TESTOSTERONE/STEROIDS

TESTOSTERONE AND STEROIDS
When it comes to the most important hormone involved in bodybuilding, the title goes to testosterone. This sex hormone naturally occurs in all males and females, up to 8 times more in males than in females, and is directly synthesised in your body from cholesterol. So for all of those who thought cholesterol was the work of the devil, think again and it should be present in every body's diet. This hormone is also responsible for all of the changes you undergo through puberty, giving males those visible characteristics; it is also produced in the testicles.

 

HOW DOES TESTOSTERONE WORK?

Once produced in the testicles, the testosterone hormone is then transported in the blood to target tissues by a sex hormone binding globulin (A protein in blood plasma). Once the hormone has reached its desired tissue, the testosterone binds to a specific protein receptor on the exterior cell surface membrane. This binding causes a unique change in the structural properties of a receptor protein on the interior of the cell membrane and in turn this allows it to move in to the nucleus and increase the production of DNA binding proteins. The presence of this altered structure causes some lengths of DNA to be copied thousands of times more, in turn producing more RNA that enters the cell and is then translated into functional proteins. These genes can code for things such as bone hardening molecules, hair stimulating enzymes and an increase in proteins that are needed by muscle tissue to grow. This is how testosterone affects muscle growth and repair, the more testosterone you have, the faster your body produces testosterone and so the bigger your muscles grow, and the quicker you can recover between workouts. The production of increased testosterone in muscle tissue also counter acts the action of cortisol, a hormone released during times of stress which increases the breakdown of muscle tissue, so by suppressing this process muscle tissue is preserved. This is why steroids can be very desirable in the world of professional sports.

WHAT ARE ANABOLIC STEROIDS?

The word steroid actually relates to the group of molecules testosterone belongs to and these molecules are naturally made in the human body, therefore steroids are a natural product. However there are up to 46 artificially modified steroids that do not synthesise in the body and these can be extremely dangerous if taken in large amounts. The collective group of molecules we are looking at are called anabolic steroids, basically meaning to build muscle. The way these anabolic steroids differ to body synthesised steroids such as testosterone is that they directly affect the nucleus. What I mean by this is, is that when natural testosterone in your body reaches a cell, it does not enter the cell. Instead it binds to a structure on the external surface of the cell, which causes reaction on the inner side, releasing a protein that enters the nucleus; therefore we say it does not directly affect the nucleus. However anabolic steroids have been modified so that they can penetrate directly through the cell membrane and reach the nucleus, this amplifies their effect significantly leading to bigger, faster gains and smaller times of muscle recovery. They do build uscle very quickly, but however if left to long periods of inactivity, muscle deterioration will be significantly more than in an athlete who is natural, easy come easy go I guess.

SIDE EFFECTS OF ANABOLIC STEROIDS

I'm sure you have all heard of at least several side effects of pro longed anabolic steroid use. The most linked causes are heart disease and heart failure, shrinking of the testicles and excessive aggressive behaviour. Other problems such as reduced blood glucose tolerance (less glucose is present in the blood), Depression, anxiety and man boobs.

Heart failure can be caused by a few things, anabolic steroid use leads to high blood pressure and if excessive this can cause arteries to burst and can lead to a heart attack. It also increases the amount of LDL (Low density lipoproteins) in your blood, and this promotes the movement and storage of cholesterol in your body, mostly your arteries. Alternatively HDL (High density lipoproteins) actually causes the breakdown of cholesterol and removes them from the arteries and circulates in the blood where excess amounts are filtered out through the kidneys. This build-up of cholesterol in the arteries can lead to plaques forming, which in turn leads to a heart attack.

The shrinking of the testicles is down to your body stopping testosterone production, or lowering it significantly as it is being provided by an external source. When you inject anabolic steroids, your body recognises your cells are taking in more than normal levels of testosterone and so what your testicles do is lower or stop the production of testosterone all together, and when you stop taking the steroids it can take a very long time for them to kick back up into action which can lead to permanent loss of testosterone production in your body if you cycle steroids for long periods of time.

So is it really worth it for a quick fix?