What Do You Think Of Testosterone Replacements?

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Article Title:

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What Do You Think Of Testosterone Replacements?

Article Description:

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Q: Dear Will, I am a 62 year old male who found the bodybuilding

life style about ten years ago, so I started out a little late.

My testosterone has been clinical low (under 300ng/dl) for the

past 3 years. I want to start hormone replacement therapy and I

doctor agrees it would be a good idea for me. He wants to use

standard testosterone enanthate. However, from my reading on

the topic, wouldn't a less androgenic steroid like Primobolin

be better?

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Distribution Date and Time: 2006-06-13 11:24:00

Written By: Will Brink

Copyright: 2006

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What Do You Think Of Testosterone Replacements?

Copyright © 2006 Will Brink

Brink Zone

http://www.brinkzone.com

Q: Dear Will, I am a 62 year old male who found the bodybuilding

life style about ten years ago, so I started out a little late.

My testosterone has been clinical low (under 300ng/dl) for the

past 3 years. I want to start hormone replacement therapy and I

doctor agrees it would be a good idea for me. He wants to use

standard testosterone enanthate. However, from my reading on the

topic, wouldn't a less androgenic steroid like Primobolin be

better?

Linquest, Monroe WI, 53566

A: Good question , and I will do my best to answer it.

Though you may have started out later than some, it's never too

late to derive benefit from the bodybuilding life style!

For your use, that is hormone replacement therapy (HRT), I would

agree with your doctor here.

Low androgen is not by default a good thing and the androgenic

aspects of testosterone have many important functions on the male

body. For example, a recent study compared testosterone enanthate

and methenolone enanthate (Primobolin) in men for HRT.

The study was called " Hormone replacement therapy for older men

using testosterone enanthate or methenolone enanthate. (Int J

Androl 2000 Jan;23(1):300-6). " As most people know, as men age,

testosterone levels decline and is commonly referred to as

" andropause. "

This slow steady decline in testosterone levels has a negative

effect on mood, sexual performance, libido, bone mass, muscle

mass and the immune system. Not good! Predictably, the

medical/scientific community has taken an interest in HRT for

men. Some doctors worry about possible adverse effects of HRT

with testosterone on the prostate, cholesterol levels, etc.

However, it's clear from the studies we have that this point

that too little testosterone is just as bad for you, if not

worse, than too much testosterone. The real goal of HRT with men

is of course to keep testosterone in the optimal range, say the

mid to high normal range found in a young healthy male. That's

approximately 500-600ng/dl but it can vary depending on which lab

you use.

Ok, back to the study. In this study 100mg per week of Primobolan

was given via injection to 10 men aged 52-78 years old who were

diagnosed as being low in testosterone (i.e. hypogonadal).

Testosterone enanthate was administered at the same dose and

frequency to another group of hypogonadal men (n=9, aged 54-77

years old). Both groups got these doses for 8 weeks. The

researchers looked body composition (measured by DEXA scan), mood

(sense of well-being), sexual activity, libido, and check both

groups prostates pre and post treatment.. They also looked at

both groups testosterone levels, estradiol (estrogen) levels, and

blood cholesterol levels.

Interestingly, they didn't find significant changes in body

composition (muscle mass, bodyfat, etc) in either group. More

important perhaps, the group receiving the Primobolan reported a

significant decrease in sexual activity and libido, and an

increase in prostate size at the end of the study period, with a

73% decrease in serum estradiol relative to baseline.

Four weeks after the last dose, everything went back to Normal

however, showing at least the effect was reversible. Things went

much better for the testosterone group, as they had an increase

in sexual activity and libido with no adverse effects found on

any of the tested parameters. The researchers concluded that

testosterone was clearly a superior choice for HRT in men with

low testosterone levels, which really should come as no surprise

to people.

Of course this study does not answer all questions, was not a

large study (though there are others), was low dose, and only ran

8 weeks, but it does show that testosterone is not the big bad

boogie man steroid the media would like us to believe it is and

clearly has therapeutic uses for men.

It's interesting that neither group had any statistically

significant changes in body composition, but its what most

bodybuilders already know; you need higher doses to get that

effect, and you need to lift some weights! Low androgen steroids

like " Primo " have their uses for sure, but for older men

seeking to get the benafits of HRT, testosterone is still king in

my view.

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Will Brink writes for numerous health, fitness, medical, and

bodybuilding publications. His articles can be found in Life

Extension Magazine, Muscle n Fitness, Inside Karate, Exercise

For Men Only, Oxygen, Women's World, The Townsend Letter For

Doctors and many more. His website is http://www.brinkzone.com

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