lost muscle. You’d better running two orals – an equally dangerous idea – because it would at least lead to some new muscle gains!The bottom line is that alcohol does not belong near bodybuilders and in particular, the bodybuilder in post-cycle therapy. Set your priorities and decide if being a successful healthy bodybuilder means more to you than drinking.

Post Cycle Therapy (PCT) for Female Steroid Users

In the case of pre-menopausal females, tapering the anabolic-androgenic steroids (AAS) would be the best treatment.

Anabolic steroid administration, like males, causes the HPGA to shutdown. However, stopping the AAS will produce menopausal like symptoms, therefore tapering until menses returns is best. The labs follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), luteneizing hormone (LH), progesterone (P) and estradiol (E2) will be the best indicator. They will show if the HPGA is affected adversely. In marked contrast to a man, the period typically returns within 1-2 months and will occur while tapering.

I would NOT suggest “selective estrogen receptor modulators” (SERMs) or aromatase inhibitors (AIs) for a woman! NEVER! It is the equivalency of forcing them into menopausal symptoms. The HPGA/HPTA are very different. In fact, SERM/AI (such as Nolvadex and Arimidex) are used in Breast Cancer, which includes a significant number of adverse effects. Decreasing E2 in a man is far different from doing the same in a female. E2 and P are the main female hormones. Just imagine how a man feels that receives Androgen Deprivation Therapy (ADT) for Prostate Cancer.