Steroids and age

[Canes4Ever]

Should cycles be different for novice users depending on their age? example : subject A is 23 and subject B is 40, would a different stack be reccomended because of age?

[TNT]

Canes, you have phrased the question well, since a 23-year-old may or may not have reached his peak physical development. (Some guys are physically mature at 16, others will not peak until they are 25 or even 30. Think, for example, about any actor in his or her mid-20's who can still successfully play a high school student.)

Thus, most people would be likely to say that a 23-year-old is at the point where he can go on an anabolic cycle, whereas they would not say the same thing about an 18-year-old. But that may not be the case; some people are done developing at 23, others have not yet reached their natural max.

Now, all that said, age is only one of the variables we would consider. Individual stacks would also be determined by goals and objectives (obviously, a bulking stack is different than a cutting stack), and individual dosages would also be determined by height, weight, body fat, etc. If we look at something basic, say, test cypionate , it is reasonable to assume that a 400 mg. shot will impact someone who is 5'6" and 135 lbs. differently than someone who is 6'2" and 240 lbs.

Where does age come into play? a 23-year-old will have higher natural test levels than a 40-year-old. That's one example of where age is a consideration. The other area where age peripherally comes into play is in terms of the last factor that must be considered when designing a cycle: any underlying medical conditions. The 40-year-old is demographically more likely to have conditions such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, underlying cardiac involvement, higher fasting glucose (and likely diabetes, especially if there is a family history).

Hell, forget cycling for moment. If someone who has hit 40 wants to even start a basic workout routine for the first time (or after an absense of several years from the gym), I usually recommend a physical exam that includes a cardiac stress test (an EKG done while the patient is exercising on a treadmill). Such an exam would, by nature, include basic lab work that would help establish a baseline that would be helpful in designing an AS cycle. Moreover, if the patient was considering a cycle, I would include supplemental lab work, such as a PSA to check prostate specific antigen levels (which can be affected by AS use).

So, is a different stack indicated by an age difference in itself? Nope. But taken into account with the other factors here, absolutely.

[gymnut4u]

bump ,,,,great post as always TNT !

[Terinox]

Nothing more needs to be said TNT knows his shit!!!

[utah pump]

Great post TNT, you always kick ass answering these questions.

[Canes4Ever]

This question is just one of the many factors that are crossing my mind as I start to ponder my future possible use of AS.

As always, a fantastic post and gives me even more things to think about.

[bronzebeefcake]

Originally posted by sk*
Every time TNT posts I feel obligated to say good post. Always raising good points.

I agrre and find myself sometimes wishing he would post last so that we would have something to say..........

[XBiker]

I think we need a TNT fan club, bro's!!

:

[TNT]

Originally posted by BigGunz
An unfortunate incident within my life took away one of my jewels. Whereas, I can still have a family, I feel that I lack a so-called "average" level of test in my body, as I feel I could have been bigger than I am. One thing for sure, I will consult with a doctor before I consider a cycle . . .

First of all, thanks to everyone for the compliments. Y'all are making it dificult to stay modest, but I'll give it my best shot. We are all in this together, and one of the reasons I do what I do is that I know you MOFO's will take this kind of information to where it really matters - the gym. You know the rap: If anything I have ever said has helped you, pay it forward.

BigGunz, you've brought up an important issue that I am unaware of ever having been raised here. I don't know the circumstance of your having lost one of the family jewels, but the most common scenario, especially in younger men, is testicular cancer. It's very common and, if caught early enough, it's very curable.

It ain't easy, since the usual solution is surgery - yes, losing a testicle - as well as chemo, radiation, or any combination of these three. Just as with any medical condition, every case is individual when it comes to both the totality and to the individual issues (cause, diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis).

A few things that are important to know . . .

First, this affects guys at all ages. It's not like prostate cancer, where you have to start watching out or being routinely tested when you hit your 40's or 50's. This is comething that can affect guys in their teenage and young adult years just as easily and just as commonly as anyone else.

Second, it's a tough road, but it ain't the end of the world. You can, indeed, recover from testicular cancer fully, you can have children, you do continue to produce sperm, you do continue to get a hard-on, and you do continue to have a fully normal sex life. (I remember a friend who had testicuar cancer and had lost a nut in his teen years. He continued to be one of the horniest bastards I've ever known.)

Third, there is no need to attach a stigma to it. Living is more important than any embarrassment you would ever feel if you had it. It's at times like that when you really find out who your friends are, and you'd be surprised at how many friends you would turn out to have.

Fourth, the earlier you catch it, the better the survival rate. And the first line of defense in catching it is you. Just as women are encouraged to do a breast check once a month, it's recommended that guys do a Testicular Self-Examination once a month starting at the age of 15.

Okay, so you don't know how to do one? Then you may as well learn now. Just click . . .
Here

Yeah, do it NOW. Then you can come back to the rest of this post.
____________________

[TNT is now patiently waiting while you play with your nuts . . .]
____________________

Okay. That wasn't bad, now, was it? Yeah, I know . . . A guy will play with his nuts any time he has an excuse.

Now do that once a month, and you may live a lot longer for it. And do it yourself, because only you or your doctor have the sensitivity to tell if anything is off kilter. (In other words, don't have your girlfriend - or boyfriend, if that's the case - do it for you. People who are not trained medical professionals tend to squeeze other people's nuts too hard.)

Now, as much as we have had some fun here, I've got two names to drop in your lap so you understand the scope of this. The first is Lance Armstrong. If you know cycling, you know that Lance went on to win the Tour de France after he was treated for testicular cancer. That's how treatable it is.

And I have a confession to make about the last time I cried. It was while watching the closing ceremony of the lympics at Salt Lake City, where the group of skaters dressd like chimney sweeps and wearing hats came out to clear the ice. One of them sauntered off from the rest of the group, skating like a clumsy ass at first but slowly transitioning into a tightly choreographed routine. As I began to realize who it was, o fellow roidites, I actually got tears in my eyes - the transition was that good. When when he went from clumsy ass in one moment to a full backflip the next, the entire stadium erupted in spontaneous cheers as the audience began to realize, with no announcement necessary, that it was Scott Hamilton. The scene was pure perfection, because anyone who knows skating at all also knows that Hamilton beat - you guessed it, testicuar cancer.

So the next time someone says to you, "Ah, go play with your nuts," they really do care. :

[BIGTEX]

TNT-
As always, brillant and well written!!!

[iron4life79]

TNT
youre a class act brother, and like spoken above, your posts never cease to amaze and inspire me.
i will be happy to 'PAY IT FOWARD" as you say, knowledge is meant to be shared, especially this kind.


peace bb79

[Canes4Ever]

Originally posted by barbells79
TNT
youre a class act brother, and like spoken above, your posts never cease to amaze and inspire me.
i will be happy to 'PAY IT FOWARD" as you say, knowledge is meant to be shared, especially this kind.


peace bb79

Even TNT won't mind a mindless bump post from me on this one (I don't think) as this deserves as many reads as it can get, it's some of the most valuable information on a thread for ANYONE not just lifters this board (or any board) that has been posted.

Read it brothers, it can save your life.

[Kaz]

Im comin up on the big four zero - good post bro (as usuall!)

bump it again i think! everyone should read this at least once.

[Billy Boy]

Good point raised there TNT I don't think enough guys realise that testicular cancer is a very serious issue.yeah we all have a laugh and a snigger at it but it is something we should all do.

Well done bro for raising a point that is often forgot

testicular cancer , a cancerous disease of the testicles. It occurs most often in men between 20 and 35 years of age. An undescended testicle is often involved. In many cases the tumor is detected after an injury. However, injury is not thought to be a cause. Patients with early testicular cancer often have no symptoms. Cancerous tumors may have moved to the lymph nodes, the lungs, and liver before the original tumor can be felt. In the later stages there may be lung symptoms, urethral obstruction, excess growth of the male mammary glands (gynecomastia ), and a stomach mass. Diagnostic measures include transillumination of the scrotum, radiography of the lymph and urine tracts, and a urine or serum test to evaluate circulating levels of luteinizing hormone. Tumors develop more often in the right than in the left testicle. Seminomas are the most curable lesions and the most common. They represent 40% of all testicular tumors. Embryonal carcinomas are more highly cancerous and represent 15% to 20% of these tumors. Teratocarcinomas and choriocarcinomas also occur. Radiotherapy and surgical removal are usually recommended to treat seminoma. Chemotherapy using combinations of drugs is recommended for nonseminomatous tumors. Chemotherapeutic agents, used in various combinations, are increasing the survival of patients with testicular cancer. Some of these drugs are actinomycin D, bleomycin, cis-platinum, cyclophosphamide, methotrexate, and vincristine.


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Excerpted from Mosby's Medical Encyclopedia
Copyright (c) 1994-5, 1996, 1997 The Learning Company Inc. All Rights Reserved