The use of anti-estrogens in steroid cycles
Anti-estrogenic drugs avoid the main problem that arises when performing a cycle of anabolic steroids are the numerous side effects that can appear.
Depending on the substance that we have chosen, these effects will be of greater or lesser severity, some of them can put in serious risk the life of those who have used this substance since they will affect the liver, heart or increase the blood pressure causing cardiovascular problems, and other side effects will not put in risk the life of the person but will suppose a real problem for him, as for example the appearance of gynecomastia (development of breasts in the man) or the interruption of the natural production of testosterone.
Aromatization due to the use of steroids
The side effects mentioned above appear due to the aromatization of estrogen.
The male organism uses testosterone as the main hormone to synthesize estrogens (mainly estradiol), which are the main female sex hormone and which, although it seems somewhat contradictory, are also found in the male organism, although in a very small proportion.
Estrogens are very similar to testosterone in their structure, the small variation that differentiates them occurs due to the action of the enzyme aromatase, hence the name aromatization.
Due to the small amount present in normal conditions in the male body, the action of these female hormones is negligible, and as an advantage, their presence helps to control cholesterol levels.
The problem arises when the amount of estradiol is increased, resulting in the development of female breasts in men (gynecomastia), increased fluid retention and fat accumulation, as well as inhibiting the natural production of testosterone.
This increase in estradiol is a consequence of the use of anabolic steroids that increase the amount of testosterone in the body, which, depending on which one is chosen, will have a higher, lower or null aromatization rate, a rate that also varies from person to person.
In general, the more potent the steroid, the higher the rate of aromatization, and the higher the dose used, the greater the effects, even though the steroid has a low rate of aromatization.
To avoid these side effects are used so-called anti-estrogenic, of which there are two types: aromatase inhibitors and estrogen blockers.
Most, if not all, of these drugs are clinically used for the treatment of breast cancer in women, as high amounts of estrogen (normal in the female body) make it difficult to reduce and eliminate the cancerous tumor.
Aromatase inhibitors
The most commonly used drugs within this group are Arimidex, Femara and Aromasin.
Their action consists of suppressing the production of oestrogens, a much more aggressive action than that achieved by blockers, and are also capable of producing undesirable side effects, such as the appearance of osteoporosis, since bones require the presence of oestrogens to replace the wear and tear of osteoblasts.
In addition, some of these drugs alter the lipid profile of the person who uses it and this impacts on cholesterol levels, which can lead to the emergence of cardiovascular problems quite serious.
Estrogen blockers
They are known as selective estrogen receptor modulators, or SERMs.
These drugs do not prevent the production of estrogen, as inhibitors do, but block the action they produce in the male body avoiding the appearance of these problems.
The most commonly used products are Novaldex, Clomid or Proviron.
It is clear that the use of anabolic steroids is not recommended in any case, but if you end up using them it is always advisable to include these anti-estrogenic products to avoid the appearance of all the side effects mentioned, in addition to respecting the amount in each dose.
