July 2019 musculardevelopment.com MD 31George Touliatos, MD is an author, lecturer,
champion competitive bodybuilder and expert in
medical prevention regarding PED use in sports.
Dr. Touliatos specializes in medical biopathol-
ogy and is the medical associate of Orthobiotiki.
gr and Medihall.gr, Age Management and
Preventive Clinics in Athens, Greece. He is the
author of four Greek books on bodybuilding,
has extensively developed articles for http://www.
anabolic.org and is the medical associate for the
book Anabolics, 11th Edition (2017). Dr. Touliatos
has been a columnist for the Greek editions of
MuscleMag and Muscular Development maga-
zines, and has
participated in
several semi-
nars across
Greece and
Cyprus, mak-
ing numerous
TV and radio
appearances,
doing inter-
views in print
and online.
His personal
website is
http://www.gtoul.certain area in the mesencephalon (midbrain)
belonging to the limbic system, associated with
behavior.
Cerebral MRI examinations of persons
who chronically abused AAS showed an
enlarged amygdala, a certain area of the
mesencephalon belonging to the limbic system.
The amydgala along with hippocampus
determine the emotional status. It’s important
to mention that metabolism of glutamic acid, an
important amino acid taking part in the brain’s
metabolism, was also increased.
Other anabolic steroids, such as
methandrostenolone-methandienone
(methyltestosterone’s derivative), aromatize
and convert highly to estrogen. Estrogens are
linked directly with neurotransmitters, such as
serotonin (the hormone of joy), thus improving
mood. As a result, Dianabol will induce a
euphoric effect and addiction is highly likely
to occur, both mentally and physically. On the
other hand, testosterone is a naturally existing
hormone, which males produce on a daily
basis. Investigations concerning testosterone’s
effect on human behavior revealed that
increased levels of circulating testosterone
in serum were associated with a significant
increase in anger and hostility. Testosterone
undecanoate, enanthate and cypionate are
different types of esters used in testosterone
replacement therapy (TRT) in males during
andropause. Testosterone application has
shown that a single administration of 100
milligrams of testosterone undecanoate in
eugonadal males results in supraphysiological
serum testosterone levels, resulting in minor
mood changes. On the contrary, hypogonadal
males who undergo HRT have no detectable, to
limited changes in behavior.
AAS abusers expose themselves to
extreme higher doses, something that quite
commonly is referred to as stacking cycles
of different substances. The so-called
“withdrawal syndrome” induced by AAS
abuse has been clearly described, consisting
mainly of depressed mood, fatigue, AAS
craving, restlessness, anorexia, insomnia and
decreased libido lasting for several weeks or
months.
In terms of cognition, studies have shown
that the abuse of AAS is associated with
reported memory deficits. However, the
reduction of testosterone to DHT, a major
androgen, is linked to improved cognitive ability.
What is most important is to evaluate the
psychiatric background of those users— being
able to identify if they had a poor genetic
predisposition and mental illness history before
they even began AAS use. Other factors that
should be considered are alcohol consumption
and narcotics use. We conclude that each
person reacts differently under the same
circumstances, depending on his character,
temper or level of education. Besides the
genetic predisposition of the user, the extent of
neurotoxicity of PEDs/AAS also varies with the
George Touliatos, MDduration and dosage of abuse. Also, as a result
of their body image concerns, AAS users may
abuse a wide range of additional substances
to gain muscle, lose fat or otherwise affect
body appearance. These substances include
other hormones and central nervous system
(CNS) stimulants (amphetamines, ephedrine,
thyroxine, clenbuterol).
As soon as CNS stimulants are
discontinued, a rebound effect is more
likely to occur. It is a similar case to a
hangover resulting from alcohol abuse, or
withdrawal symptoms of cocaine. Therefore,
amphetamines, ephedrine alkaloids,
methylxanthines or even beta-2 agonists are
highly addictive too, when they are ceased
abruptly. Another class of narcotics, acting as
potent painkillers, has a highly addictive effect
on the brain’s chemistry. Nubain (synthetic
morphine) was a widely used painkiller among
professional athletes and there are rumors that
this kind of drug was claimed to be the reason
that IFBB pro Paul DeMayo was pronounced
dead at the age of 38.
The understanding of the precise underlying
mechanisms and the pathophysiology of AAS-
induced neuropsychiatric disorders is relatively
recent and appears to be related to chronic
AAS exposure. At low concentrations, AAS do
have beneficial effects on mood; nonetheless,
at supraphysiological doses, AAS abuse may
induce neurochemical or structural alterations
in the brain. The homicide cases of Bertil Fox,
O.J. Simpson, Craig Titus and Oscar Pistorius
have a thing in common: For every response
there is a certain reason hidden, triggered
emotionally by a woman. This is why and how
steroids are known to magnify emotional status
and behavior.References:- Talih F, Fattal O and Malone D Jr. Anabolic
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