Muscle & Fitness UK – July 2019

JULY 2019/MUSCLE & FITNESS 139

This oestrogen would normally restrict LH

and FSH production. Inhibiting this negative

feedback loop stimulates FSH/ LH

production and ultimately ovulation.

So how does this pathway relate to your

predicament?

Winstrol is an anabolic steroid that is a

derivative of dihydro-testosterone. This

derivative of testosterone is a final step

compound before excretion, just like

oestrogen is via the aromatase enzymatic

pathway.

Dihydro-testosterone, like compounds,

cannot be converted to oestrogen, unlike

other anabolic agents such as testosterone

enanthate.

These drugs are popular with athletes

who prefer a harder look or suffer with

gynaecomastia.

Winstrol therefore as a dihydro-

testosterone derivative acts solely on the

HPa, preventing LH/ FSH secretion.

Associated levels of oestrogen within the

bloodstream would be minimal, as natural

levels of endogenous testosterone that is

aromatisable diminishes as the cycle

progresses.

So, from this we can theorise that as there

is no oestrogen within the bloodstream to

inhibit, there is no benefit in taking a SERM

or an aromatase inhibitor AI, such as

anastrazole as a PCT.

I must note also that taking a SERM

is not without side effects either. In the

short-term, symptoms such as headaches,

nausea and visual disturbance can occur,

with long-term misuse effecting bone

composition, lipid metabolism, wellbeing

and cardiovascular health.

I would suggest from now on getting

adequate sleep, doing heavy leg work,

avoiding alcohol and taking supplements

such as vitamin D, zinc, magnesium and

boron to help raise your natural testosterone

levels.

You effectively went cold turkey post-

steroid cycle. Restoration of the normal

HPGa hormonal function takes three

months.

An appropriate PCT course, in your

case would have been human chorionic

gonadotrophin HCG; alternating days for

several weeks.

I love ‘bro science’, but sometimes you

need to understand endocrinology first!

I learned mine in my second year at

medical school).

Dear Dr Matt,

I’m always interested in novel ways of

improving my recovery from training

sessions. A ‘cryotherapy’ centre has

opened near me. Would this benefit me

after my gym workouts, as it’s on my

commute home.

John

Bodybuilder and trader

Dear John,

Thanks for your question.

Cold immersion therapy is nothing new

and was being used by athletes back in

ancient Greece. The anecdotal evidence

the Greek coaches gained back then is

probably just as useful as the information

gleaned from the clinical studies performed

over the past two decades in modern

civilisation.

Cryotherapy involves standing in a sealed

chamber that is injected with super-cooled

air at around 166°F for two minutes.

Cold stress has a number of mechanisms

of action on the body that have a beneficial

effect.

Firstly, the body produces ‘cold-shock’

proteins which are protective to the body in

the sense that they reduce production of

pro-inflammatory cytokines such as IL-1 and

TNF -alpha.

Now, the type of training you do and the

intensity/ volume, will dictate whether cold

shock treatment would be beneficial to you

or not.

For muscle hypertrophy to take place,

acute inflammation needs to occur to

stimulate associated muscle repair. If one

was to prevent this acute inflammation from

occurring, this could dampen the anabolic

response.

However, if you’re an athlete such as an

MMA fighter, distance runner or rugby player

etc with a competitive season, blunting the

inflammatory process and preventing

chronic inflammation would help you

recover faster for your next event and help

you better cope with the attrition of an

arduous session.

In the context of bodybuilding, perhaps

cold stress therapy would be beneficial to

the chronic stress of a show prep period but

I’m hypothesising on this.

Other benefits of cold therapy include

the release of nor-adrenaline in the both

in the brain and body.

Nor-adrenaline cause vasoconstriction

peripherally and blunts chronic pain

sensation by neuronal inhibition and an

action on our noradrenaline cause

vasoconstriction peripherally. It blunts

chronic pain sensation by neuronal inhibition

and an action on opioid pathways.

Within the brain, a boosted level of

nor-adrenaline creates a heightened mood

and raises energy levels. It has also been

shown to aid neurodegeneration in areas

of the brain involved in memory such

as the amygdala and hippocampus.

In summary, cold stress therapy such as

cryotherapy or ice bath immersion are

excellent treatments for athletic pursuits

that have an element of chronicity to them,

but the evidence suggests for the average

bodybuilder, they may blunt short-term

muscle gains.

http://www.evolutionsportslab.co.uk

Specialising in sports performance,

wellbeing and PEID safety

Clinics running in north-west

Kent. FLEX

PHOTO CREDIT: ISTOCK