well actually dont be so sure that this is a bad thing.
its possible that bound androgens can still exer their effects on AR.....and bound androgens are kept safe from liver metabolism....which means that they will be in circulation for alot longer than free androgens...
its possible shbg is beneficial
True enough. But that, myostatin, prostaglandins, cytokines, all these millions of eccentric growth factors that we know nothing about, even progestin and prolactin, no one has really looked at the grand scheme of things in a bodybuilding application. There are plenty of endocrinologists and studies out there, but nothing focused towards a supraphysiological level of androgens being taken for the purpose of building muscle.
All we have are studies showing the androgenic and anabolic affects of sex steroids applied to rat muscle, and the hepatotoxic affects of large doses of androgens. We've got a few human studies on people with third degree burns and inherent wasting syndrome from chronic and irreparable illness. I don't think that we'll ever know, but I don't think we should immediately chalk it up to AR down regulation.
I remember, yeaarrs ago, I think it was Bill Lewellyn and Par Deus or some other AAS guru out there duking it out over AR down regulation. I think Patrick Arnold and Bruce Kneller joined in some heated debates too. Those were gold. But when I read them it was years before I even picked up a weight and I was barely over 100lbs, didn't even know what protein was but was interested in the science of getting big biceps. Anyone have a link to any of these old threads?