Interesting quick read: A recent study on steroids in men

[AnotherUser]

TweetThought this was of some interest. I guess the only way we are going to see any applicable research done with supraphysiological doses of steroids will probably be in HIV positive men:

Androgen therapy improves muscle mass and strength but not muscle quality: results from two studies
E. Todd Schroeder,1,3 Michael Terk,2,3 and Fred R. Sattler1,3
1Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, and 2Department of Radiology, Keck School of Medicine, and 3Department of Biokinesiology and Physical Therapy, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California 90033

Submitted 22 January 2003 ; accepted in final form 3 March 2003


The relationship of strength to muscle area was used to assess change in muscle quality after anabolic interventions. Study 1: asymptomatic human immunodeficiency virus-positive men (39 ± 9 yr) were randomized to nandrolone (600 mg/wk) ± resistance training (RT). Study 2: older healthy men (72 ± 5 yr) were randomized to oxandrolone (20 mg/day) or placebo. Maximum voluntary strength was determined by the 1-repetition maximum (1-RM) method for leg press, flexion and extension, and cross-sectional area of leg muscles by MRI. From study week 0 to study week 12, muscle quality was unchanged with nandrolone, oxandrolone, or oxandrolone placebo, respectively, for total thigh muscles (1.23 ± 0.012 vs. 1.27 ± 0.29 kg/cm2; 9.0 ± 1.1 vs. 8.9 ± 1.2 N/cm2; 8.9 ± 1.2 vs. 8.9 ± 1.9 N/cm2) and hamstrings (0.41 ± 0.08 vs. 0.43 ± 0.07 kg/cm2; 0.90 ± 0.14 vs. 0.95 ± 0.016 N/cm2; 0.94 ± 0.23 vs. 0.93 ± 0.21 N/cm2). Lower-extremity 1-RM strength increased several times greater with RT+nandrolone (51–63% increases) than with nandrolone alone (4.7–16%), despite similar increases in muscle area; therefore, muscle quality increased from 1.13 ± 0.17 to 1.51 ± 0.18 kg/cm2 (+36 ± 19%; P < 0.001) for total thigh muscle, 0.37 ± 0.10 to 0.53 ± 0.08 kg/cm2 (+49 ± 39%; P < 0.001) for hamstrings, and 0.73 ± 0.19 to 1.07 ± 0.16 kg/cm2 (+55 ± 36%; P < 0.001) for quadriceps. Thus androgen therapy alone did not improve muscle quality, but the addition of RT to nandrolone produced substantive improvements.

[gearedup]

TweetOf course the Deca will give better results than 20mgs a day of var? LOL! That is a good read but the people really made bad choices doing the study!

[rado]

Tweetgood read though

[BiggerStronger]

TweetGood read, but I don't think this information would really apply to bodybuilders for the most part. HIV causes muscle wasting and this could be the cause for the quality level of muscle to stay the same. The Steroids are working to keep muscle quality the same rather than degrade, which I believe in a healthy adult it would cause an increase in muscle quality.

JMO though...Any other opinions or studies out there?

[AnotherUser]

Tweetwell it said muscle "quality" WAS increased in the nandralone group that also performed resistance training. I just thought it was interesting that they used 600mg/wk! That's an awefully big dose for "joe bloe" who's not already a bodybuilder.