Anabolic Steroids And Your Blood (part 1)

Any weight trainer who is committed to heavy lifting will produce fantastic results regardless of whether he is using Steroids or not. I want us to focus on the liver which we know as being one of the most vital organs although as you know they all are for a bodybuilder in detoxification, various food conversion processes, growth and tissue repair.

The secretions assist in fat digestion, production of high density lipoprotein Cholestrol (HDL-C) and destruction of the arch enemy low density lipoprotein Cholestrol (LDL-C). Go figure, at rest our liver receives around 30% of the total blood supply, (have a good look at some next time your in the butchers).

Liver function tests actually detect enzyme levels (biological catalyst, want to know more? - go do a biochemistry course). A weight trainer's intense workouts will break down large amounts of skeletal muscle cells (if you've been working out properly anyway).

Not only this but also intra muscular injections will reveal that test results are misleading. So what exact information does our Doctor need for us to get the correct medical advice that will help to make our muscles bigger? The actual tests themselves include a number of enzyme markers but I would like to pay most attention to the ones relevant to bodybuilders.

We will now go over the guidelines for measuring a complete blood haematology profile although once again just concentrating on a few of the indices that of greater interest to us bodybuilders.

Haemoglobin: This will focus on the quantity of the major blood protein of red blood cells and if the test results in a low count, it could mean anaemia. This could be caused by an unbalanced diet and or deficiency in Vit B12 and folic acid. This can be easily remedied by eating iron packed liver or spinach.

Red cells: Now this is a strange one as it counts the number of red cells in a given quantity of blood. These blood cells are actually produced by our bone marrow and only survive for about 3 weeks, but alcohol is a player here and can cause macrocytosis. This means the cells become bigger which can cause serious problems when trying to pass through tiny capillaries.

HCT ratio PCV (haematocrit ratio, packed cell volume / MCH (mean corpuscular haemoglobin / MCHC (mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentrations) - are all red cell indices describing the shape and content of red blood cells.

ESR (erythocyte sedimentation rate) is a good broad indication of a patient's health. My one always comes in high when suffering from an infection (some treatments can compromise the immune system). Many inflammatory conditions can also return a high test result.

Platelets; represents the average number in a given volume of blood, and are essential for helping blood to clot (a low count could lead to bruising or prolonged bleeding from a wound). Use of Aspirin in an ECA stack can also exacerbate this!

A high while cell blood count would be the result of a viral or bacterial infection which increases production, releasing more antibodies to get the infection under control. The advantage of possessing good muscle mass comes into play here as protein is required to synthesis antibodies.

The above tests are not normally looked at in the GP's consulting room, unless specific problems have been encountered. The following test parameters are the ones that are usual to weight trainers but sound alarm bells to any consulting Doctor interpreting the results, not used to having a 200lb plus muscle monster in front of him. (Don't miss part 2).