Do steroids affect penis size?

There always have been many rumors related to steroid use. None of them was scientifically proven, but once launched they continue to live in the people’s heads as truths. Over the years, steroids were considered the root of all evils. However, there are many active steroid users who have taken them during long years and are enjoying now a healthy life.

One of the claim regarding steroid usage is that they affect penis size, causing its shrinkage. If you had the same opinion until now, than it’s time to find out do steroids or not affect male sex organ.

Which is the origin of this fear

Steroids usage in men has some very specific side effects among which is testicles shrinkage. This happens because body get a great amount of synthetic steroids and slow down the own process of testosterone production. In result, testicles begin to shrink. But the good news with steroids is that all side effects disappear once the consumption is finished. So, once you are off steroid cycle your testicles regain their previous function and get to normal size.

From this very one aspect and believing that steroids may cause your penis get smaller too is just a little step. But it is not so. Whether you want it bigger or smaller, anabolic steroids in no way affect your penis size and there is nothing to do with this. They only make your muscle look bigger, but not your sexual organ.

Only taken too earlier, steroids may cause this undesired result

You have heard that steroids consumption is allowed only for those who are over 21. Have you ever ask yourself why? Because this is the time when growth age is reached. After this age taking steroids will not affect your male development. The same one can not be said if you decide to use them much earlier. Therefore, if you are younger than  21 and are involved in steroids consumption than steroids may have some effects on your penis size.

More safer for those who are under 21 is to take creatine. It proved very effective in improving body shape and is quite safe. Young bodies have a good reaction to protein powders. That’s why for them is quite enough these sources to increase body muscle mass and strength.

The last researches shown that 1, 5 millions of american young people are using steroids.The average age of begging using steroids is 15 years. These alarming results should worry all of us, since  the results steroids consumption has on these teenagers are dramatic. The responsibility for these uninformed teenagers lays both on parents and society.  Parents who pay less attention to these kids and overpass some physical visible changes, and society which set up model of well looking. These kids are easy to manipulate, and easily fall into the trap of well looking myth.

Get back to our subject and let’s mention that during anabolics use testicles size decreases because of low testosterone production. Along with this, the level of sperm lowers too. These are quite common effects in adult men and if you are about to take steroids then be ready for such side effects. Some other worsen side effects  of steroids consumption are developing gynecomastia, baldness or even infertility.

All these side effects might occur as result of abusing steroids. If taken in proper dosage and for not too long period of time steroids do not damage your health for the long run. You can simply cease steroids usage, and all it come to normal. How long it takes to normalize your own testosterone production and get rid of shrinkage aspect of your testicles? About 1-2 months, but with a proper post cycle therapy you can do it much faster.

Do steroids make your penis larger

The answer is no. Either you want to enhance or reduce your penis size, you will never manage to do it through steroid usage. Unless, as we said, you are younger than 21 years old. So, to be clear steroids just keep the size of your sexual organ as it is -no larger, or smaller- but affect your testicles size.  Make it a clear statement and say it to others who still believe this way.

Half of steroid users reported testicular atrophy as a common side effect of steroid usage

Research have shown that only 5% from one hundred steroids users hasn’t signaled any side effect as a result of steroid use. From the other 95%, half of them reported the shrinking of testicles as a common side effect. Other signaled side effects are insomnia, depression, high blood pressure and others.

To recap the above, can be said that the use of anabolic androgenic steroids are not responsible for penis size, unless you take them before reaching 21 years old. You are at your own risk doing so, but even in this case there are no studies who proved that steroids are responsible for enhancing or reducing penis size. This means that even you intend to use them for this solely purpose you will fail regardless of your primary aim.

Instead, steroids consumption may shrinkage your testiclues size, lower your libido and sperm count. But all these get back to normal once the steroids use is discontinued. Also, such factors as the length of steroid cycle, types of used steroids play a big role in preventing side unwanted side effects. So, take this piece of advice seriously: get informed about the finish before you begin!

Prolactin-induced gynecomastia during a steroid cycle

Gynecomastia, known as “gyno”, is abnormal growth of breast tissue in males due to high estrogen levels. As men get into steroids, the occurrence of gyno is something they all wish to avoid. While there are a few reasons this phenomenon occurs, steroid use is a known culprit as there is heightened Estrogenic activity.

This causes the conversion of androgens to Estrogen during a steroid cycle. While it is seen as a common side effect, it is not widely known that it is one of the most avoidable side effects. There are many preventative measures that can be taken to avoid a prolactin induced Gynocomastia.

Can I know if I’m More Susceptible to contracting Gyno?

Because of the range of individual factors that go into being susceptible to gyno, there is no absolute way to know if you are at risk. Most people are not highly susceptible to gyno. The majority of the male population falls under average or below average susceptibility.

Some may never get gyno, but are constantly just a hairs length away from developing it. Others have it, and may not even know it. For this population, it will usually have developed during puberty. The slightest change in hormones can set off the effects of gyno in this population; though unless provoked, it usually remains dormant.

Unfortunately there is no easy way to figure out where on the spectrum you are. So if you want preventative measures, there are options available to you.

What Causes Elevated Prolactin?

Prolactin is a hormone produced by the pituitary gland. It is secreted in high dosage usually only by women who are breast feeding. It is abnormal for any man or woman not in that situation to have high levels of Prolactin. Prolactin becomes elevated by the elevation of Estradiol.

A way to avoid the elevation of Estradiol without other medications is to be aware of the amount of aromatizing steroids that are used in a cycle. By limiting use at the source you will keep from triggering the higher levels of Estradiol as well as Prolactin, thus using your own steroid regimen to your benefit.

Top 4 most aromatizing steroids are:
-Dianabol;
-Anadrol;
-Testostosterone;
-Deca

Can my Thyroid Affect Prolactin levels?
Low thyroid levels can also have an effect on higher levels of Prolactin. A lower thyroid level causes an increased level of THC to be secreted, stimulating the pituitary gland. This in turn secretes more Prolactin. Before you start a drug regimen of any kind concerning levels of high Prolactin, you should look into getting a thyroid test.

Not only will it potentially solve your Prolactin increase without unnecessary drugs, but low thyroid levels can bring a mess of symptoms to the body, such as depression, weakness, constipation, dry skin, or memory problems. If the thyroid is the issue, Prolactin levels are just one of many side effects that need attention.

If I just want to be safe, what should I take?
Many sources caution against taking anything for Prolactin unless you know you have an issue with your levels. If you know you are at risk, a dopaminergic drug can help lessen Prolactin secretion. Two of the more popular choices are Selegiline (Deprenyl) and Pramipexole (Mirapex).

The safer of the two choices is Deprenyl, with less of an effect on prolactin, at as dosage of 2.5 mg per day. Mirapex is recommended at a careful dosage of .25 to .5, right before bed. Pramipexole is more aggressive, but also more dangerous. Dosage should be monitored carefully, and it should not be taken without a blood test to ensure an actual Prolactin issue.

Right workout gonna help you a lot in getting rid of man boobs. Watch this video to find out best exercises for reducing gynocomastia  appearance.

Gyno is health condition that every bodybuilder should be aware of. That’s why we do not get tired or bored of this subject and try to come with fresh  and useful info about it.

To read even more about gyno click on this article “Gynecomastia and bodybuilding“- one of the most detailed post about breast enlargement.

Is muscle soreness a sign of an effective workout?

Bodybuilders have not many measures tools at disposal to evaluate the effectiveness of a workout. That’s why the sore occurred after training is mostly taken a sign that muscles have been worked enough. If you feel sore, than muscles were enough stimulated and they will grow, if not, little stress has put on them, therefore there will be no improvements in muscle size.

This is the common belief among bodybuilders in regard of muscle soreness after training. But the reality is a little different. Soreness is facultative and we shouldn’t rely on it to say whether a training was or not enough incentive.

What is muscle soreness?

The pain you feel within 24 hours after training and peaks within 2-3 days and then pass away during the next week. Because of its delayed occurrence it is called delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS).

How muscle soreness occurs

Soreness occurs after an unusual workout has been performed and muscle and connective tissue were damaged. Or, any training with weights the individual is not accustomed too is supposed to trigger DOMS. Along with this is secreted myokines, a substance that sensitize the muscle’s nerves. All these taken together, cause that bearish pain after exercising.

So, from biological point of view, there is a direct correlation between the soreness and muscle growth. As the theory said, the greater is the muscle damage, the more insupportable soreness feeling after workout should be. If so, how to explain the fact that most of experienced bodybuilders don’t feel muscle pain after intense workout? Should we consider workout was less intensive hence no muscle breakdown will be registered?

Of course, not. This is a good example that shows that considering soreness a signal of workout effectiveness is wrong.  It not an accurate indicator and has to be taken as an additional way to have a say about the workout.

Reason why soreness don’t equal with muscle growth

Muscles can grow without damage.

Satellite cells responsible for muscle growth are activated while muscles are break down. But when lifting weights mechanotransductive anabolic pathways are also activated, regardless muscles tissue were damaged or no. They can be activated by metabolic stress found on the cells, hence a synthesis process is triggered and muscles are grown even if you don’t feel pain at all.

Soreness doesn’t talk about the level of muscle damage.

As we exemplified above, experienced bodybuilders may not feel pain at all after high intense workouts. This is because pain receptors become less sensitive, hence the same training volume may cause no pain at all while the muscles were damaged even in a higher degree. From this point of view, setting soreness as a gauge of your muscle growth is a naivety. You don’t have to look for it to establish in your body within the next time after trainings, if it occurs it ok, if not your muscles are still growing.

Severe soreness doesn’t mean the muscle growth will be greater

You may try to work hard in the gym and do a higher number of sets in order to cause more muscle damage. If on this chapter you may succeed, what you have to know is that protein synthesis is limited and can’t go higher to a predictable level. That’s why despite the muscle breakdown is high and you feel dull pain in muscles, protein synthesis reach its ordinary limits, hence no big increase in muscle mass will be seen.

Lack of soreness still means muscle growth

Let’s take for example powerlifters. They are as big as bodybuilders while they concentrate more on low reps training. This kind of training is less supposed to cause soreness, but regardless of this, powerlifters manage to bulk amazing amounts of muscle mass. Therefore, never take the severe muscle pain as an indicator that more muscle mass will be packed on.

Poor warm up can cause soreness

Most of us don’t know that the pain you feel after working out may be caused by not warming body enough before beginning exercising. Studies have shown that those who use to fully warm up before entering workout session experience less soreness compare with those who neglect this aspect.

Warming up muscles increases their flexibility and push to more oxygen. And this results not only in less pain, but also lowers the risk of injuries.

So, soreness is not always occurring after working out and is not a sign of the level of muscle breakdown. Anabolic effect is not induced only by muscle damage, hence there can be registered an increase in muscle size when modest microtrauma was induced.  Does it mean that you have not to pay attention to soreness at all? No, just understand that soreness is not a gauge of muscle growth. It just talks about that muscle were damaged, but doesn’t automatically means that it turn into more muscle mass. 

Don’t get discouraged if you feel no soreness after working out. If you are sure you give all the best at gym then the lack of soreness has not to alarm you.