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22.11.2013

Oxymetholone breaks down fat and builds up muscle

In the steroids scene oxymetholone is known as a pretty risky oral anabolic steroid that can give users extra muscle mass and strength, but alos may lead to moisture retention and fat mass growth. An American study in which elderly men were given 50 or 100 mg oxymetholone every day for 12 weeks confirms this reputation. But not when it comes to the effect on fat mass.

Study
The world's population is aging and scientific interest in substances that can maintain the elderly's health, strength and fitness is growing. Scientists hope that these substances will enable the elderly to live longer on their own, needing less care and with a better quality of life. In 2003 sports scientists at the University of Southern California published the results of a study in which they examined whether oxymetholone was a serious candidate. At first glance this anabolic steroid didn't do badly at all.

The researchers divided their subjects, all healthy men aged between 65 and 80, into three groups. One group was given a placebo; the second took 50 mg and the third group 100 mg oxymetholone daily. The men consumed about 1 g protein per kg bodyweight per day and did not do any weight training.

Results
In the 12 weeks that the experiment lasted, the lean body mass of the men who had taken 50 mg oxymetholone increased by 3.3 kg; that of the men who had taken 100 mg increased by 4.2 kg. See the figure below. The fat mass in the two groups decreased by 2.6 and 2.5 kg respectively.

Scans showed that the men who took 50 mg oxymetholone daily had lost 1.7 kg fat mass in the trunk area, and those who took 100 mg lost 2.2 kg. The figure above shows this. So most of the fat that was lost disappeared from the abdominal area we reckon.

The maximal strength that the men managed to develop when doing chest-press, lat-pulldown and leg press exercises increased by several tens of percent among the oxymetholone takers.

Doctors monitored the men during the experiment. They only found it necessary to intervene in the case of one man whose ALT enzyme level rose dangerously high. The man, who had taken 100 mg oxymetholone, admitted that he had drunk four glasses of wine before the doctors took a blood sample from him. After a week without alcohol, his blood levels had returned to normal. The incident confirms what many people in doping circles know from experience. Alcohol and oxymetholone are not a good combination for many users.

Nevertheless, other things happened to the oxymetholone takers that are a slight cause for concern. Their ALT and AST levels rose slightly and their HDL levels went down. The effects were relatively small, but were statistically significant.

Conclusion
So oxymetholone can help men to stay strong the researchers conclude. But before all over 65s start taking oxymetholone, doctors would be well advised to examine this steroid more closely.

"The study leaves a number of issues unresolved, including the optimal formulation of androgen for supplementation in this age group, the benefits and risks of longer periods of therapy, the durability of outcomes associated with intermittent therapy, the question of whether measures of visceral adipose tissue and markers of atherosclerosis are improved, and the question of whether similar beneficial effects can be achieved in older women", the researchers write.

Source:
Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab. 2003 Jan;284(1):E120-8.

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