3 ms·

I would recommend medically prescribed TRT absolutely, it's been life-changing in terms of mood/depression and energy. Especially if you're getting older, at so

I would recommend medically prescribed TRT absolutely, it's been life-changing in terms of mood/depression and energy. Especially if you're getting older, at some point you're going to naturally wind up at levels so low you ought to have the option to have it anyways. You'll have to inject yourself once a week, for the rest of your life. It sucks but the benefits are worth it (IMO). I look at it sort of like a multivitamin. One word of caution about SARMs like LGD-4033 -- despite not being hormonal, they can still cause a degree of suppression. I'd get bloodwork done before & after to be sure, like you mention. As an aside: > I was also not aware of just quite how rampant steroids were and how my desired physique (nothing massively over the top but probably something akin to a CrossFit athlete like Mat Fraser/Rich Froning or Marvel superhero physique) was actually out of reach without steroids unless you were willing to be very strict on diet and also put in at least 10 hours in the gym, probably for at least 2 to 3 years. Yeah, steroids are much more common than folks think, and nearly everyone lies about using them (why would you admit to use, what do you have to gain?). I'm hoping that eventually we de-stigmatize them so that this sort of thing stops happening. I too had these unrealistic goals based on a lie that I thought I could achieve naturally. It turns out my idol was juiced to the gills.

rcarr 4y ago
Yeah, I think they are slowly coming round to being destigmatised, I would say primarily because of the pros in several sports coming out and talking about them openly on YouTube, movie stars starting to open up, and then high profile people like Joe Rogan being open about his TRT usage. I think there is a wide spread acknowledgement that the majority of high profile men with jacked physiques are doing or have done something, particularly if they look very striated. I don’t think that wide spread awareness was there in the mid 00s or even the early 2010s. Aside from it being more out in the open, the other main thing that is making me consider it is finding out about the scientific study that showed someone taking steroids doing absolutely no training puts on more muscle mass than someone natural doing very heavy training. It kind of just made me feel like training natural was pointless if the steroids gave such a massive advantage. Kind of like playing an FPS and everyone is using auto assist. It may not be right, but if everyone is doing it and it’s become the new accepted normal then you pretty much have to follow suit otherwise you’re just going to get left behind.
wuschel 4y ago
> Yeah, steroids are much more common than folks think, and nearly everyone lies about using them (why would you admit to use, what do you have to gain?). I am sorry, but I don’t believe that to be true at all. In my environment, I have not encountered anyone who took steroids. Of course, it might have been hidden, but that would really surprise me. Perhaps you are speaking in the weightlifting/sports community? I am in fifth decade of my life, and fortunately healthy and fit without any supplements, and I would be careful to take any in regard to the biochemical balance of my body.
- rcarr 4y ago
  In the UK, it is estimated up to 1 million are taking them which would be around 1 in 33 males. The article was from 2018, I'd bet the number has increased since. Obviously it depends on a multitude of factors but you most likely have an acquaintance who has tried them but keeps quiet due to the stigma associated. https://www.theguardian.com/society/2018/jan/21/up-to-a-million-britons-use-steroids-for-looks-not-sport https://www.theguardian.com/society/2018/jan/21/up-to-a-mill...
  - wuschel 4y ago
    rcarr, Thank you very much for bringing some numbers into this thread. 3% of the male population does not sound as much, but it is actually quite high, especially if it is true that 60+% of the 20-24y cohort is taking them [1]. That is 1.7+M young men. I am quite shocked. I suspect it is a generational phenomenon. [1] https://www.statista.com/statistics/281208/population-of-the-england-by-age-group/ https://www.statista.com/statistics/281208/population-of-the...

rcarr 4y ago

Yeah, I think they are slowly coming round to being destigmatised, I would say primarily because of the pros in several sports coming out and talking about them openly on YouTube, movie stars starting to open up, and then high profile people like Joe Rogan being open about his TRT usage. I think there is a wide spread acknowledgement that the majority of high profile men with jacked physiques are doing or have done something, particularly if they look very striated. I don’t think that wide spread awareness was there in the mid 00s or even the early 2010s. Aside from it being more out in the open, the other main thing that is making me consider it is finding out about the scientific study that showed someone taking steroids doing absolutely no training puts on more muscle mass than someone natural doing very heavy training. It kind of just made me feel like training natural was pointless if the steroids gave such a massive advantage. Kind of like playing an FPS and everyone is using auto assist. It may not be right, but if everyone is doing it and it’s become the new accepted normal then you pretty much have to follow suit otherwise you’re just going to get left behind.

wuschel 4y ago

> Yeah, steroids are much more common than folks think, and nearly everyone lies about using them (why would you admit to use, what do you have to gain?). I am sorry, but I don’t believe that to be true at all. In my environment, I have not encountered anyone who took steroids. Of course, it might have been hidden, but that would really surprise me. Perhaps you are speaking in the weightlifting/sports community? I am in fifth decade of my life, and fortunately healthy and fit without any supplements, and I would be careful to take any in regard to the biochemical balance of my body.

rcarr 4y ago
In the UK, it is estimated up to 1 million are taking them which would be around 1 in 33 males. The article was from 2018, I'd bet the number has increased since. Obviously it depends on a multitude of factors but you most likely have an acquaintance who has tried them but keeps quiet due to the stigma associated. https://www.theguardian.com/society/2018/jan/21/up-to-a-million-britons-use-steroids-for-looks-not-sport https://www.theguardian.com/society/2018/jan/21/up-to-a-mill...
- wuschel 4y ago
  rcarr, Thank you very much for bringing some numbers into this thread. 3% of the male population does not sound as much, but it is actually quite high, especially if it is true that 60+% of the 20-24y cohort is taking them [1]. That is 1.7+M young men. I am quite shocked. I suspect it is a generational phenomenon. [1] https://www.statista.com/statistics/281208/population-of-the-england-by-age-group/ https://www.statista.com/statistics/281208/population-of-the...