AAS and cortisol production

[SilverTest]

hey guys, i have a few questions about the interaction of AAS with cortisol production.

1) do AAS enhance ACTH secretion and hence cortisol production the longer and heavier dosed ?? in other words, does the body tend to produce more cortisol as time goes on and as doses go higher to adapt?? how much does that effect last after you stop AAS?

2) does ginseng increase or decrease cortisol??

3) If one has high cortisol production even on high dose AAS and needs to go off and do pct, how do we prevent the spike that will bring cortisol even higher in pct and actually recover?

[SilverTest]

bump

[Swifto]

I am aware that DHEA lowers cortisol production (antagonist) but was unaware Ginseng increased the effectiveness of DHEA. I learnt something new today, thank-you.

6g/ED is the dose but its on postmenopausal women.

CMAJ. 2006 April 11; 174(8): 1134.
doi: 10.1503/cmaj.1050252.
PMCID: PMC1421460
Copyright © 2006 CMA Media Inc. or its licensors

Ginseng enhances the effectiveness of DHEA

James M. Howard
Independent Biologist, Fayetteville, Ark.
Other Sections▼

I appreciated the RCT on the efficacy of ginseng for preventing upper respiratory tract infections.1 I suggest cortisol evolved as the natural antagonist of dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) activity and is the basis of the “fight or flight mechanism.” This is derived from my hypothesis that the major pathway of adrenal hormone production is the “dehydroepiandrosterone pathway,” which consists of DHEA and cortisol. Increased cortisol may affect many tissues.2 Ginseng reduces cortisol production.3 By reducing the amount of cortisol, and hence the cortisol to DHEA ratio, ginseng increases the relative effectiveness of available DHEA. DHEA is known to exert protection from many infectious agents, including viruses. I suggest ginseng lowers the incidence of upper respiratory tract infections because it decreases the cortisol to DHEA ratio.


REFERENCES
1. Predy GN, Goel V, Lovlin R, et al. Efficacy of an extract of North American ginseng containing poly-furanosyl-pyranosyl-saccharides for preventing upper respiratory tract infections: a randomized controlled trial. CMAJ 2005;173(9):1043-8. [PMC free article] [PubMed]
2. Butcher SK, Killampalli V, Lascelles D, et al. Raised cortisolHEAS ratios in the elderly after injury: potential impact upon neutrophil function and immunity. Aging Cell 2005;4(6):319-24. [PubMed]
3. Tode T, Kikuchi Y, Hirata J, et al. Effect of Korean red ginseng on psychological functions in patients with severe climacteric syndromes. Int J Gynaecol Obstet 1999;67(3):169-74. [PubMed]

[rombus]

I am aware that DHEA lowers cortisol production (antagonist) but was unaware Ginseng increased the effectiveness of DHEA. I learnt something new today, thank-you.

6g/ED is the dose but its on postmenopausal women.

CMAJ. 2006 April 11; 174(8): 1134.
doi: 10.1503/cmaj.1050252.
PMCID: PMC1421460
Copyright © 2006 CMA Media Inc. or its licensors

Ginseng enhances the effectiveness of DHEA

James M. Howard
Independent Biologist, Fayetteville, Ark.
Other Sections▼

I appreciated the RCT on the efficacy of ginseng for preventing upper respiratory tract infections.1 I suggest cortisol evolved as the natural antagonist of dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) activity and is the basis of the “fight or flight mechanism.” This is derived from my hypothesis that the major pathway of adrenal hormone production is the “dehydroepiandrosterone pathway,” which consists of DHEA and cortisol. Increased cortisol may affect many tissues.2 Ginseng reduces cortisol production.3 By reducing the amount of cortisol, and hence the cortisol to DHEA ratio, ginseng increases the relative effectiveness of available DHEA. DHEA is known to exert protection from many infectious agents, including viruses. I suggest ginseng lowers the incidence of upper respiratory tract infections because it decreases the cortisol to DHEA ratio.


REFERENCES
1. Predy GN, Goel V, Lovlin R, et al. Efficacy of an extract of North American ginseng containing poly-furanosyl-pyranosyl-saccharides for preventing upper respiratory tract infections: a randomized controlled trial. CMAJ 2005;173(9):1043-8. [PMC free article] [PubMed]
2. Butcher SK, Killampalli V, Lascelles D, et al. Raised cortisolHEAS ratios in the elderly after injury: potential impact upon neutrophil function and immunity. Aging Cell 2005;4(6):319-24. [PubMed]
3. Tode T, Kikuchi Y, Hirata J, et al. Effect of Korean red ginseng on psychological functions in patients with severe climacteric syndromes. Int J Gynaecol Obstet 1999;67(3):169-74. [PubMed]

[/I][/QUOTE]

Just thought this would be of interest to you:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11991768

AbstractGinseng, an herbal plant, has been ingested by many athletes in Oriental regions of the world in order to improve stamina and to facilitate rapid recovery from injuries. However, adequate investigation has not been conducted to examine the ergogenic effects of ginseng. To examine the effects of ginseng supplements on hormonal status following acute resistance exercise, eight male college students were randomly given water (control; CON) or 20 g of ginseng root extract (GIN) treatment immediately after a standardized exercise bout. Venous blood samples were drawn before and immediately after exercise and at 4 time points during a 2-hour recovery period. Human growth hormone , testosterone , cortisol, and insulin -like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) levels were determined by radioimmunoassay. The responses of plasma hormones following ginseng consumption were not significant between CON and GIN treatments during the 2-hour recovery period. These results do not support the use of ginseng to promote an anabolic hormonal status following resistance exercise

[SilverTest]

I am aware that DHEA lowers cortisol production (antagonist) but was unaware Ginseng increased the effectiveness of DHEA. I learnt something new today, thank-you.

6g/ED is the dose but its on postmenopausal women.

CMAJ. 2006 April 11; 174(8): 1134.
doi: 10.1503/cmaj.1050252.
PMCID: PMC1421460
Copyright © 2006 CMA Media Inc. or its licensors

Ginseng enhances the effectiveness of DHEA

James M. Howard
Independent Biologist, Fayetteville, Ark.
Other Sections▼

I appreciated the RCT on the efficacy of ginseng for preventing upper respiratory tract infections.1 I suggest cortisol evolved as the natural antagonist of dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) activity and is the basis of the “fight or flight mechanism.” This is derived from my hypothesis that the major pathway of adrenal hormone production is the “dehydroepiandrosterone pathway,” which consists of DHEA and cortisol. Increased cortisol may affect many tissues.2 Ginseng reduces cortisol production.3 By reducing the amount of cortisol, and hence the cortisol to DHEA ratio, ginseng increases the relative effectiveness of available DHEA. DHEA is known to exert protection from many infectious agents, including viruses. I suggest ginseng lowers the incidence of upper respiratory tract infections because it decreases the cortisol to DHEA ratio.


REFERENCES
1. Predy GN, Goel V, Lovlin R, et al. Efficacy of an extract of North American ginseng containing poly-furanosyl-pyranosyl-saccharides for preventing upper respiratory tract infections: a randomized controlled trial. CMAJ 2005;173(9):1043-8. [PMC free article] [PubMed]
2. Butcher SK, Killampalli V, Lascelles D, et al. Raised cortisolHEAS ratios in the elderly after injury: potential impact upon neutrophil function and immunity. Aging Cell 2005;4(6):319-24. [PubMed]
3. Tode T, Kikuchi Y, Hirata J, et al. Effect of Korean red ginseng on psychological functions in patients with severe climacteric syndromes. Int J Gynaecol Obstet 1999;67(3):169-74. [PubMed]

ur welcome swift.

By the way, i remember reading everywhere that for example low testosterone cause high cortisol, right ?

[Swifto]

hey guys, i have a few questions about the interaction of AAS with cortisol production.

1) do AAS enhance ACTH secretion and hence cortisol production the longer and heavier dosed ?? in other words, does the body tend to produce more cortisol as time goes on and as doses go higher to adapt?? how much does that effect last after you stop AAS?

2) does ginseng increase or decrease cortisol??

3) If one has high cortisol production even on high dose AAS and needs to go off and do pct, how do we prevent the spike that will bring cortisol even higher in pct and actually recover?

Well the common consensus is that AAS lower cortisol production, although I havent actually seen any solid proof of it.

Some speculate that Dbol lowers cortisol, but there are no solid studies backing that theory IMHO.

When we're on AAS, cortisol becomes of little concern anyhow. AAS increase nitrogen retention, protein synthesis, the efficiency muscle's utilise amino acids, protein degradation, AR expression and so on...

Cortisol isnt all that bad but it has a bad name like estrogen. Some is needed, but not too much. And because of the above mechanisms I just stated above are NOT present (well, are reduced) during PCT, cortisol becomes more of a worry.

Without cortisol, you'de be dead pretty quickly.