Attention! The administration of the project does not approve or encourage you to use anabolic steroids. The use of anabolic steroids can cause irreparable harm to your health. This article is for informational purposes only.
Knowing what a particular blood test affects, you can easily identify problems begun in the body. Any person should have this knowledge, regardless of whether he takes anabolic steroids or not. Any man should have blood tests every year. After all, regular health monitoring has not been cancelled yet. In this article, we will consider a list of blood tests that I recommend taking before, during and after the steroid cycle.
Content
Blood chemistry test
Glucose is the main indicator in the diagnosis of diabetes mellitus. Reference values: 3.1-6.1 mmol / l.
Alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST) are enzymes that are secreted by the liver. Increased when taking oral steroids (tablets). High ALT and AST are also secreted (lost) by the heart, and are the first sign of an approaching heart attack. If during the cycle ALT and AST are high, but before the cycle they were normal, then this is not a sign of a heart attack. And this is due to the toxicity of oral steroids for the liver. Also, ALT and AST can be increased several hours after training (when muscle fibers are significantly damaged) and in athletes who are losing weight. Reference values: ALT – <41 U / l; AST – <37 U / l.
Gamma Glutamate Transferase (GGT), Alkaline Phosphatase (ALP) are enzymes that are secreted by the liver and kidneys, but can also be secreted by the pancreas. As a rule, on the cycle, GGT and ALP are high, due to the toxicity of oral steroids. Also, these indicators may exceed the normal value after training, due to damage to muscle fibers. Athletes tend to have higher GGT and ALP than normal people. Reference values: GGT – <49 U / l; ALP – 40-150 U / l.
Total bilirubin is an important indicator of liver function and is formed in it. Severe excess above the normal value leads to yellowing of the skin, but not for everyone. Reference values: 3.4-20.5 μmol / l.
Creatinine, urea are indicators of kidney function. High blood creatinine levels are the result of high protein intake and frequent exercises. Reference values: Creatinine – 80-115 μmol / l; Urea – 2.5-6.4 mmol / l.
Sex hormone test
Luteinizing hormone (LH), Follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) are hormones of pituitary. LH is responsible for testosterone production, FSH for sperm production. After correct post-cycle therapy (PCT), LH and FSH should return to approximately the same values that were before the course. Reference values: LH – 1.14-8.75 mU / ml; FSH – 0.95-11.95 mU / ml.
Total testosterone is the main male sex hormone, it is responsible for the anabolic and androgenic functions of the body. After the correct post cycle therapy, testosterone should return to about the same values that were before the cycle, with similar LH and FSH. Reference values: 5.76-30.43 nmol / l.
Estradiol is a female sex hormone. It is the result of the conversion (aromatization) of testosterone. High estradiol during the steroid cycle is the cause of many side effects: fluid retention, weak libido, mood swings, gynecomastia, female fat deposition, etc. But within the limits of permissible values, this hormone is needed by our body for muscle growth. Reference values: 40-161 pmol / l.
Prolactin is one of the pituitary hormones. It enhances the effect of estradiol. High prolactin during the cycle, as well as estradiol, is the cause of many side effects: fluid retention, weak libido, mood swings, gynecomastia, female fat deposition, etc. High estradiol and prolactin after the cycle (during PCT) inhibit the hypothalamus-pituitary-testis axis and reduce the efficiency of recovery. Reference values: 73-407 mU / l.
Progesterone is a female sex hormone, is a precursor to other hormones. Testosterone and cortisol are synthesized from it. High progesterone levels inhibit libido and spermatogenesis. Reference values: 0.3-2.2 nmol / l.
SHBG is a sex hormone binding globulin. It is a protein that is responsible for the normal balance of hormones in the body. Reference values: 13-71 nmol / l.
Thyroid function test
T3 total, T4 total, TSH are thyroid hormones. The reference values of the tests are an indicator of the correct functioning of the thyroid gland. Reference values: total T3 – 1.1-3.1 nmol / l; T4 total – 55-137 nmol / l; TSH – 0.4-4 mU / l.
P.S. Reference Values is a medical term used when evaluating laboratory tests. They represent some of the results that have been obtained from a massive study of healthy populations.
The connection hormones with each other
Often, some of the hormones are linked and an increase in one hormone leads to an increase in another. For example, if we consider sex hormones (without a steroid cycle), then high total testosterone is often the cause of increased estradiol, as a result, SHBG can also be high.
