|
Definition: "An ergogenic aid is any substance or phenomenon that enhances performance "
|
|
||||||||
18.08.2013 |
|
|
Liver damage & designer steroids: blame the manufacturer again
The two bodybuilders who admitted themselves for examination by doctors at Sussex University Hospitals in England were 25 and 45 years old. [Liver Int. 2013 May 15. doi: 10.1111/liv.12216. [Epub ahead of print].] Both of them had taken Mass-Drol, a designer supplement made by Celtic Dragon. It contains the active ingredient methasterone, an anabolic steroid with the chemical name of 2-alpha 17-alpha dimethyl 5-androstan 3-one [structural formula shown above].
The younger of the two bodybuilders said that he'd been using Mass-Drol for three weeks and had become listless, lost his appetite and developed hepatitis. The doctors found classic indicators of liver damage caused by oral ingestion of 17-alpha-methyl anabolic steroids in the guy's blood. Over a period of several months the man's liver functioning returned to normal and after three months he was declared healthy again. The doctors did nothing – but wait.
The researchers reported their findings to the Medicines and Health Products Regulatory Agency, and this body undertook "appropriate regulatory action". The online stores and sports shops that sold Mass-Drol were asked to withdraw the products from their selection. And they did so.
So the problem has been solved. But that hasn't stopped the researchers from ending their publication with an exhortation. "Efforts are warranted to impose restrictions on sale of anabolic-androgenic steroids as dietary supplements, particularly on internet sites", they write.
Methasterone also appears in a recent study done by researchers at Texas Tech University. [Ann Pharmacother. 2013 Jun 11. [Epub ahead of print].]] This is a case study, which refers to a 50-year-old bodybuilder with hepatitis and liver damage, who had used two products containing designer steroids: Incredible Bulk from Professional Supplements and Spartan 45 from Mythological Labs.
One capsule of Incredible Bulk contains 25 mg 17-alpha-methyl steroids: 10 mg epistane and 15 mg madol. These are both steroids with a relatively mild toxicity for the liver, comparable to that of oxandrolone.
One capsule of Spartan 45 contains 30 mg 17-alpha-methyl steroids: 15 mg methasterone and 15 mg methyl-clostebol. In nearly all publications that refer to liver damage caused by designer steroids it's methasterone that plays a significant role. The toxic effect of this substance on the liver is considerable. When it comes to methylclostebol we can't say anything about how toxic it is for the liver.
The bodybuilder initially denied having used steroids. When he finally admitted to doing so, and the doctors asked him to stop taking them, his liver returned to normal within three months. During that period the doctors gave him 400 mg ursodeoxycholic acid per day.
The bodybuilder said that his dealer had made it clear to him that he shouldn't take both products together. After a course of one of the steroids he was told to wait for a couple of weeks before starting with the next one.
The bodybuilder had ignored the advice and used both steroids together. The article doesn't reveal how many capsules the man took each day, but does mention that the bodybuilder had no idea of the "potential toxicity of these substances".
The researchers refer to Spartan 45 and Incredible Bulk as "underground" substances, and find it irresponsible that American webstores are allowed to sell designer steroids that can cause liver damage. They tried to find out who produces the designer supplements but with no luck. They found no website, no actual address, no P.O. box, no email address, no telephone number: Nothing at all. The manufacturer had made itself untraceable.
With customers like that that's not a bad idea.
Source:
More:
|
|
