Originally posted by Dizzy
i've gotten some different opinions from alot of intelligent idividuals. bump for more opinions. some hardcore data would be nice.
Clin J Sport Med 1999 Jan;9(1):34-9 (ISSN: 1050-642X)

Dickerman RD; Pertusi RM; Zachariah NY; Dufour DR; McConathy WJ

The Department of Biomedical Science, University of North Texas Health
Science Center, Fort Worth 76107-2699, USA.

OBJECTIVE: There have been numerous reports of hepatic dysfunction
secondary to anabolic steroid use based on elevated levels of serum
aminotransferases. This study was conducted to distinguish between serum
aminotransaminase elevations secondary to intense resistance training and
anabolic steroid-induced hepatotoxicity in elite bodybuilders.

DESIGN: This was a case-control study of serum chemistry profiles from
bodybuilders using and not using anabolic steroids with comparisons to a
cohort of medical students and patients with hepatitis.

PARTICIPANTS: The participants were bodybuilders taking self-directed
regimens of anabolic steroids (n = 15) and bodybuilders not taking steroids
(n = 10). Blood chemistry profiles from patients with viral hepatitis (n =
49) and exercising and nonexercising medical students (592) were used as
controls.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The focus in blood chemistry profiles was aspartate
aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT),
gamma-glutamyltranspeptidase (GGT), and creatine kinase (CK) levels.

RESULTS: In both groups of bodybuilders, CK, AST, and ALT were elevated,
whereas GGT remained in the normal range. In contrast, patients with
hepatitis had elevations of all three enzymes: ALT, AST, and GGT. Creatine
kinase (CK) was elevated in all exercising groups. Patients with hepatitis
were the only group in which a correlation was found between
aminotransferases and GGT.

CONCLUSION: Prior reports of anabolic steroid-induced hepatotoxicity based
on elevated aminotransferase levels may have been overstated, because no
exercising subjects, including steroid users, demonstrated hepatic
dysfunction based on GGT levels. Such reports may have misled the medical
community to emphasize steroid-induced hepatotoxicity when interpreting
elevated aminotransferase levels and disregard muscle damage. For these
reasons, when evaluating hepatic function in cases of anabolic steroid
therapy or abuse, CK and GGT levels should be considered in addition to ALT
and AST levels as essential elements of the assessment.


hope this helps.