Date: March 21st, 2024
Abstract
In the world of fitness and bodybuilding, anabolic steroids have long been associated with the pursuit of a toned, muscular physique. However, the use of these powerful substances is not limited to young, aspiring athletes. In fact, anabolic steroid cycles can offer significant benefits to middle-aged men, particularly those who are overweight and looking to reclaim their youth.
For men over 40, the natural decline in testosterone levels can lead to a decrease in muscle mass, strength, and overall energy. This can make it challenging to shed excess weight and maintain a healthy lifestyle. Anabolic steroid cycles, when used responsibly, can help address these issues.
The best anabolic steroid cycles for men over 40 are designed to optimize the body's natural hormone levels, allowing for increased muscle growth, improved strength, and enhanced fat burning. These cycles typically include a combination of testosterone and other anabolic compounds that work synergistically to promote lean muscle mass and reduce body fat.
However, it is important to note that anabolic steroids also come with several risks. Anabolic steroids can disrupt the body's natural hormone balance, causing a decrease in natural testosterone production and an increase in estrogen levels. This hormonal imbalance can result in various side effects, including mood swings, acne, hair loss, and gynecomastia (the development of breast tissue in men).
To minimize these risks, it is crucial for men over 40 to implement safe cycling protocols, using appropriate dosages, and incorporating post-cycle therapy to help restore natural hormone production and mitigate potential side effects.
A systematic search of the research literature identified more than a thousand empirical studies on topics related or similar to: older men and anabolic steroids, testosterone replacement therapy, and muscle growth and strength in older men.
This paper is a Meta-Analysis and Review of those studies - intended to determine the range of anabolic steroid doses that could be safely administered to older men to achieve meaningful gains in fat-free mass (FFM) and muscle strength.
The results are very promising.
Testosterone for the aging male; current evidence and recommended practice
The decrease in testosterone levels in men over 50-55 years old is staggering, falling at a rate of 0.8-1.6% per year. Furthermore, bioactive testosterone decreases at an even faster pace of 2-3% per year starting from the age of 30-35 years. According to the Mayo Clinic, by the time men reach 70 years of age, their testosterone levels fall by around 50%.
This decrease is one of the most pressing issues in medicine today and is a major topic at the fifth World Congress on the problems of aging men in Salzburg.
Men's bodies after 50-60 years enter a state of andropause, similar to female menopause. This decline in testosterone levels is caused by a decrease in the function of the pituitary-hypothalamus-testes arc and an increase in sex hormone-binding globulin concentration.
Epidemiological studies suggest that many significant clinical findings and important disease states are linked to low testosterone levels. These include:
Osteoporosis (Campion and Maricic 2003)
Alzheimer’s disease (Moffat et al 2004)
Frailty, Obesity (Svartberg, von Muhlen, Sundsfjord et al 2004)
Diabetes (Barrett-Connor 1992)
Hypercholesterolemia (Haffner et al 1993; Van Pottelbergh et al 2003)
Hypertension (Phillips et al 1993)
Cardiac failure (Tappler and Katz 1979; Kontoleon et al 2003)
Ischemic heart disease (Barrett-Connor and Khaw 1988)
The extent to which testosterone deficiency is involved in the pathogenesis of these conditions, or to which testosterone supplementation could be useful in their treatment is an area of great interest with many unanswered questions.
Best Anabolic Steroid Cycles for Men over 40
Factors to Consider when Choosing a Steroid Cycle
When building cycles after 40, it is important to use moderate dosages of anabolic drugs and keep cycle duration short (6-8 weeks).
If the cycle duration exceeds 6 weeks, administering gonadotropin at 500-250ME twice a week, starting at 3-4 weeks of the cycle and before the start of post-cycle therapy, is necessary to prevent desensitization and atrophy of the testes and to accelerate subsequent recovery.
The use of aromatase inhibitors is also necessary if testosterone, methandrostenolone, and other aromatized steroids are used. Aromatase inhibitors prevent the development of gynecomastia, increase muscle density, and reduce the suppression of the pituitary-hypothalamus-testes arc, used in low dosages.
Post cycle therapy is mandatory to achieve maximum effect. Additionally, a cycle of growth hormone or peptides may be conducted during the post-cycle therapy period to achieve additional relief and retain muscle mass, as well as strengthen the ligaments and joints and improve skin properties.
Recommended Steroids for Men over 40
- Sustanon
- Primobolan
- Turinabol
- Equipoise
Turinabol or methandrostenolone is suitable for drying, with PCT after 2 weeks. Relief and muscle density will provide aromatase inhibitors.
Additionally, Winstrol and Anavar are preferred for drying.
Proviron is a safe drug with moderate activity that allows achieving relief and significantly increasing sexual activity while slightly affecting the endogenous hormonal background. However, it is unsuitable for weight gain.