Hormonal drugs are used in the treatment of women, and quite often. First of all, in the treatment of cancerous diseases. But even in this case it is not always possible to avoid such a phenomenon as virilization, not to mention the uncontrolled use of androgens and anabolic steroids, when hormonal drugs are prescribed by doctors and under strict medical control.
Previously, anabolic steroids were quite often prescribed to women to treat anemia, osteoporosis, cachexia, and even depression.
Most women who are professionally involved in bodybuilding and bodyfitness take anabolic drugs because the hormonal and physiological characteristics of the female body do not allow the natural way to achieve relief and maintain muscle mass.
The Effects
- Muscle Hypertrophy
- Fat burning
- Increase in power and endurance
- Increase in self-confidence and self-esteem (androgens have a strong psychotropic effect).
- Increase in libido and sexual activity, sensitivity of the clitoris
Safe Dosages
The range of safe doses of anabolic steroids is individual and varies widely. Also, the amount of doses is determined by the physiological characteristics of the body: body weight, percentage of body fat, genetic characteristics of metabolism, nutritional and environmental conditions. It should be emphasized that the intake of potent agents should be carried out under the supervision of a doctor, and the risk of adverse reactions remains even with the use of minimal doses.
Preferred anabolic steroids
Not all anabolic steroids are equally harmful to the female body. Some of them were created specifically for use by women and children. These include oxandrolone and metenolone, better known as primobolan. Most often used are monocourses (with one drug) or combinations with nonandrogenic fat burning agents. The duration of such courses is selected individually depending on the organism’s reaction and, as a rule, does not exceed 1-1.5 months.
Oxandrolone (Anavar)
Oxandrolone is an almost perfect preparation for use not only by women but also by young athletes. The steroid does not cause virilization at all at fairly safe dosages, nor does it have any effect on the so-called “growth zones” of young men. As for dosages, they should be somewhat lower for women than for men.
Recommended doses: 10-20 mg for 6-8 weeks.
With prolonged use of high doses of the drug, the phenomena of virilization may appear.
Metenolone (Primobolan)
Metenolone, as well as oxandrolone, is almost an ideal steroid for women. Although no pronounced virilization was observed even at relatively high dosages of the drug (about 400 mg per week), women should still take smaller doses and not overdo it by taking the injectable version of the drug (metenolone enanthate). Injections of 100 mg per week are the most common in bodybuilding.
According to Yuri Bombela oral metenolone (metenolone acetate) can be used by women without any restrictions. Even the dosages can be comparable to “male” dosages.
Oxymetholone (Anadrol)
Oxymetholone has recently been used quite extensively in medical practice. Bill Roberts considers Anapolone to be the best choice for women. Its main purpose is to help avoid loss of muscle mass in HIV-infected persons, including women. Practice shows that the use of the drug in a dosage of 100-150 mg has not led to the occurrence of virilization in women. Although oxymetholone may be recognized as relatively safe for women, the dosage of 50 mg per day should not be exceeded by the fair sex.
Boldenone
Prolonged use of high doses of the drug may result in virilization symptoms, namely, increased growth of facial and body hair. But this is with prolonged use and high doses. Although we should not underestimate this feature of the drug, the doses of 100-200 mg per week for 4-5 weeks are unlikely to lead to virilization. Interestingly, a mixture of boldenone undecylenate and methandriol dipropionate, known locally under the brand name Meprobolone, is more acceptable for women than boldenone itself.
Testosterone propionate
Testosterone propionate can, with some reservations, be recommended for use by women. In any case, its use, according to Yuri Bombela, is safer for women than the use of nandrolone. In contrast to men, women should inject much less frequently, once every 4-6 days. The usual volume of one injection is 25-50 mg of the drug. In the case of virilization phenomena, the injections should be stopped immediately.
Oralturinabol
The drug can be considered quite safe for women, in moderate dosages for a not very long period of time it does not lead to the occurrence of virilization phenomena. This is confirmed by the practice of its use.
Nandrolone
It should be said that nandrolone in the 50-60s of the last century was quite widely used for the treatment of women in traditional medicine. Until the early nineties of the same century, it was actively used by women in sports practice as well. The position of nandrolone was shaken by the experiments of Gusens and Heinonen. In the first case, women took nandrolone decanoate in a dosage of 50 mg every 3-4 days, and 50% of them experienced virilization. In the second case, virilization phenomena were found in all subjects, but nothing was said about the dosage.
However, the dosage of 100 mg per week (50 mg once 3-4 days) for women can indeed be considered clearly excessive. In an experiment conducted in 1996, the dose of nandrolone, again decanoate, was extremely low – 30 mg once every two weeks. No one experienced any virilization phenomena here. These dosages should be considered as extremes, and those who definitely want to experiment with nandrolone can be advised to “balance” between them. Naturally, if the first signs of virilization appear, the drug should be stopped immediately.
Anti-estrogens
It is clear that the use of aromatase inhibitors for women makes no sense. Moreover, the decrease in estrogen levels leads to aggravation of virilization phenomena.
As post-course therapy are applied blockers of estrogen receptors – clomid (clomiphene citrate) and tamoxifen.
And also such drugs as aminoglutetimide (Orimeten, Cytadren) Both clomid and especially tamoxifen are widely used in medical practice in the treatment of cancer in women. Both drugs allow to correct the hormonal background by changing the ratio “estradiol/testosterone” in favor of the latter. The dosages may be the same as for men.
It is not uncommon to find information about the use of aminoglutetimide. Aminoglutetimide is not only an aromatase inhibitor but also inhibits estrogen and cortisol biosynthesis, so it has an anti-catabolic effect.
What not to use
- Testosterone esters (except testosterone propionate)
- Testosterone suspension
- Methandrostenolone (Danabol, Naposim)
- Trenbolone (although its use does not lead to pronounced virilization, but the risk of it is quite high)
- Fluoxymesterone
- Drostanolone
- Mesterolone (proviron) – reduces estrogen levels.
- Stanozolol
Side effects of steroids in women
Most common adverse reactions:
- Acne
- Male-type hair growth (including alopecia)
- Coarsening of the voice
- Masculine facial features
- Hypertrophy of the clitoris
- Mammary gland atrophy
- Menstrual disorders
- Infertility
- Mood swings and “steroid aggression
- Vaginal discharge
- Immune system disorders
It is also possible to develop abnormalities of the cardiovascular system, liver damage (when using hepatotoxic drugs). Anabolic drugs lead to a decrease in the secretion of gonadotropic hormones, in this regard, post-course therapy with tamoxifen or its analogues is required.
Non-Androgenic Fat Burners
Men and women differ in so-called “problem areas” – places where subcutaneous fat burns particularly hard. Whereas in men this is the abdominal area, in women it is the buttocks and thighs. Therefore clenbuterol and ephedrine, which primarily burn fat in the abdominal area, can be completely useless for women.
A shift in favor of testosterone will make getting rid of fat in problem areas more effective. Secondly, local injections of such a drug as lipostabil. True, this drug has yet to prove its efficacy.
It is worth mentioning drugs that reduce insulin resistance – metformin and moxonidine (“Physiotensis”). In most women, metformin causes nausea, at least in the first 4-5 days of taking it. In men, this phenomenon is extremely rare. Finally, topiramate is very promising in this respect, but the experiments with it are still far from being completed.
Other Hormones
Growth hormone, insulin, insulin-like growth factor – IGF-1 and other peptides are more and more often used in female bodybuilding. Naturally, we should remember that even these drugs have side effects, and quite serious ones. The fact that they do not cause virilization does not mean that one should turn a blind eye to their other side effects.
Interestingly, the effective dosages of growth hormone for women are about one and a half times higher than for men. However, no such thing has been observed for IGF-1.
Thyroid hormones (T3, thyroxine) have a powerful fat-burning effect.
