When starting an AAS course, you need to scientifically consider androgenic and anabolic drugs. This will help you build muscle without side effects. Many believe that androgen receptors are located only in skeletal muscles. However, this is fundamentally wrong, and they are found in various organs and tissues of the body. Steroids are capable of acting on receptors in tissues to varying degrees. For example, in the muscles their interaction is good, but in the prostate it is bad.
All these differences in the strength of action on receptors mainly depend on various enzymes contained in tissues and primarily on 5-alpha-reductase and 3-alpha-hydrosteroid dihydrogenase. It is these two enzymes that are able to maximally change the structure of steroids, and, consequently, the properties of drugs.
Although there is a lot of information about steroids today, there is probably no clear and understandable definition. If we consider the activity of dihydrotestosterone as such, then this concept includes:
- Formation of secondary sexual characteristics;
- Genital formation;
- The appearance of acne;
- Increased libido;
- Acceleration of recovery processes after physical activity.
Thus, when it comes to the androgenic properties of any steroid, then this should be understood as the above items, perhaps, except for the second. If we talk about an increase in aggressiveness, then today scientists have not confirmed this fact.
Androgenic Properties of Dihydrotestosterone
This hormone should be considered first because it is the most potent androgen. It is formed from testosterone under the influence of the already recalled 5-alpha reductase enzyme. Dihydrotestosterone binds to the same receptors as the male hormone. On average, DHT levels are ten percent of the testosterone levels in the blood. All of the above suggests that Dihydrotestosterone is able to enhance the effect of testosterone on the body. In practice, however, the situation is somewhat different.
Studies have shown that when the level of the male hormone increases, the time of its interaction with the receptors also increases. As a result, it can practically not be inferior to the period of interaction with Dihydrotestosterone receptors. This speaks in favor of using high dosages of the male hormone. You should be aware that there are two types of 5-alpha reductase in the body:
- The first type is located in the skin in the area where hair grows.
- The second type of enzyme is found in the tissues of the genital organs.
This suggests that DHT is responsible for the development of the genitals during puberty, as well as the growth of body hair. The hormone is also responsible for acne. Increased libido and muscle growth are more dependent on the level of testosterone, which is associated with the presence in the tissues of skeletal muscles of the enzyme 3-alpha-hydrosteroid dihydrogenase, under the influence of which the androgenic properties of dihydrotestosterone are reduced.
Thus, we can argue that all the negative androgenic effects of the hormone are associated with its conversion. This is in principle true, but one should immediately rush to suppress the activity of the enzyme 5-alpha-reductase with the help of inhibitors.
It has been proven that when using drugs of this group, for example, Proscar in combination with testosterone, the effectiveness of the male hormone decreases. We have already said above that dihydrotestosterone acts on the central nervous system and accelerates the recovery processes. As you can see, not all androgenic effects are evil.
Also, scientists have found that Dihydrotestosterone has anti-estrogen properties. The hormone not only reduces the activity of female hormones in the tissues, but also inhibits the aromatase enzyme.
Androgenic properties of steroids
Testosterone
Since the male hormone is partially converted to dihydrotestosterone, it must have androgenic properties. This is what happens in practice, and all androgenic phenomena take place when using testosterone.
Derivatives of Dihydrotestosterone
There are four such steroid media: Stanozolol, Drostanolone, Methenolone and Masterolon. They all have one property in common with the initial substance - a weak effect on muscle tissue. This is due to the presence of 3-alpha hydrosteroid dihydrogenase in them, which we have already mentioned.
The situation with Stanozolol is slightly better, but not significantly. Methenolone "feels" best in muscle tissue cells, but it does not have androgenic properties.
Stanozolol and Masterolon may cause some androgenic symptoms, but not fully. For example, Masterolon can only increase libido, although its antiestrogenic activity, which is also inherent in Dihydrotestosterone, should be noted. Perhaps the strongest of these drugs in terms of androgenic activity is Drostanolone.
Other steroids
Many believe that one of the strongest androgens is trenbolone. However, this has not been proven in practice. The steroid does not have any of the androgenic effects on the body, except for a decrease in libido. It should be noted that this is due to its progestogenic properties and nothing more.
Turinabol increases libido quite strongly, but the steroid does not possess other androgenic properties. Oxandrolone, Oxymetalone and Nandrolone do not exhibit androgenic activity at all. The only drug that can be classified as androgens is Methandrostenolone.
In this regard, I would like to say a few words about this drug. Everyone knows that this is the cheapest of all AAS existing today. But this steroid has other benefits as well. First, it is converted to Dihydrotestosterone, which leads to increased endurance. Secondly, Methandrostenolone aromatizes strongly enough, which makes it effective in mass-gaining courses of anabolic steroids.
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