We take a look at the negative effects anabolic steroids can have when estrogen is raised, such as gynecomastia development.
If you’ve spent any serious amount of time in a gym – a serious gym, filled with real bodybuilders and powerlifters, not some retail chain gym where they host “Pizza Mondays” – it’s likely that you’ve bumped into at least a handful of really big guys that have a set of hooters on them.
This condition was really brought to the forefront of the public mind when Fight Club showcased a man (his name was Robert Paulson) dealing with saggy and overdeveloped breasts, though many didn’t have a clue that there was a scientific name to the condition – gynecomastia – and that it impacted serious athletes all over the world and had for some years.
Unfortunately, many still aren’t quite certain of what causes gynecomastia in the first place, and most men are nervous about taking advantage of testosterone boosting supplements and steroids because they fear growing a set of honkers that would rival the ones that their girlfriends or wives have.
Hopefully we’re going to be able to dispel some of that misinformation.
Better Understanding Gynecomastia
Gynecomastia is essentially nothing more than the abnormal overdevelopment of breast tissue and fat in the male body. Though many have suggested that gynecomastia is linked to elevated levels of testosterone that isn’t exactly the case (this is something that will touch on in just a moment).
A legitimate medical disorder that can be caused by a variety of different issues, this condition can dramatically enlarge the breasts on men when hormonal imbalances really run off the rails. This is why it is so important to make sure that your hormone levels are in check, and that you carefully cycle any supplements or testosterone boosters so that your body has a chance to reset itself.
The Root Cause of Gynecomastia isn’t Always Increased Levels of Testosterone
As mentioned above, most people are under the impression that gynecomastia is going to be caused by elevated levels of testosterone usually present because of anabolic steroids, but that’s only half of the story.
The real reason that gynecomastia kicks in is because of excessive levels of estrogen in the human body. Elevated estrogen levels are going to lead to higher levels of aromatization, something that can be brought on by steroid use, but only because of the hormonal imbalances caused by the influx of outside testosterone.
Thankfully though, gynecomastia is a relatively easy side effect of anabolic steroid use to avoid, so long as you know exactly what you’re getting into. Because we now understand that estrogen is the real culprit behind inflaming the tissue of your breasts, you’re going to want to make sure that you do everything you can to keep your estrogen levels normal by actively balancing them out with anti-estrogen compounds like DHT.
By adding extra DHT to your body immediately following anabolic steroid cycle, you’ll be able to keep your testosterone levels artificially heightened (useful for packing on more muscle mass) while at the same time killing off elevated levels of estrogen that would have been bound together to create breast tissue.
It’s the best of both worlds.
DHT isn’t the only supplement that you will be able to use to inhibit gynecomastia, it just happens to be one of the body’s most effective antiestrogen solutions (whether it’s produced by your body or introduced from external sources makes little difference).
Anabolic steroids known to cause gynecomastia are: Dianabol, Anadrol, Testosterone derived orals and injectables, Deca-Durabolin, Equipoise and Trenbolone.
Gynecomastia Treatment Options Have Gotten Better in the Last 15 Years
If, however, you are suffering from gynecomastia and weren’t able to effectively block estrogen compounds from binding together to put you in a sticky situation that has you looking a little bit like Lucy Lawless – jacked all over with a rack – you’re going to want to take advantage of surgical solutions that can carve away the excess breast tissue without impacting your muscle mass.
Unfortunately, you’re going to have to take a bit of time away from the gym if you decide to go down this road. You’ll be able to work out for up to a month after the surgery, or you run the risk of bursting your stitches and setting yourself back even further!
As the old adage goes, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, so do everything in your power to block estrogen from binding using Tamoxifen (Nolvadex) you’ll be glad you did.
