Arimidex, also known by its generic name Anastrozole is essentially used for the treatment of breast cancer. Nevertheless, some bodybuilders have chosen to use it for reducing the side effects of anabolic steroids which they continuously take for boosting their muscle mass and improve their athletic performance. By taking steroids bodybuilders leave themselves open to a variety of symptoms and so they take Anastrozole to counter these side effects.
The focal point for using Anastrozole in bodybuilding
Estrogen may be said to be the crux of the controversy of hormonal change as it is placed on the female side of body hormones, which can be interpreted to mean that estrogen is a female hormone and not a male hormone.
While this may be implied, it’s strictly not correct as both men and women typically possess a healthy balance of male hormones (testosterone) and female hormone (estrogen) in their bodies.
The imbalance begins to appear when a man, because of his love for ego, brawn and athletic performance starts to take anabolic steroids and so lo and behold, drastic fluctuations begin to happen to testosterone and estrogen hormones in the body.
Delving into it a bit deeper
Men are blessed with two different types of estrogen in their body which are known as estradiol and estrone.
The normal level ranges of estrone in a man’s body are between 10 and 60 picograam/mL while for estradiol they are between 10 to 40 picogram/mL.
The ideal balancing range which a builder would want to have to satisfy his bodybuilding needs requires that the numbers for the estradiol estrogen to be between 20 and 30 picogram/mL.
One important thing to understand about estrogen and muscle mass is that when there is a sharp increase or spike in a man’s estrogen levels, there is also a decrease in muscle mass.
When a spike happens, men experiencing it often have difficulties in focusing their attention on what they’re doing, the experience symptoms of gynecomastia (enlarging of breast gland) and many of them suffer from erectile dysfunction.
Explaining how Anastrozole works for bodybuilders
Typically in several cases, Anastrozole can be prescribed by a doctor for the treatment of women who are in their postmenopausal stage in life.
All these women are afflicted with a specific type of breast cancer and the prescribed drug medication anastrozole given to them is the appropriate medication for their cancerous condition.
The case is different for bodybuilders because they use the drug medication not for treating cancer but use it for a different purpose.
Anastrozole is and inhibitor of the enzyme aromatase and is also known by its brand name Arimidex. But why is the role of Anastrozole as an aromatase inhibiting substance of special significance to bodybuilders?
The impact that an aromatase inhibiting substance has on the production of estrogen is that it slows it down. This fact is very important when it becomes apparent that may individuals in the bodybuilding community take anabolic steroids.
People in a bodybuilding community can be called performance enhancers. This is to say they want to gain muscle mass faster and to gain an edge in athletic performance. Let’s have a closer look at anabolic steroids.
What are anabolic steroids and their role in bodybuilding?
Essentially, anabolic steroids are synthetic testosterone. So whenever you have an excess supply of testosterone, the body automatically reduces the production of the hormone.
When this happens, there is an increase in the amount of progesterone and estrogen in the body.
Because these two hormones are specifically regarded as female hormones, they sometimes give rise to abnormal happenings such as causing the appearance of “boobs” on a man which is medically known as gynecomastia.
When the alarm is raised to announce that this strange happening is in motion, there is a real need for a cure to stop the formation of a female breast on a man and this is where Anastrozole comes to the rescue.
Because Anastrozole has an inhibiting nature on the production of the female hormone estrogen the possibility of gynecomastia happening in a male bodybuilder who takes anabolic steroids can be prevented.
Turning now to the side effects of Anastrozole
It should always be borne in mind that for most of the chemicals that have been researched side effects are always present.
In the case of Anastrozole, the bulk of side effects that occur are mild and include symptoms such as nausea or vomiting, headaches and pains in the joints. Other side effects can also include fatigue, weakness and hot flashes.
The most important thing to know about Anastrozole side effects is that provided you don’t exceed the prescribed medication your doctor has given you, you’re less likely to be affected by them.
Sometimes however, it may be possible for the one taking the medication to display an allergic reaction. These allergic reactions can include rashes, swelling, breast pain, rapid heartbeat and blurred vision.
As already indicated, the side effects caused by taking Anastrozole are usually mild in nature but if you fell that they persist or are getting worse, you should contact your physician promptly and talk to him about your situation.
Anastrozole dosage
Normally Anastrozole comes in the form of a 1 mg tablet and it has been connected with the preventing the side effects caused by gynecomastia.
In this sense, it allows bodybuilders to continue taking their steroids knowing that Anastrozole is always available to counteract the development enlarged breast glands in men.
If you are in fact a bodybuilder and you are taking steroid, it’s recommended that you start taking Anastrozole for counteracting the rise in estrogen. You should make sure that your doses of steroid and this drug medication don’t start at the same time.
Ideally, your dose of Anastrozole should start approximately two weeks into your cycle and from there, you should take your tablet twice a week at a dose of 0.5mg. This is the perfect approach if you want to avoid the side effects as well.
Conclusion
Everything that’s been said in this article revolve around one very unpleasant and embarrassing condition that can happen to bodybuilders who take steroid for boosting their ego, muscles and athletic performance. That condition is of course none other than gynecomastia. Basically the condition arises in bodybuilders from taking steroids which increases the production of estrogen, a female hormone in the body. Luckily, as an aromatase inhibitor, Anastrozole is able to reverse the situation by reducing estrogen levels in the body.