Physical health and fitness of an elite bodybuilder during 1 year of self-administration of testosterone and anabolic steroids: a case study.
Level 4 - case-series / case-control
Single-subject longitudinal case report
PubMed 3921472 · doi:10.1055/s-2008-1025808
What was done
An elite adult male bodybuilder self-administering androgenic steroids (53 mg/day) was tracked over a 1-year period that included a 4-week drug-free interval midway through the year. Measurements included fat-free weight, vastus lateralis mean fiber area, maximal strength, serum testosterone, sex hormone-binding globulin, estradiol, luteinizing hormone, follicle-stimulating hormone, and HDL-cholesterol subfractions.
What was found
Fat-free weight increased from 83 to 90 kg, vastus lateralis mean fiber area enlarged by 11.4% after 6 months, and maximal strength increased from 5145 to 5948 N. Steroid use produced high serum testosterone and estradiol alongside low SHBG. Following drug withdrawal, low LH, FSH, and testosterone levels persisted with atrophic testicles, azoospermia, and gynecomastia. Serum HDL-cholesterol decreased from 1.59 to 0.44 mmol/l, and HDL2-cholesterol decreased from 0.42 to 0.01 mmol/l.
Why it matters
This study documents the concurrent muscular performance gains and severe endocrine and lipid abnormalities associated with prolonged, high-dose anabolic steroid use in an elite athlete.
Limits
The study is limited to a single subject (n=1) with no control comparator. Dosing was self-administered and unverified by clinical protocol, and specific dietary intake, training variables, and long-term recovery beyond the observation period were not reported.
Cited by
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