Road Rage or Roid Rage?
Title: The effects of anabolic steroids on driving performance as assessed by the Iowa Driver Simulator.Authors: Ellingrod VL, Perry PJ, Yates WR, MacIndoe JH, Watson G, Arndt S, Holman TL.Source: American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse 1997 Nov;23(4):623-36
Research Summary
The effect of physiologic (100 mg/week) and supraphysiologic (250 and 500 mg/week) doses of testosterone cypionate* (TestCyp) on automobile driving were studied using the Iowa Driver Simulator. Six volunteers were studied off TestCyp and on TestCyp once steady-state concentrations were achieved after at least three weeks of dosing. Despite the administration of supraphysiologic testosterone doses, an increase in aggressive driving behavior was not detected. Likewise, corresponding psychometric testing using the Buss-Durkee Hostility Inventory to assess aggression was unable to detect any change in aggression in the test subjects. Although aggressive driving behavior may be increased by testosterone administration, the drug itself may not be responsible for these effects. Supraphysiologic doses greater than 500 milligrams per week and a semi-controlled research environment may be necessary to produce this effect since case reports of AAS abuse causing altered driving behavior may be multifactorial in nature.
Discussion
So, what do they mean by “AAS abuse causing altered driving behavior may be multifactorial”? They mean it probably is more complicated than simply taking your weekly dose of TestCyp and getting into your car in a frenzied fit of driving fury. I’ve always been one to question the strength of the correlation between steroid use and abusive behavior. I will be the first to admit that testosterone has affective properties (i.e., it can alter emotions) and central nervous system effect. However, the research has provided as much evidence against the validity of “roid rage” as it has in support of it. For example, in a study conducted at the University of Medicine and Science, Los Angeles,1 they reported that “supraphysiological doses of testosterone [600mg test/week], when administered to normal men in a controlled setting, do not increase angry behavior. These data do not exclude the possibility that still higher doses of multiple steroids might provoke angry behavior in men with preexisting psychopathology.” Note they said “preexisting psycholpathology.” This is what I like to call “jerk rage.” Guys (and girls) who were jerks before they started taking steroids are even bigger jerks while taking them. Everybody else then gets a bad rap because of a few bad apples.There is reason to believe that the pattern of androgen levels in the system can cause different behavioral effects. When androgens are increased in a pulsatile fashion it has a profound effect on sexual activity. On the other hand, when androgen levels are maintained at a high level, there is a decline in sexual behavior. What does this tell us? It tells us that spikes in androgen levels may sensitize our brains to their effects, whereas constantly elevated levels may have the opposite effect. So, if you’re experiencing negative sexual side effects during your cycle, you may want to lower the injectables and try increasing the orals, focusing on a high initial dose in the morning and tapering the dose over the course of the day.Testosterone cypionate is a long-acting ester of testosterone. Before the scheduling of anabolics in the U.S., this was the most common form of testosterone available to athletes. Products containing TestCyp are Sten from Mexico, which contains 75mg cyp with 25mg propionate along with some DHEA, and Testex from Leo in Spain, which contains 250mg cypionate and is a light resistant ampule. All versions of Upjohn and Steris in multi-dose vials should be looked at with extreme caution, as they are very likely to be fakes. Real Steris products have the inking stamped into the box and the labels cannot be removed from the bottles. Any variation of that is definitely counterfeit. Typical dosages of TestCyp are generally in the range of 200-600mg per week.
References:
1. Tricker R, Casaburi R, Storer TW, Clevenger B, Berman N, Shirazi A, Bhasin S. The effects of supraphysiological doses of testosterone on angry behavior in healthy eugonadal men--a clinical research center study. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 1996 Oct;81(10):3754-8
Milk Thistle: Good for Livers, Potentially Bad for Gains
Title: Silymarin inhibits function of the androgen receptor by reducing nuclearlocalization of the receptor in the human prostate cancer cell line LNCaP.Authors: Zhu W, Zhang JS, Young CY.Source: Carcinogenesis 2001 Sep;22(9):1399-403
Research Summary
Agents with novel mechanisms of blocking androgen receptor (AR) function may be useful for prostate cancer prevention and therapy. Previous studies showed that silibinin (SB), the major active component of Milk Thistle, could inhibit cell proliferation of a human prostate cancer cell line by stopping the cell cycle without causing cell death. This study further demonstrates the potential molecular mechanism by which milk thistle acts on androgen-responsive prostate cancer cells by inhibiting function of the AR. We observed that Silymarin (SM) and SB inhibited androgen-stimulated cell proliferation as well as androgen-stimulated secretion of both prostate-specific antigen (PSA) and human glandular kallikrein (hK2).Additionally, for the first time, we show that SM and SB diminished transactivation activity of the AR. However, SM did not affect AR levels and steroid-binding ability of total AR in western blotting and ligand-binding assays. Intriguingly, we found that nuclear AR levels are significantly reduced by SM and SB in the presence of androgens. This study provides a new insight into how milk thistle negatively modulates androgen action in prostate cancer cells.
Discussion
Milk Thistle is a popular bodybuilding supplement and is currently the most well researched plant for the treatment of liver disease (with over 450 published peer review papers). Silymarin, a flavonoid extract from milk thistle, has been used clinically for alcoholic liver disease treatment in Europe and Asia for almost 2,000 years. Currently it’s used by bodybuilders as a protective measure for the liver when using high doses of orals.Silymarin is not water soluble and is typically administered as an encapsulated standardized extract. The absorption with oral administration is rather low, with only two to three percent being effectively taken up. The peak plasma levels after an oral dose are achieved in four to six hours. The reason this study is significant is because of the described mechanism that milk thistle is working in the prostate. It is showing effectiveness in treating prostate cancer because it prevents the androgen receptor from making it to the nucleus of the cell. This may be good if you are fighting cancer of the prostate, but it is bad if you are trying to get a muscle cell to grow larger.In order for testosterone to work, it must pass from the blood to the inside of a muscle cell, bind to the androgen receptor inside the cell, then travel inside the nucleus where it binds to your DNA.These researchers were able to show that milk thistle did not reduce the number of androgen receptors, nor did it prevent androgens (i.e., testosterone) from binding to the receptors. All it seemed to do was prevent the androgen receptor from traveling to the nucleus, and in our case, this prevents the desired effect. The androgen receptor, once bound to the androgen, must make it to the nucleus in order to increase protein synthesis.Bottom line: Use milk thistle if you are sure you are having liver toxicity problems. Then, only use it for a few weeks at a time. There are other herbs with tremendous hepatoprotective effects, so you might give them a try instead.
Title: The effects of anabolic steroids on driving performance as assessed by the Iowa Driver Simulator.Authors: Ellingrod VL, Perry PJ, Yates WR, MacIndoe JH, Watson G, Arndt S, Holman TL.Source: American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse 1997 Nov;23(4):623-36
Research Summary
The effect of physiologic (100 mg/week) and supraphysiologic (250 and 500 mg/week) doses of testosterone cypionate* (TestCyp) on automobile driving were studied using the Iowa Driver Simulator. Six volunteers were studied off TestCyp and on TestCyp once steady-state concentrations were achieved after at least three weeks of dosing. Despite the administration of supraphysiologic testosterone doses, an increase in aggressive driving behavior was not detected. Likewise, corresponding psychometric testing using the Buss-Durkee Hostility Inventory to assess aggression was unable to detect any change in aggression in the test subjects. Although aggressive driving behavior may be increased by testosterone administration, the drug itself may not be responsible for these effects. Supraphysiologic doses greater than 500 milligrams per week and a semi-controlled research environment may be necessary to produce this effect since case reports of AAS abuse causing altered driving behavior may be multifactorial in nature.
Discussion
So, what do they mean by “AAS abuse causing altered driving behavior may be multifactorial”? They mean it probably is more complicated than simply taking your weekly dose of TestCyp and getting into your car in a frenzied fit of driving fury. I’ve always been one to question the strength of the correlation between steroid use and abusive behavior. I will be the first to admit that testosterone has affective properties (i.e., it can alter emotions) and central nervous system effect. However, the research has provided as much evidence against the validity of “roid rage” as it has in support of it. For example, in a study conducted at the University of Medicine and Science, Los Angeles,1 they reported that “supraphysiological doses of testosterone [600mg test/week], when administered to normal men in a controlled setting, do not increase angry behavior. These data do not exclude the possibility that still higher doses of multiple steroids might provoke angry behavior in men with preexisting psychopathology.” Note they said “preexisting psycholpathology.” This is what I like to call “jerk rage.” Guys (and girls) who were jerks before they started taking steroids are even bigger jerks while taking them. Everybody else then gets a bad rap because of a few bad apples.There is reason to believe that the pattern of androgen levels in the system can cause different behavioral effects. When androgens are increased in a pulsatile fashion it has a profound effect on sexual activity. On the other hand, when androgen levels are maintained at a high level, there is a decline in sexual behavior. What does this tell us? It tells us that spikes in androgen levels may sensitize our brains to their effects, whereas constantly elevated levels may have the opposite effect. So, if you’re experiencing negative sexual side effects during your cycle, you may want to lower the injectables and try increasing the orals, focusing on a high initial dose in the morning and tapering the dose over the course of the day.Testosterone cypionate is a long-acting ester of testosterone. Before the scheduling of anabolics in the U.S., this was the most common form of testosterone available to athletes. Products containing TestCyp are Sten from Mexico, which contains 75mg cyp with 25mg propionate along with some DHEA, and Testex from Leo in Spain, which contains 250mg cypionate and is a light resistant ampule. All versions of Upjohn and Steris in multi-dose vials should be looked at with extreme caution, as they are very likely to be fakes. Real Steris products have the inking stamped into the box and the labels cannot be removed from the bottles. Any variation of that is definitely counterfeit. Typical dosages of TestCyp are generally in the range of 200-600mg per week.
References:
1. Tricker R, Casaburi R, Storer TW, Clevenger B, Berman N, Shirazi A, Bhasin S. The effects of supraphysiological doses of testosterone on angry behavior in healthy eugonadal men--a clinical research center study. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 1996 Oct;81(10):3754-8
Milk Thistle: Good for Livers, Potentially Bad for Gains
Title: Silymarin inhibits function of the androgen receptor by reducing nuclearlocalization of the receptor in the human prostate cancer cell line LNCaP.Authors: Zhu W, Zhang JS, Young CY.Source: Carcinogenesis 2001 Sep;22(9):1399-403
Research Summary
Agents with novel mechanisms of blocking androgen receptor (AR) function may be useful for prostate cancer prevention and therapy. Previous studies showed that silibinin (SB), the major active component of Milk Thistle, could inhibit cell proliferation of a human prostate cancer cell line by stopping the cell cycle without causing cell death. This study further demonstrates the potential molecular mechanism by which milk thistle acts on androgen-responsive prostate cancer cells by inhibiting function of the AR. We observed that Silymarin (SM) and SB inhibited androgen-stimulated cell proliferation as well as androgen-stimulated secretion of both prostate-specific antigen (PSA) and human glandular kallikrein (hK2).Additionally, for the first time, we show that SM and SB diminished transactivation activity of the AR. However, SM did not affect AR levels and steroid-binding ability of total AR in western blotting and ligand-binding assays. Intriguingly, we found that nuclear AR levels are significantly reduced by SM and SB in the presence of androgens. This study provides a new insight into how milk thistle negatively modulates androgen action in prostate cancer cells.
Discussion
Milk Thistle is a popular bodybuilding supplement and is currently the most well researched plant for the treatment of liver disease (with over 450 published peer review papers). Silymarin, a flavonoid extract from milk thistle, has been used clinically for alcoholic liver disease treatment in Europe and Asia for almost 2,000 years. Currently it’s used by bodybuilders as a protective measure for the liver when using high doses of orals.Silymarin is not water soluble and is typically administered as an encapsulated standardized extract. The absorption with oral administration is rather low, with only two to three percent being effectively taken up. The peak plasma levels after an oral dose are achieved in four to six hours. The reason this study is significant is because of the described mechanism that milk thistle is working in the prostate. It is showing effectiveness in treating prostate cancer because it prevents the androgen receptor from making it to the nucleus of the cell. This may be good if you are fighting cancer of the prostate, but it is bad if you are trying to get a muscle cell to grow larger.In order for testosterone to work, it must pass from the blood to the inside of a muscle cell, bind to the androgen receptor inside the cell, then travel inside the nucleus where it binds to your DNA.These researchers were able to show that milk thistle did not reduce the number of androgen receptors, nor did it prevent androgens (i.e., testosterone) from binding to the receptors. All it seemed to do was prevent the androgen receptor from traveling to the nucleus, and in our case, this prevents the desired effect. The androgen receptor, once bound to the androgen, must make it to the nucleus in order to increase protein synthesis.Bottom line: Use milk thistle if you are sure you are having liver toxicity problems. Then, only use it for a few weeks at a time. There are other herbs with tremendous hepatoprotective effects, so you might give them a try instead.