Labs and Values Defined for Steroid Users

GS9902 and I picked this topic based on the blood tests that are often posted and guys are clueless to what they mean. Now in picking this topic, I had to “trim the fat” because the topic is so broad with every lab included would be 20+ pages and I’m not in nursing school anymore! LOL! I picked the most important ones for you to understand just what they do and mean. These tests need to be performed pre cycle, during, and post cycle so that you know your baseline numbers and where you are at during the different points. With TRT , the blood tests are required every 12 months. I think it should be quarterly or maybe every 6 months to be accurate because I know plenty of guys that have had a significant drop in levels in a year’s time. That’s why it’s important that you take charge of your health and getting the proper blood work done to ensure the effectiveness and safety of your cycles. Below , I define the most common and important tests you will have done and what they are. Now bear in mind, I had to leave a ton of them out to save time and space for that matter. I got the most important ones that you need to familiarize yourself with for now. Let’s get started…

Testosterone(Total & Free)

Testosterone is produced in the testes in men, in the ovaries in women, and in the adrenal glands of both men and women. Men and women alike can be dramatically affected by the decline in testosterone levels that occurs with aging. Unlike bound testosterone, the free form of the hormone can circulate in the brain and affect nerve cells. Testosterone plays different roles in men and women, including the regulation of fertility, libido, and muscle mass. In men, free testosterone levels may be used to evaluate whether sufficient bioactive testosterone is available to protect against abdominal obesity, mental depression, osteoporosis, and heart disease. Normal range, total Testosterone: Age 19-40 300-950 ng/dl; Over 40 240-950 ng/dl. Normal range, free Testosterone: Male 50-210 pg/ml

Estradiol (E2)

Both men and women need estrogen for physiological functions. Estradiol is the primary circulating form of estrogen in men and women, and is an indicator of hypothalamic and pituitary function. Men produce estradiol in smaller amounts than do women; most estradiol is produced from testosterone and adrenal steroid hormones, and some is produced directly by the testes. Estradiol plays a role in support of healthy bone density in both men and women. Low levels are associated with an increased risk of osteoporosis and bone fracture as well. Elevated levels of estradiol in men may accompany gynecomastia (breast enlargement), diminished sex drive, and difficulty with urination. Normal ranges: Adult Male 10-50 pg/ml

Luteinizing Hormone(LH )

A glycoprotein secreted by the anterior pituitary gland. It signals Leydig cells to produce testosterone in men and is a part of the 28 day menstrual cycle for women, and signals sloughing of blood cells in the uterus. Quantifying LH can be highly useful in determining whether testicles are not responsive despite high or normal LH levels and/or whether it’s the pituitary gland not secreting enough LH. Normal ranges: Adult Male 1.24-7.8 IU/L

Complete Blood Count (CBC)

The best place to begin disease-prevention is the CBC’s. This panel will give you a snapshot of your overall health. It provides a broad range of diagnostic information to assess your vascular, liver, kidney, and blood cell status. The CBC’s measures the number, variety, percentage, concentration, and quality of platelets, red blood cells, and white blood cells, and is useful in screening for infections, anemias, and other abnormalities.

Lipid Panel

Provides information on the status of your cardiovascular system by testing lipids (cholesterol, HDL, LDL, triglycerides, and the total cholesterol/HDL ratio). It also measures blood glucose, which is critically important for detecting diabetes. In light of the rapidly growing epidemic of diabetes, monitoring your fasting glucose levels is as important as knowing your cholesterol. Sugar deposits plaque just like fats. Also included in the panel is an assessment of critical minerals such as calcium, potassium, and iron, as well as electrolytes, liver functions, and the kidney(renal) panel.

Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH)

Secreted by the pituitary gland, thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) controls thyroid hormone secretion in the thyroid. When blood levels fall below normal, this indicates hyperthyroidism (increased thyroid activity, also called thyrotoxicosis), and when values are above normal, this suggests hypothyroidism (low thyroid activity). Overt hyper- or hypothyroidism is generally easy to diagnose, but subclinical disease can be more elusive. Because thyroid imbalance symptoms may be nonspecific or absent and progress slowly, and since doctors do not routinely screen for thyroid function, people with hyper- or hypothyroidism can go undiagnosed for some time. Undiagnosed, it can progress to a clinical disease state, which is dangerous, since people with hypothyroidism and elevated serum cholesterol and LDL have an increased risk of atherosclerosis. Normal ranges: Adult 2-10 uU/ml or 2-10 mU/L

Creatinine

A byproduct of creatine phosphate, the chemical used in contraction of skeletal muscle. So, the more muscle mass you have, the higher the creatine levels and, logically, the higher the levels of creatinine. But creatine and creatinine are different and shouldn’t be confused. Eating large amounts of beef or other meats that have high levels of creatine in them, such as pre-contest, you can increase creatinine levels. Since creatinine levels are used to measure the functioning of the kidneys, this easily explains why creatine has been accused of causing kidney damage, since it naturally results in an increase in creatinine levels. Normal range: Adult Male 0.6-1.2 mg/dl

AST (Aspartate Aminotransferase, formerly known as SGOT)

An enzyme that’s used to determine damage or stress to the liver. It may also be used to see if heart disease is a possibility but isn’t as accurate. When the liver is damaged or inflamed, AST levels can rise to a very high level (20-30 times the normal value). Increased levels can be indicative of heart disease, liver disease, skeletal muscle disease or injuries, as well as heat stroke. Decreased levels can be indicative of acute kidney disease, beriberi, diabetic ketoacidosis, pregnancy, and renal dialysis. Normal range: Adult 0-35 U/L (Females may have slightly lower levels)

ALT (Alanine Aminotransferase, formerly known as SGPT)

An enzyme that is found in high levels within the liver too and any injury or disease of the liver will result in an increase in levels of ALT. But keep in mind that because lesser quantities are found in skeletal muscle, there could be a weight-training induced increase here. Weight training causes damage to muscle tissue and thus could slightly elevate these levels, giving a false indicator for liver disease or the body catabolizing itself. Still it’s a rather accurate diagnostic tool. Increased levels can be indicative of hepatitis, hepatic necrosis, cirrhosis, cholestasis, hepatic tumor, hepatotoxic drugs, and jaundice, as well as severe burns, trauma to striated muscle (via weight training), mononucleosis, and shock. Normal range: Adult 4-36 U/L

Alkaline Phosphatase(AP)

This enzyme is found in high concentrations in the liver. Because of this reason it is used as an indicator of liver stress or damage. Increased levels can stem from cirrhosis, liver tumor, pregnancy, healing fracture, and rheumatoid arthritis. Decreased levels can result from hypothyroidism, malnutrition, pernicious anemia, and excess vitamin B ingestion. People who inject b-12 often have high levels of AP. Normal range: Adult 30-120 U/L

Bilirubin

Is one of the many constituents of bile, which is formed in the liver and gallbladder. An increase in levels of bilirubin can be indicative of liver stress or damage/inflammation to gallbladder. Drugs that may increase bilirubin include oral anabolic steroids (17-AA), antibiotics, diuretics, morphine, codeine, contraceptives, etc. Drugs that may decrease levels are barbiturates and caffeine. If you’re not on a cycle, then higher levels may indicate gallstones. Fat, white and 40 is the rule here, so older bodybuilders should stay lean and not eat overly acidic, high protein diets. Normal range: Total Bilirubin for Adult 0.3-1.0 mg/dl

Albumin

Is synthesized by the liver and as such is used as an indicator of liver function. It functions to transport hormones, enzymes, drugs and other constituents of the blood. Healthy levels here shouldn’t be skewed by the lifestyle of bodybuilding, so if you’re off, you need to examine this because it is affecting absorption and is a real indicator of how you are actually metabolizing AAS and manufacturing your own hormones off season. Normal range: Adult 3.5-5 g/dl

BUN (Blood Urea Nitrogen)

This test measures the amount of urea nitrogen that’s present in the blood. When protein is metabolized, the end product is urea which is formed in the liver and excreted from the bloodstream via the kidneys. This is why BUN is a good indicator of both liver and kidney function... Then again, I wouldn’t do the test during the final week prior to a competition since you’ll be ingesting nothing but protein, practically, and would skew value. An increased in levels can stem from shock, burns, dehydration, congestive heart failure, myocardial infarction, excessive protein ingestion, excessive protein catabolism, starvation, sepsis, renal disease, renal failure, etc. Causes of a decrease in levels can be liver failure, overhydration, negative nitrogen balance via malnutrition, pregnancy, etc. Normal range: Adults 10-20 mg/dl.

The above mentioned labs except for the hormones, CBC, and lipid panel are in a Comprehensive Metabolic Panel (CMP). Now it takes some knowledge and true understanding of science and how each lab comes into play with one another in detecting abnormalties and defining exactly what it is. I provided you with a very general knowledge so you would know what they were for and what the value ranges are. Now bear in mind, that the numbers can change from medical facility to facility, but not very much.

Here are the tests to consider:

The Pre Cycle Tests- (baseline tests):

Hormones (steroids); Lipids (standard full Set); Full Liver Panel; CBC & CMP; Renal ; Electrolytes, Mineral and Glucose; Prostate

The On Cycle Tests :

Lipids (standard full Set); Liver Panel (especial with hepatotoxic steroids); CBC & CMP; Renal ; Electrolytes, Mineral and Glucose. This should be done 4 weeks into cycle

The Post Cycle Tests:

Hormones (steroids, LH/FSH); Lipids (Standard Full Set); Liver Panel (especial with hepatotoxic steroids); CBC & CMP; Electrolytes, Mineral and Glucose; Prostate. Must be a minimum of 6 weeks post cycle, 8 weeks is my rule of thumb

For TRT the blood work is usually this:
Free T ,Total T ,Estradiol , TSH , fT4 , fT3 , CBC ,CMP ,ESR , DHEA-S

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I hope that this post helped you guys out in understanding your labs better. I enjoyed researching it. My references are listed below for the research material I used so that I could give credit to the sources:

http://www.amarillomed.com/howto
http://www.webmd.com
http://labtestsonline.org/understanding/analytes
http://forums.steroid.com/showthread.php?48219-List-of-Blood-Tests-for-S...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reference_ranges_for_blood_tests
http://www.globalrph.com/labs_home.htm
http://www.tnation.com/free_online_forum/sports_training_performance_bod...