Hormone replacement therapy for athletes: drugs

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Hormone replacement therapy for athletes: drugs
Hormone replacement therapy for athletes: drugs
Anonim

Find out how to do a perpetual course correctly, and what are the advantages and disadvantages of steroid therapy. In the human body, at a certain point, age-related hormonal changes occur, which negatively affect physical and intellectual abilities. Moreover, women go through this period much more difficult in comparison with men. Today we will talk about drugs for hormone replacement therapy in sports, as well as its implementation.

Preparations for hormone replacement therapy in women

Woman with pills
Woman with pills

Scientists are constantly looking for ways to improve the effectiveness of hormone therapy. Recent studies of the effectiveness of aromatase inhibitors with tamoxifen have not revealed significant advantages over traditional therapies. It is possible that aromatase inhibitors will be able to manifest themselves when used in other categories of women suffering from a deficiency of sex hormones.

At the moment, it can be stated that these drugs were not the best choice for widespread use. However, tamoxifen continues to be the drug recommended for women to take until the onset of age-related menopause.

However, the question remains about the need to switch to aromatase inhibitors after a couple of years of using tamoxifen. So far, scientists find it difficult to give an exact answer, but research in this direction continues. At the moment, there are international recommendations for women in a state of menopause and you have the opportunity to choose one of several options:

  • Aromatase inhibitors have been used for five years.
  • Tamoxifen is used for the first two or three years, after which the switch to aromatase inhibitors is carried out.
  • First, Tamoxifen is used for five years, and then aromatase inhibitors are used for a similar period of time.

To make the final decision when choosing drugs for hormone replacement therapy in sports, you must first consult with a healthcare professional. Very often women are afraid of tamoxifen due to its severe side effects. However, this statement is greatly exaggerated. According to recent studies, side effects from tamoxifen use are extremely rare. Probably the second of the options discussed above is the most optimal way to administer hormone therapy in women.

Preparations for hormone replacement therapy in men

A man at an appointment with an endocrinologist
A man at an appointment with an endocrinologist

One of the main causes of hormonal imbalance is a drop in free-form testosterone levels while estrogen levels are present. Estrogens are necessary for the male body, but in minimal quantities. When the concentration of these substances increases sharply and exceeds the limit values, then there is a significant deterioration in health.

The imbalance of hormones is closely related to age-related changes in the body. One of them is the acceleration of the aromatization process, which leads to a simultaneous reduction in free testosterone and an increase in estradiol levels. Research has shown that a 54-year-old man may have more estrogen in his body than a 59-year-old woman.

It is very important to choose the right drugs for hormone replacement therapy in sports, since due to rapid aromatization, the situation can only worsen. Although it should be recognized that in the course of some studies when using endogenous male hormone, an increase in the concentration of estradiol was not observed. But the fact that the generally accepted standard values for estrogen concentration may not give a complete picture remains, and we will now explain why this happens.

As we have already said, estrogens are necessary for the male body. The most dangerous effect of high estradiol levels with low testosterone (free) is to increase the risk of heart attack. In addition, a large amount of female hormones can lead to benign enlargement of the prostate. By the way, a very effective way to protect the prostate is the use of nettle extract. This is due precisely to the ability of the plant to block estrogen-type receptors.

If the concentration of testosterone in the male body drops, estrogens begin to interact with testosterone receptors, which greatly complicates the situation. This process also occurs in the hypothalamus, which causes a decrease in the rate of production of the male hormone. Thus, to reduce the concentration of estrogens, it is first of all necessary to use those drugs for hormone replacement therapy in sports that can increase the production of endogenous testosterone. An equally important problem in this case is the increase in the level of globulin, which makes testosterone inactive.

It is no coincidence that today we are always talking only about the free form of the male hormone. You must understand that this is not just a sex hormone, but a much more important substance for a man's body. Thanks to testosterone, the body absorbs oxygen better, increases the activity of the immune system, normalizes the concentration of sugar in the blood and normalizes the balance of lipoproteins. In fact, the normal functioning of the male body without a sufficient concentration of testosterone is simply impossible. Psychologists have long proven that when testosterone levels drop in men, depression begins. Often, hormone replacement therapy drugs in sports are also antidepressants.

In sports and medicine, testosterone-containing drugs are used to solve various problems. If in the first case they are used solely for the purpose of improving athletic performance, then the medical use of AAC can improve health. By using testosterone in therapeutic doses after 45 years, a man will definitely receive only positive effects. Often, doctors discourage their patients from undergoing hormone therapy with testosterone-based drugs. Most often this is justified by the high risk of developing prostate cancer. In addition, there are the results of various incompetent experiments that allegedly confirm this point of view. However, most studies suggest otherwise, and they show that hormone replacement therapy drugs in sports can help men improve their health.

Perpetual course of AAC and hormone replacement therapy

Tablets and capsules in blisters
Tablets and capsules in blisters

Quite often, among athletes, the so-called perpetual courses of steroids are discussed. In fact, all participants in this dialogue can be divided into two groups. Representatives of the first are often not even familiar with the basics of hormone therapy and simply condemn it. Other people, on the contrary, speak out enthusiastically about eternal courses, without thinking about the negative moments that are inevitable in such a situation.

We are not going to accept either side, but we will be as objective as possible in our judgments. In the classical sense, the concept of hormone therapy involves the use of androgenic drugs to normalize hormonal levels. In the West, if a man, after the age of thirty, notes a deterioration in health, doctors recommend taking tests to determine the concentration of total testosterone.

When the results show that the level of the male hormone has dropped below 12 nmol / liter, then they are immediately offered to undergo hormone therapy. However, it should be understood here that hormone replacement therapy can carry not only positive, but also negative aspects.

If you started using drugs for hormone replacement therapy in sports, then from the moment of its start, you must carefully monitor your health. You need to control the concentration of estradiol, prolactin, lipoprotein balance, and general blood counts. Not all doctors mention this, and often after a couple of years of hormone therapy, it becomes necessary to use aromatase inhibitors, anticoagulants, as well as drugs that lower the level of globulin.

Agree, not the most pleasant set of medications for constant use. It is no secret that athletes need to constantly maintain high hormonal levels in order to successfully compete. Today, many fitness enthusiasts are actively using AAC to help them achieve their goals in a short time.

However, in this case, it is quite enough to conduct a couple of courses throughout the goal, which is completely unsuitable for competing athletes. If, when carrying out hormone therapy in medicine, not high dosages are used. Only able to improve their health, athletes are forced to use steroids more aggressively. Otherwise, AAC courses will not be effective.

In this situation, athletes use various drugs for hormone replacement therapy in sports, but it is necessary to even more carefully monitor all the indicators that we talked about above. If you decide to pursue an eternal course, then you should remember that after a couple of years it will be extremely difficult for you to do without exogenous hormones. Someone will probably argue now that all athletes use AAC and easily stop doing it after the end of their careers. This is not the case, and not everyone can easily "get off" from androgenic drugs. If you think that you need it, then no one will dissuade you.

Find out more about who needs hormone therapy and when, see here:

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