The heart and steroids

[Cal_Lifter]

Question for you guys: Since steroids rapidly increase muscle size, will this also increase heart size in a manner that is unhealthy?

I've read some of the material about increase heart size, and that even working out alone increases it, but will the sauce basically make it less efficient by being bigger?

If yes, is there anything you can do to prevent this, or at least, slow it down,i.e., cq10 pills or whatever...

lastly, do different steroids affect the heart differently - like test e compared to d-bol, for example...

just curious, thanks.

[dexterJ]

NO! i am on AAS over 12 years...size is same. and also take plenty hgh in all years!

[UpTheDosage]

steroids indirectly effect your heart (high BP, high LDL and low HDL) which can be controlled by dosages and by taking other substances. As far as the Left Ventricular Hypertrophy (enlarged heart) goes, yes, training alone can cause this in some people and most certainly steroids can help magnify this. Not a whole lot to do to prevent this except manage your BP and if you're really worried about it, don't do steroids and don't train.

[Cal_Lifter]

My worrying isn't great enough for me to stop, however, it's enough for me to ask questions and learn more...

i just assumed that since the heart is a muscle...it'll get bigger from using

[4thAD]

The heart can absolutely grow from steroid use. Its called Cardiomyopathy. Athletes typically have larger hearts than non athletes, but the juice can also attribute to this. How can you prevent this? I have know idea. How many people oes this happen to? Again I have no idea, but would think probably not most.

[local hero]

over in the uk, theres clinics set up for steroid users,, apart from the usual needle exchange and blood tests,, they measure your heart mass on your 1st visit and keep a track of it over the years, one very well known local strong man had to jack it in due to the results of this

[tstmaniac]

What do you mean by jack it in? What were the results?

[UpTheDosage]

The heart can absolutely grow from steroid use. Its called Cardiomyopathy. Athletes typically have larger hearts than non athletes, but the juice can also attribute to this. How can you prevent this? I have know idea. How many people oes this happen to? Again I have no idea, but would think probably not most.

 no way to prevent it if it is indeed caused from training and steroids, or being an athlete.

[4thAD]

no way to prevent it if it is indeed caused from training and steroids, or being an athlete.

you are probably 100%correct!

[big L dawg]

so have any of you had any tests done in regards to an enlarged heart or had any type of arrhythmia due 2 steroid use?

[local hero]

doctors advised him to come off everything, and ease up on the training........

[The ChemistV2]

It seems like several of the guys from the 70's and early 80's and  who supposedly used a lot less gear than today's guys have had heart surgeries or heart problems. Corney, Padilla, Coe, Charles Glass, Don Ross (dead), Grymkowski, Arnold, Matarazzo (modern era)..and there's many more. Steroid apologists will say these guys all had genetic defects..but I doubt it. Long term juice usage can definitely cause heart problems...especially since prolonged periods of having your hdl and ldl levels off the normal levels is not good.

[tbombz]

 steroids increase muscle mass, which puts strain on the heart. the bigger you are, the worse off your heart is. (it has to do more work)

[AVBG]

It seems like several of the guys from the 70's and early 80's and  who supposedly used a lot less gear than today's guys have had heart surgeries or heart problems. Corney, Padilla, Coe, Charles Glass, Don Ross (dead), Grymkowski, Arnold, Matarazzo (modern era)..and there's many more. Steroid apologists will say these guys all had genetic defects..but I doubt it. Long term juice usage can definitely cause heart problems...especially since prolonged periods of having your hdl and ldl levels off the normal levels is not good.

And don't forget more recently.. Anthony Derezzo died a couple of years back. RIP.

[Luolamies]

steroids increase muscle mass, which puts strain on the heart. the bigger you are, the worse off your heart is. (it has to do more work)

This is also true and the fact that most big guys don't do enough cardio worsens it and i'm guilty of that as well. Also the "walls" of the heart can thicken and that puts a HUGE strain on the heart since, again it has to work even harder. The biggest issue is the fact that guys don't keep their bloodpressure in check and that's a recipe for disaster... After an OFF period without gear the heart does return to somewhat normal, but it wont be ever the same.

[AVBG]

This is also true and the fact that most big guys don't do enough cardio worsens it and i'm guilty of that as well. Also the "walls" of the heart can thicken and that puts a HUGE strain on the heart since, again it has to work even harder. The biggest issue is the fact that guys don't keep their bloodpressure in check and that's a recipe for disaster... After an OFF period without gear the heart does return to somewhat normal, but it wont be ever the same.

It's when the walls of the heart thin-out because it has enlarged.. that's a problem and then heart failure.

[Luolamies]

It's when the walls of the heart thin-out because it has enlarged.. that's a problem and then heart failure.

I haven't heard of that one (might be true though), but one doc told me that one of the biggest dangers with steroids is the fact that it can thicken the walls of the heart and then there isn't that much room in the chamber to pump blood so it has to pump more often to give the same amount of blood.

That is one of the biggest reasons i'm against mega-dosing and also if you really need to megadose and aren't even a serious competitor this game isn't for you...

[AVBG]

I haven't heard of that one (might be true though), but one doc told me that one of the biggest dangers with steroids is the fact that it can thicken the walls of the heart and then there isn't that much room in the chamber to pump blood so it has to pump more often to give the same amount of blood.

That is one of the biggest reasons i'm against mega-dosing and also if you really need to megadose and aren't even a serious competitor this game isn't for you...

I know about this..

[UpTheDosage]

Guys an "enlarged heart" means that the left ventrical walls are thicker. It doesn't neccessarily mean that your entire heart is bigger. The left ventrical is responsible for pumping blood out to the body. The walls of that ventrical thicken (LVH) when it has to work harder to pump out blood (usually because of high BP). You can't really say that steroids alone directly cause this.

I will tell you this and here is my theory . . I have had LVH since 8th or 9th grade. My doctor found it during a routine physical needed every year to clear me to play sports. She told my parents not to worry because most, if not all athletes have LVH or "athletes heart." What would cause this?? well I played football and baseball and started lifted weights in 7th grade. When someone is engaged in lots of physical activity obviously your heart is working harder to pump blood out to your body. However, most of us here are steroid using weightlifters just trying to get bigger. I would say that through the years of heavy weight training, and the dramatic increase in BP that takes place during workouts takes its toll over time and causes the left ventricle walls to thicken. Also, many of us have high BP all the time (which SHOULD be taken care of!!) so in a way the steroids can be indirectly be the reason for an "enlarged heart."

With all that being said I think that LVH is quite overblown. I am 24 now and I have never had any issues. The only difference now is that when I had a physical with a different doctor they about shit their pants when they discovered I had LVH and used steroids. Well . . . it wasn't a big deal when I was a 13 year old kid and had it?? Why is it such a huge deal now?? 

[MuscleMcMannus]

Blood pressure is much more damaging to the heart and is a huge cause of cardiomyopathy. 

[tstmaniac]

do some of you guys use blood pressure meds jus while on cycle? i might look into this because my blood pressure can get high sometime on cycle

[UpTheDosage]

do some of you guys use blood pressure meds jus while on cycle? i might look into this because my blood pressure can get high sometime on cycle

I never have but my BP has never been high for some reason. Lots of guys do use them though on cycle. not a bad idea at all.

[Luolamies]

do some of you guys use blood pressure meds jus while on cycle? i might look into this because my blood pressure can get high sometime on cycle

Yes, that's a good idea.

I didn't have seriously high bloopressure but my doctor suggested that it might be a good idea to start taking a very low dose LINATIL, (enalapril maleate). So after i started taking it my bloodpressure hasn't given me any grief. Also where i live it costs about 5 € or around 7 $ for 100 tablets and i only need/take one per day. Also Dan Duchaine suggested this medication as a good and safe practice whether on or off cycle (for bigger/drug using guys). He also said that because the medication "relaxes" veins it has added "bodybuilding" benefits... This medication is very safe and even if you take it when your bloodpressure is already low (accidentally or whatever) it will not give any serious sides.

[tstmaniac]

Good post...I'm definitely going to look into that thanks