Taking anabolic steroids will be remembered for years

Short-term intake of anabolic steroids is enough for muscles for ten years

Medical news based on Medical Xpress materials:
Brief exposure to performance-enhancing drugs may be permanently 'remembered' by musclesNorwegian scientists from the University of Oslo report that short-term exposure to anabolic steroids can have a lasting effect on the process of building muscle mass.

According to them, the cellular mechanism of memory is formed in the muscles of people who have taken anabolics for a short time. The results of the study are published in The Journal of Physiology (Egner et al., A cellular memory mechanism aids overload hypertrophy in muscle long after an episodic exposure to anabolic steroids).

Imitating the action of male sex hormones – testosterone and dihydrotestosterone, anabolic steroids (anabolics) accelerate the synthesis of proteins inside cells, which leads to pronounced hypertrophy of muscle tissue, increased strength, endurance and strengthening of bones.

These properties of steroids used to be widely used in bodybuilding, powerlifting and other power sports, until synthetic analogues of testosterone were banned by the International Olympic Committee in 1976.

Anabolics have a lot of side effects, including testicular atrophy, impotence, increased blood pressure, cholesterol levels (and as a consequence – atherosclerosis), liver damage, myocardial hypertrophy with the development of ischemia, baldness and irritability (the so-called "steroid rage"). At the same time, almost all side effects are reversible, with the exception of cases of abuse.

Studies of scientists have shown that the short-term effect of steroids on the muscles of mice leads to an increase in muscle mass and the number of cell nuclei in muscle fibers. Three months after discontinuation of the drug, which is approximately 15% of the life span of a mouse (i.e. more than ten years of human life), the muscle mass of the animals increased by 30% over six days of exercise, while in the control group of animals the muscle volume increased slightly.

Currently, the maximum period of exclusion from the competition is two years. According to the authors, the data of the new study may serve as a reason for the World Anti-Doping Agency to review the duration of the period of suspension of athletes from competitions in case of disqualification due to doping, since even short-term use of anabolic steroids can have a lasting effect on muscle strength.

"The results of preclinical studies most likely correspond to the effect of steroids on the human body for decades, given the same mechanism of muscle memory in mice and humans," Medical Xpress quoted the words of the study's lead author, Professor Kristian Gundersen. The scientists plan to continue their research for a deeper understanding of the cellular and molecular mechanisms of the development of muscle memory.

Portal "Eternal youth" http://vechnayamolodost.ru30.10.2013