Hormonal
Suprapharmacologic doses of anabolic-androgenic steroids (AAS) increase muscle mass and strength in eugonadal men, whereas physiologic doses do not.
If you are a natural, eugonadal male, standard training and nutrition will not trigger the anabolic effects of steroids. The literature indicates that only doses far exceeding physiological levels (10-100x normal) produce significant muscle and strength gains in healthy men. Physiologic replacement doses have no additive benefit over training alone.
A small but expanding literature suggests that suprapharmacologic doses are effective in eugonadal men... The most important recent finding is the dose-response study showing that androgenic effects of testosterone saturate at fairly low doses, in contrast to measurable anabolic effects, which require considerably higher doses (Bhasin et al., 1999).
Why this rating
The paper cites multiple controlled, blinded human trials (Bhasin et al.) demonstrating clear effects, though the mechanism is described as 'surprisingly confusing'.
Source
Anabolic Steroids
Cynthia M. Kuhn · Recent Progress in Hormone Research · 2002
DOI 10.1210/rp.57.1.411
More from this paper
- Androstenedione supplements do not produce anabolic effects or strength improvements in eugonadal men, regardless of age or training status.Good
- Suprapharmacologic doses of AAS increase muscle mass and strength in eugonadal men through mechanisms involving androgen receptor upregulation, satellite cell activation, and potentially anticatabolic effects, rather than just increased protein synthesis.Moderate
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