Abstract
An adult male bodybuilder of international level, who had decided to complement his
training by self-administering the androgenic hormones (actually 53 mg/day), volunteered
as a subject for investigation of his physical health and fitness over a training
period of 1 year including only a 4-week abstinence from drugs in the middle of the
year. The subject was able to gain greatly in fat-free weight (from 83 to 90 kg),
in mean fiber area of the VL muscle (enlargement of 11.4% after a half year's training),
and in maximal strength (from 5145 to 5948 N). The high level of serum testosterone
and low level of serum SHBG observed tend to strengthen suggestions of the anabolic
effects of androgenic steroids during training. The subject's health status was affected.
A high serum E2 level during the use of androgens, atrophic testicles, and low LH,
FSH, and T levels after drug withdrawal indicate that sustained testosterone/anabolic
steroid administration affects the function of the pituitary and leads to long-lasting
impairment of testicular endocrine function, and consequently to azoospermia and cynegomastia.
The observed decrease in serum HDL-cholesterol (from 1.59 to 0.44 mmol/l) and in HDL2-cholesterol (from 0.42 to 0.01 mmol/l) may indicate a higher risk for atherogenesis.
Key words
Androgenic-anabolic steroids - testosterone - physical health - physical performance
capacity - doping
