The Gregg Valentino Interview: I never took Synthol!

I originally wrote a post criticizing the much vaunted Gregg Valentino back in 2006 after his special on TLC, The Man Whose Arms Exploded, originally aired in the US.  It was called Gregg Valentino: "I'm an idiot". But then just last week I got this comment on my blog for this post:

MORON...NICE TRY!!!... I NEVER USED SYNTHOL IN MY LIFE THAT IS INTERNET FOLKLORE ...ANYBODY WHO GAS SEEN THE TLC SHOW KNOWS I USED STEROIDS, THAT ARM WAS AN INJURY, I DRAINED BLOOD FROM A HEMATOMA.....I HAD AN INFECTION IN MY OTHER ARM FROM SHOOTING TESTOSTERONE AND REUSING NEEDLES...GETS YOUR FACTS STRAIGHT PUSSY!!!!...I NEVER SAID I USED SYNTHOL, SHOW ME WHERE IN THAT TLC SHOW DID I SAY I USED THAT GARBAGE....YOU ARE A LIAR!!! 

The comment was left anonymously, but since it was written in all upper case and seemed to be written in the first person from Valentino's perspective, I decided to contact him and see if it really was him and ask if he would like to take part in an interview to clear up any misconceptions there might have been.  He agreed and you can now listen to the interview online below.

LISTEN TO THE INTERVIEW (MP3 96kbps) Alternate Link

If you have any trouble listening to or downloading the interview, please let me know.  If you would like to provide a mirror to download the MP3 or a direct link for streaming, please contact me (use the link on the right) and let me know.

Gregg Valentino embodies a certain part of our culture that is not all that different from others who consider themselves to be outsiders.  From tattoos, and piercings to hair dye and wearing different styles of clothes.  At different junctures of our collective heritages, each of us has seen these things traverse from being done by a rank outsider in an extreme taboo to a common everyday appearance and even to the point of being a social norm or a rite of passage that many young people perform.  In this sense, Gregg Valentino could almost be considered an innovator.  He a took a look at the sport of bodybuilding and decided to transcend beyond even their outlandish norms and converted his body into something truly freakish.  In a way, he is like a modern Frankenstein's monster.  No other previous generation would have had the suitable science, technology, and pharmacology to circumvent normal human biology and create a Gregg Valentino.  But, as with Dr. Frankenstein's creation, Gregg Valentino is both laughed at by some and applauded by others.

As for Gregg Valentino himself, he doesn't consider himself to be a sideshow freak.  "I just got lucky" he says, referring to the cards he's been dealt in life.  Now refocusing his attention to the mainstream media, he still feels the pangs and urge of fame calling for him, but it still feels better to be able to have the income and free time to spend with his kids -- not to mention to be alive and in relatively good health.

Yet, throughout his career starting in the early to late 1990s he has been commonly accused of using site enhancing oils (SEOs) (aka Synthol) to create his freakish appearance and get his biceps to the size of 27 inches in diameter at his peak.  What initially made me consider Gregg Valentino a Synthol user was how out of proportion his upper arm muscles (biceps, triceps and deltoids) were even to his forearms, not to mention his chest, legs and back.  Even after speaking with a prominent manufacturer of an SEO product, they told me that Valentino's appearance was not the result of any type of SEO, but in fact, could only be the result of muscle implants.  However, looking at him today, his own explanations seem more plausible.  Implants don't shrink, but Gregg Valentino's biceps have.

Gregg told me that he never used any site enhancing oils, commonly referred to as Synthol.  Synthol is colloquially known in the bodybuilding world to be a type of oil a person injects into their muscle to increase the size without actually increasing the muscle or the strength itself.  It's sold legally as a gray area product, typically marketed as a "posing solution" to be rubbed on before a competition, even though its sold in sterile vials.  Most Synthol or site enhancing oils are made up of MCTs (medium chain triglycerides) that have been sterilized with some lidocaine added as a local anesthetic.  Even to steroid users, Synthol use is tantamount to cheating.  Once Synthol is injected, it expands the muscle fascia by filling it with oil.  That oil usually dissipates over time so people have to continue to use it to keep up the façade.  Usage patterns for Synthol differ, but on one site that sells a site enhancing oil product, Synthetek, recommended starting with 1ml a day for 10 days.

However, Gregg explained to me that what he was doing was similar.  He was doing site injections of enormous volumes of steroids such as Equipoise (EQ) and Testosterone propionate (test prop), such as amounts of 6ml injections of test prop twice per week at the very least.  Test prop typically contains 25mg/ml of testosterone with the short acting propionate ester attached, which would make it a solution of 25mg of testosterone in 1ml of oil.  Using 12ml of oil twice per week alone would most likely give a user Synthol like results if site injected into a muscle group.  But, with the added benefit of the steroid hormone it would likely increase those results (not to mention the additional EQ).  Gregg says he doesn't remember how much exactly he would take each week, but because he was dealing at the time and had a huge supply on hand, sometimes he would use go through two 10ml bottles of test prop per week.  A typical dosage used for test prop is generally recommended to be 25mg every other day (which would be about 4ml of oil) with EQ generally recommended at 400mg per week (which would generally be 2ml of oil).  In my mind, this could account for Gregg's Synthol like appearance in his biceps without actually having to use it.  I also asked him if he had ever had implants and had any X-rays to prove it.  He told me that he was X-rayed for his appearance on ESPN E60 - Superfreak (click the link to watch or click here to download) but that was mostly for general health and not to check for implants.  He said if someone was willing to put up the money, he would submit to X-rays to prove that his biceps aren't full of oil or implants, but the most they would find would probably just be scar tissue now.

Using bottles upon bottles of injectable anabolic androgenic steroids (AAS) as often as you wanted without regard to their price or negative short and long term side effects on the body, one could easily picture Gregg Valentino pounding vial after vial of test prop and EQ, not even keeping track of how much was used or taken boggles the mind of a sensible person.  But even a person who would consider themselves to be a sensible steroid user it is completely outrageous.  It could also easily explain the "synthol" type look Gregg Valentino achieved with the vast quantities of AAS suspended in that volume of oil.

Gregg says he now no longer does any cycles and his biceps are down from 27" to around 20" today.  He writes a monthly column for Muscular Development and is working on making appearances in TV and movies.  He stared in the popular documentary "Bigger, Stronger, Faster" about steroid use and the bodybuilding culture. He's working on getting into movies and one particular upcoming role he mentioned was a film called Sanctum Void which is in pre-production.  He says he's concerned about his health and no longer takes any steroids or wants to try any of the prohormone/prosteroid products on the market.  He basically takes flax oil, fish oil, CoQ10 and Gaspari protein.  He's also written a new book called Death, Drugs and Muscle about his crazy lifestyle in the 90s.




Most of the interview I asked him questions specifically pertaining to the TLC documentary The Man Whose Arms Exploded which apparently no longer airs and isn't listed for sale on Amazon or TLC's website.  So, I have made it available for download.  It is split into three parts and compressed using RAR, so you will need software to decompress it, if you don't already.  Two freeware programs you can use are 7zip and Tugzip (both for Windows).  All you need to do is download them all into one single folder and open the first part and it will automatically combine the other parts, extracting the full movie for you.  The movie is in AVI format so you will need something like DivX Player to play it back.  Note: You need to download all three parts to watch the video.  Once you download all three files and put them into a single folder you then extract them into a single video file with the entire documentary (unedited).

• The Man Whose Arms Exploded - Part 1 95mb
• The Man Whose Arms Exploded - Part 2 95mb
• The Man Whose Arms Exploded - Part 3 84mb

Thanks to MediaFire for hosting the files and the interview!

You can visit Gregg at his website at http://www.greggvalentino.net/

Low Testosterone or Marketing Hype?

You may have seen advertisements on TV for a site called IsItLowT.com which report many signs and symptoms of low testosterone such as low energy, weight gain, depression, etc.  IsItLowT.com is owned and operated by Solvay Pharmaceuticals (now owned by Abbott), makers of AndroGel, a rub on cream used for TRT or testosterone replacement therapy.  You'll notice if you go on there site and visit the "What you can do section" testosterone cream is the first recommendation they make.  AndroGel is testosterone base, without any modification to the molecule, in a transdermal carrier.  It can cross through the skin and into the blood stream, but it is generally an expensive option and blood levels aren't maintained as they are with injectable testosterone.  The gel also only comes in packets of 5mg dosage for a one day application.  Since the average male produces between 2-11mg of testosterone per day naturally, an additional 5mg is not going to account for much - and it is definitely not going to assist in the area of muscle building or body composition.  However, blood levels of testosterone from AndroGel throughout the day are maintained over a 24 hour period. This is also an improvement over previous testosterone patches which had to be placed exclusively on the scrotum.  AndroGel can be rubbed in pretty much anywhere.

Below is a copy of my misaligned scan from William Llewellyn's Anabolics 2005 book showing steady state testosterone concentrations in the blood from 30 days of using 10g AndroGel daily.  As you can see, blood levels of testosterone stay stable throughout the day, but as we will see below, it far under performs when looked at side by side with injectable testosterone with added esters.

TRT is a very popular treatment amongst athletes and bodybuilders, because it essentially gives them a legal means to get testosterone.  One of the more popular TRT therapies advocated is American made Upjohn testosterone cypionate at 200mg/week.  An average steroid "cycle" when used by a bodybuilder will be on the scale of anywhere from 500mg to 1000mg of testosterone per week, combined with other AAS (anabolic androgenic steroid) in a "stack" to add synergistic effects from the other compounds and promote whatever goal the athlete has in mind.  Some of these products can be from dubious sources, since all AAS are scheduled in the US, the athlete has to find them on the black market.  These will come from veterinary labs, where the products are legitimately made for animals (there is no biological difference between animal and human steroids, they both work the exact same way and can be switched from mammal to mammal).  Or some where the products are claimed to be made for animals, but it is actually produced to be sold to underground steroid suppliers claiming to be affiliated with vets as a cover.  There are also many home brew steroid "underground labs" that buy bulk raw pharmaceutical AAS material from China and then package it themselves for redistribution.  Both of these methods can come across problems with quality control and lack the common safety that USP grade drugs available with a prescription do.  So, when a bodybuilder has the prospect of being able to take steroids safely, under a doctors guidance, in a legal setting, and maybe even let insurance cover it, the choice is obvious.

The most commonly prescribed form of injectable testosterone for TRT is testosterone cypionate, as mentioned above, at 200mg per week.  When looking at concentrations of blood levels using testosterone cypionate, we can clearly see the benefit of once a week dosing, but that it is a much higher level of testosterone in the body.  Cypionate is an ester that is bound to unmodified testosterone and added to an oil solution.  Once injected it forms a deposit site under the muscle where it is slowly moved out of the oil and the ester groups begin to cleave off at varying rates (in this example, generally over a period of 2 weeks).  Here is  another diagram from Anabolics 2005 showing the pattern of testosterone release after the first injection on day 0 and how it tapers after about 10 days.

Benefits of TRT

As men age their bodies do slowly start to produce less and less testosterone.  But there are other reasons too, such as poor diet, weight issues, depression, and certain medications.  We are also becoming more and more aware of compounds know as xenobiotics, phylates, and endocrine disrupters that could be potentially causing our male populations gonads to dry up.  Although this is a subject for another article.

Increasing testosterone within a supraphysiological dosage can have many positive benefits, including reduction in fat storage tissue, energy, focus and concentration from increased DHT in the brain, increased libido, sexual drive and stamina (obviously the main functions of these sex hormones) and more.

Determining whether or not you qualify to be considered for TRT is based on your current testosterone levels and your age in some cases.  The first step is to take a full panel male blood test to see where your testosterone levels are at, and make sure you don't have risk factors for prostate cancers or other issues that can come up when using supplemental testosterone.

But it's not all good news

Doctors and scientists who recently reviewed the IsItLowT site for Reuters came to some alternative conclusions.

Iheanacho and Matsumoto said separately that the symptoms described in the [IsItLowT marketing] campaign are "nonspecific," and could be linked to diabetes, circulation problems, or depression, as well as aging. The Low T site does say that the problem is more common in diabetics and the overweight.

"If someone is low in energy and is 65, that might be entirely compatible with his general life and -- let's face it -- decline," Iheanacho said. "It would be entirely normal."

The endocrine group's guidelines, which appear in the June issue of the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, say doctors should only make a diagnosis of low testosterone "in men with consistent symptoms and signs and unequivocally low serum testosterone levels."

[...]

The treatment isn't without peril. The Endocrine Society said it's not recommended for men with prostate cancer or for African-American men with fathers, brothers, or children with prostate cancer. In 2009, the Food and Drug Administration required that testosterone gels be labeled with a prominent warning after repeated reports that young children showed signs of early puberty after being exposed to it, typically through skin contact with their fathers. (italics added)

So, yes, many of the symptoms described by the IsItLowT campaign could be attributed to other illnesses, diseases and problems.  It is also important to note, a fact of which I myself was not aware, was that getting the testosterone creams and gels in contact with children can cause early onset of puberty!

But, a full panel male blood test will always help determine whether or not you have low testosterone and could potentially be a candidate for TRT.  It also helps identify potential risk factors that could be going on at the same time, making a blood test a win/win either way.  The one thing you can be sure of though, is you don't need to waste your money on any of the over the counter testosterone boosting supplements.

UPDATE 8/6/2010: Almost as soon as this article went up, Reuters posted a new article shedding some doubt on the entire hypothesis of "male menopause"

For many middle-aged and elderly men, low libido, depressed mood and a lack of energy may just be the signs of normal aging -- and not low testosterone levels.

That's the conclusion of a new study that found only about 2 percent of men between 40 and 79 would qualify for a strict diagnosis of so-called late-onset hypogonadism, sometimes called "male menopause."

Earlier studies had indicated the diagnosis was much more common, and millions of prescriptions are written every year in the U.S. to help men with "Low T," as one drugmaker refers to the controversial condition. (See Reuters Health story June 8, 2010.)

Based on a random sample of more than 3,000 European men, British researchers found that only three symptoms -- fewer morning erections, fewer sexual thoughts, and erectile dysfunction -- were consistently related to low levels of the male sex hormone.

Read the full article: Doubts cast on "male menopause" criteria (Reuters)

Sources
1.  Llewellyn, William. Anabolics 2005. Body of Science Publishing, Jupiter, FL.  2005
2. Dillion, John.  Do you have 'Low T?' Or is it just hype?  Reuters, New York, New York.  6/8/10

Ben Johnson claims he was sabotaged

Ben Johnson, the Olympic sprinter who was caught using Winstrol (Stanozolol) after winning the Gold Medal for sprinting in 1988, claims in a new book that he was sabotaged.

According to Johnson, his coach was apparently trying to inform Olympic officials of the IOC about the infamous drug doping practices of the East German teams.  Although he wouldn't elaborate on the claims, he is coming out with a new book, entitled Seoul to Soul that will reveal the full details of his new allegations.


The East Germans, under the Soviet proxy state, the GDR (German Democratic Republic) used a variety of steroids on both men and women to increase their performance and help them win medals.  One of the most commonly used substances by the East Germans was Oral Turinabol, which was at the time undetectable.

[Oral Turinabol], as it is called, is a potent derivative of Dianabol.  it is structurally a cross between methandrostenolone and clostebol (4-chlorotestosterone), having the same base structure as Dianabol, with the added 4-chloro alteration of clostebol.  This makes OT a "kindler gentler Dianabol", the new steroid displaying a much lower level of androgenic activity in comparison to its more famous counterpart. [1]

This means Turinabol was a lean muscle builder since it could not aromatize into estrogen, leading to great gains in strength, without the effects of too much bulking -- similar to Winstrol.  The full story of the East German doping program is told in Dr. Steven Ungerleider's book, Faust's Gold: Inside The East German Doping Machine.  A very interesting read.

Although Ben Johnson admitted shortly after the 1988 Olympics he in fact did take steroids and did cheat, he is now trying to come out and claim that it was he who was sabotaged -- he felt that because the East Germans were doing it, it would be okay for him to do it and it should just be an equal playing field after all, a somewhat dubious argument.

Johnson insisted the banned anabolic steroids had not given him any advantage. "It doesn't make you run faster or do anything else," he said. [2]

Technically, that isn't true, as Winstrol is one of the most sought after steroids for use by runners for this purpose.

Win[strol] is also quite effective at promoting strength because it binds very well at the androgen receptor. Short term stanozolol use can promote drastic strength, a feat often employed early in a bulking cycle ... or late in a cutting cycle to prevent a decrease in performance. This combined with the red blood cell count-stimulating properties of its androgen affinity make it popular among track athletes as well in order to beget better results. [3]

So what's the truth?  We'll have to wait and see Johnson's book and if the claims he makes are plausible.  There is currently no word on when is book may be coming out and it is not listed on Amazon.com for pre-order.  But whatever comes out of it, history will still most likely remember Ben Johnson as the first major Olympic drug scandal and our heightened awareness of steroids in sports that we have today.  For the athletes of the GDR who were unwittingly doped with hormones of which they were unaware what they were or what effects they were having, there is a very interesting documentary called Revealed: The Great Olympic Drug Scandal which was broadcast somewhere in the UK.  Although I cannot seem to find it on Amazon, there appears to be quite a few good torrent matches for it if you're interested to check it out.

1.  Llewellyn, William. Anabolics 2005. Body of Science Publishing, Jupiter, FL.  2005
2. Fine, Larry.  Johnson says he was ‘sabotaged’ in ’88 Games.  NBC News/Reuters. 5/27/10
3. Big Cat. Steroid Profiles: Winstrol / Stromba.  Bodybuilding.com/Archive.org. Retrieved 5/31/10

Blackwater Mercenaries Accused of Steroid Abuse

A civil lawsuit filed on behalf of the families of the individuals killed in the shooting incident on Sept. 16 in Nusoor Square, Baghdad, alleges that Blackwater guards were abusing steroids. The lawsuit, “Estate of Himoud Saed Atban, et al. v. Blackwater USA, et al.” (C.A. No. 07-1831), which was filed on October 11th in Washington DC by four families of persons killed in the shooting incident. However, the suit was amended on Monday Nov. 26th that included the allegations of steroid usage and "other judgment-altering substances". Page 8, Section 35 of the complaint states:

Blackwater routinely sends heavily-armed "shooters" into the streets of Baghdad with the knowledge that some of those "shooters" are chemically influenced by steroids and other judgment-altering substances. Reasonable discovery will establish that Blackwater knew that 25 percent or more of its "shooters" were ingesting steroids or other judgment-altering substances, yet failed to take effective steps to stop the drug use. Reasonable discovery will establish that Blackwater did not conduct any drug-testing of its "shooters" before sending them equipped with heavy weapons into the streets of Baghdad.

Blackwater spokesperson, Anne Tyrell told CNN that "All Blackwater personnel are drug tested during the screening process, before ever working for the company, and are subject to random testing, which is performed quarterly." She continued "Steroids and performance enhancing drugs (both illegal and prescribed) are absolutely in violation of our policy." Ms. Tyrell refused to comment on the lawsuit further. However, this comment could be true in both respects, yet still fails to address the question of whether Blackwater security personnel are tested directly for steroids. The most commonly used drug test used by most any group who performs them, is known as the NIDA-5, which only tests for marijuana, cocaine, amphetamines, opiates, PCP and some of their analogues and metabolites, but not any type of steroids. Normally, a test for steroids must be specifically ordered and is much more expensive than a typical test for commonly abused psychoactive drugs. Steroid tests are normally administered to athletes and in places where steroid abuse may be common, but is almost never used in a common workplace screening. Unfortunately, neither the document of the lawsuit nor Blackwater themselves identify publicly how and what type of drug tests they use. It appears that Blackwater's employee screening process is quite rigorous, at least currently. On Blackwater USA's corporate web site, there are job listing for "Contract Opportunities", one of which is listed as "Personal Security Specialist(PSS)". Requirements are listed as:

# Must be willing and able to deploy for 6 months.
# Must have solid experience in the US Military or Sworn Law Enforcement
# Must be a U.S. Citizen, proof of citizenship is required.
# Weight must be proportionate to height.
# Must maintain a neat and clean appearance.
# Must be in good health and pass a physical test.
# Most positions require ability to obtain/maintain a secret or higher clearance.
# No history of major illness or mental disorder.
# Must have an Honorable Discharge and DD-214.
# No felony, violent crimes, spouse or child abuse convictions(NO WAIVERS)
# No personal bankruptcy or significant credit problems with past seven (7) years.

Susan Burke, of Burke O’Neil LLC, one of the lawyers for the defendants, stated to CNN:

"The reality is that Blackwater has indeed fired people for steroid use, so they're on clear notice that there's steroid use," Burke said. She said Blackwater has marketed the idea "that their people are kind of tougher and bigger than anybody else," and has turned a blind eye toward "serious, repeated situations of excessive use of force."

However, as most familiar with steroid usage know, and as previously discussed on Pogue's Blog, the link between steroids and violence is more of an urban legend than reality, and studies have shown that there is little to no causative link between the use of testosterone and aggression in mentally stable males. But, there are several other interesting allegations made in the lawsuit that security personnel of Blackwater may not only be predisposed to violence, but chosen and trained for it. Page 10 and 11 of the amended lawsuit claim that Blackwater hired individuals who were previously associated with the Chilean military, presumably those who served under former dictator, Augusto Pinochet, as well as other third world countries run by dictators or military juntas. The lawsuit also mentions other previous incidents were Blackwater personnel were involved with acts of violence and killing in Iraq that went unpunished.

Blackwater itself has been under much scrutiny almost from the start of the war in Iraq. On March 31, 2004, four Blackwater American security contractors were killed in Fallujah, their bodies burned and then hung from a bridge, in what became a very well known international incident that some viewed as resulting in negligence on the part of Blackwater. Families of the contractors have also sued Blackwater, in the case Helvenston et al. v. Blackwater Security. This incident, as well as the use of military contractors in Iraq was profiled in the documentary by Brave New Films titled Iraq for Sale: The War Profiteers. The film alleges that after the incident in Fallujah, Blackwater went on to profit $221.4 million in US contracts in 2004 alone. The current lawsuit filed against Blackwater for the Nusoor Square incident alleges that they have made more than one billion dollars for their contracts with the United States. It's a very interesting film, and it is available to watch in it's entirety on Google Video through the link above.

What else, if any, "judgment-altering substances" that Blackwater employees may have been using has yet to come to light. The American public can only hope that this case, however long it may take, will go all the way through a court process to determine what mistakes and possible cover-ups Blackwater and their associates may have been involved with. But, unfortunately, as with most cases, it is likely to be settled out of court with no resolution or closure being reached for anyone except for the lawyers.

Archive: Methyl Hydroxy Nandrolone (MOHN)

My article for Methyl Hydroxy Nandrolone (M4OHN) was written for the same company that I wrote my Methyl Hydroxy Testosterone (M4OHT) article for. It was also written in 2004 in a period leading up to the banning of prohormones, when manufacturers were bringing out all sorts of new compounds that were either active steroids or precursors to them. Most all of them had never been tested and were able to be created due to the new found access to a book by Julius Vida, a scientist who synthesized every possible modification of male sex steroids and then published them in a book, entitled "Androgens and Anabolic Agents, Chemistry and Pharmacology", in 1969. Although the book had been long out of date, an individual finally was able to find a copy of it and scanned it, converted it into PDF format, and sold it. This, along with the availability of Chinese companies to synthesize almost anything requested, allowed supplement companies to sell steroids that were never manufactured or widely used - and hence, not scheduled - a legal loophole that is still exploited to this day. Although for some reason, both M4OHN and M4OHT were banned by California state law, they were not banned in any other state, and as such, they were manufactured and sold until finally banned by the Anabolic Steroid Control Act of 2004.


Hydroxy Nandrolone, like its counterpart, Hydroxy Testosterone, is a steroid which is quite obscure and not much is written about it in medical literature. Hydroxy Nandrolone was produced commercially in Italy under the name Steranabol. However, it was sold as an injectable product, as opposed to an oral one, with cypionate ester attached. It is chemically known as oxabolone.

Nandrolone is the base steroid of Hydroxy Nandrolone. Nandrolone deconate is a popular anabolic steroid, commonly known as Deca Durabolin. Deca is well known for being a strong anabolic compound, with fewer androgenic properties. This is due to the fact that nandrolone is missing a carbon atom at the 19 position, giving it overall more affinity for the androgen receptor than testosterone. [1] However, unlike Hydroxy Nandrolone, nandrolone can aromatize into estrogen, which is another factor involved in it's strong anabolic effects.

Like Hydroxy Testosterone, Hydroxy Nandrolone also has a hydroxyl group at the 4 position on the molecule. This makes it incapable of interacting with the aromatese and 5 alpha reductase enzymes. However, since regular nandrolone typically reduces into a much weaker androgen, DHN (dihydronandrolone) via 5AR, this would make Hydroxy Nandrolone more androgenic. In the body nandrolone reduces to DHN through the same pathway that testosterone reduces to DHT. But, in this case, DHN is weaker and less androgenic than DHT, which is responsible for most of testosterone's androgenic effects (acne, androgenic alopecia, prostate issues, etc). So, with Hydroxy Nandrolone, we are left with a more potent androgen since it cannot convert through the same pathway. [2]

When we look at the information on Steranabol, we see that it is overall less potent than its parent, nandrolone. [3] Although not structurally similar, Methyl Hydroxy Nandrolone is probably closer in action to another popular steroid, oxandrolone. Oxandrolone, commonly known for its trade name, Anavar, a very mild oral steroid, even though it's a 17-alpha-alkylated (methylated) compound that's based on DHT. Oxandrolone is well known for for it's safety and low potential for HTPA shutdown. It is usually incorporated into cutting or lean mass cycles, as it will not aromatize because of it's DHT base.

Because of it being derived from DHT, oxandrolone can be somewhat androgenic in higher doses, and this will probably not be as pronounced with Hydroxy Nandrolone. This is because the hydroxyl group reduces androgen receptor binding affinity. There is also a question of progesterone related activity with this compound. It is well known that nandrolone and its derivatives can bind to the progesterone receptor. [4] However, it is thought that progesterone requires the presence of estrogen in order to cause gyno. Therefore, those prone to gyno may not want to use Hydroxy Nandrolone with another aromatizing compound like 4AD, while others might simply just use an anti-estrogen, such as tamoxifen citrate (Nolvadex) - a SERM, or an AI like ATD while on a cycle. However, it is unknown what affinity Hydroxy Nandrolone has for the progesterone receptor, so taking precaution is not unwarranted.

With Methyl Hydroxy Nandrolone, or MOHN, we end up with a very interesting compound. Using MOHN, one would expect increases in lean muscle mass, as well as a noticeable increase in strength. Since MOHN doesn’t aromatize, you would not notice water retention, or other estrogenic side effects typically associated with Deca. MOHN would work well during bulking cycles with the addition of 4AD and 1-testosterone or 1,4andro, and probably work even better on cutting cycles with a lower dose of 4AD. MOHN should be well tolerated by people concerned about side effects, and even women. Being a methylated compound, it will increase strain on the liver, so it would be best not to stack it with other methylated substances. As with MOHT, supplements that assist in liver function, such as ALA, NAC and Milk Thistle would be a welcome addition to the stack.

1. Bergink EW, Janssen PS, Turpijn EW, van der Vies J. Comparison of the receptor binding properties of nandrolone and testosterone under in vitro and in vivo conditions. J Steroid Biochem 1985 Jun;22(6):831-6

2. Van Mol, Peter. Steranabol. Bodybuilding.com

3. Llewellyn, William. Anabolics 2004. Molecular Nutrition, Jupiter FL, 2004.

4. Reel JR, Humphrey RR, Shih YH, Windsor BL, Sakowski R, Creger PL, Edgren RA. Competitive progesterone antagonists: receptor binding and biologic activity of testosterone and 19-nortestosterone derivatives. Fertil Steril. 1979 May;31(5):552-61.

Archive: Methyl Hydroxy Testosterone (MOHT)

My two articles on Methyl Hydroxy Testosterone (M4OHT) and Methyl Hydroxy Nandrolone (M4OHN) were written for a supplement manufacturer who was selling the two compounds. When these articles were written in 2004, both of these were brand new compounds on the then still legal prohormone market. Unfortunately, shortly after M4OHT was released, it was discovered it wasn't just illegal in California, but actually scheduled in the Steroid Control Act of 1990 and removed from the market before very many people had a chance to try it. A slightly weaker version of the non-methylated version was also sold encapsulated in oil and bound to an ester. Neither M4OHT or M4OHN are legally available as a supplement and were permanently scheduled with the passing of the Anabolic Steroid Control Act of 2004.

Hydroxy Testosterone is a relatively new steroid on the supplement scene. William Llewellyn of Molecular Nutrition first brought the compound to the sports world's attention when he discussed its discovery on a popular bodybuilding forum. However, Hydroxy Testosterone did not see the light of day for quite some time after it was initially discussed.

Hydroxy Testosterone is an active metabolite of the European anti-aromatese drug, Formestane (4-hydroxy androstenedione). It was also investigated by the pharmaceutical firm Searle during the steroid hayday of the middle of the last century. However, it was never marketed as an anabolic, probably because of their more potent discovery oxandrolone. Being that it was never produced by a pharmaceutical, and never being included in the Anabolic Steroid Control Act of 1990, it can be considered legal (for the time being at least) to sell as a dietary supplement. However, hydroxy testosterone and its counterpart hydroxy nandrolone are not legal to sell in California, where it is a scheduled drug.

Hydroxy Testosterone is similar to the obscure anabolic steroid, Clostebol (sold commercially as Megagrisevit Mono). Clostebol has been marketed in the past, in parts of Europe and Asia, where it is used as a transdermal and injectable preparation. Clostebol has a chloro group on the 4 position of the molecule, making it incapable of interacting with both the 5 alpha reductase and aromatese enzymes. [1] Hydroxy Testosterone shares this feature by having a hydroxyl group at the same 4 position, it is also incapable of forming DHT and estrogen. This makes it an ideal drug for individuals looking to avoid the common side effects associated with other steroid and prohormone products. Hydroxy Testosterone also has the very interesting feature of acting as a mild aromatese inhibitor and 5 alpha reductese inhibitor. This means that it would act in a similar, albeit weaker, fashion to both the anti-aromatese drug anastrozole and the 5-AR inhibitor finasteride. [2]

According to standard assays of potency, Hydroxy Testosterone shows to have an RBA (relative binding affinity) of 75. When compared to testosterone propionate, hydroxyl testosterone acetate was shown to be 0.65 times as anabolic and 0.25 times as androgenic by injection. [3] This would make it a very mild androgen in nature, and very easy for individuals who are concerned about common side effects of steroidal compounds. Since it does not convert to estrogen or DHT, it would not be an ideal drug for bulking or strength gains, but more suited for lean muscle gains or even fat reduction. Women would most likely tolerate this drug very well.

Now, there is a new version of Hydroxy Testosterone available, which has been methylated. Methylating a drug makes an alteration at the C17 position of the molecule, allowing it to avoid liver breakdown. Two drugs which are methylated are the well known and popular illegal steroids, Winstrol and Dianabol. Although Methyl Hydroxy Testosterone, or MOHT, is not anywhere near as potent as those two compounds, it does have the same methyl alteration, increasing bioavailability and changing the action of the drug in the body. Generally, methylating a compound decreases the binding affinity towards the androgen receptor, making it less potent overall. However, since it greatly increases the half life, bioavailability and has other possible mechanisms, such as decreasing SHBG binding affinity, it would most likely make MOHT more favorable to use.

When we look for comparable drugs known to athletes, only one other comes to mind. Oral Turnibol (OT) is an exotic steroid developed for secret use by East German athletes. Currently, only one known underground lab is known to make it, and it is questionable whether or not it is legitimate. Recently, a prohormone has been sold by various companies of Oral Turnibol labeled as them chemical 4-chloro-17a-methyl-1,4-diene-3,17 diol. It is currently being sold as the supplement Halovar, which converts directly to OT. Oral Turnibol was East Germany's answer to the androgenic structure of Dianabol. [4] With a structure very similar to Methyl Hydroxy Testosterone, with the exception of a hydroxyl group in place of Turnibol's 4-chloro group, it has the same attributes. Turnibol cannot aromatize or convert to DHT. We could generally expect a similar result with MOHT, seen as significant gains in lean mass and mild increases in strength, without the negative side effects of Dianabol. [5] A very interesting account of the use of Oral Turnibol by female swimmers in the former communist East Germany is detailed in the book Faust's Gold by Dr. Steven Ungerleider.

Methyl Hydroxy Testosterone would stack well with just about anything. For bulking, it would stack very well with 4AD and possibly an oralgel or transdermal form of 1-testosterone, 1AD or 1,4andro. For cutting, it would stack well with 1-testosterone or 5AA. In both cases it would work well to help keep the other side effects minimal, by decreasing overall DHT and estrogen, as well as causing a positive hardening effect on the muscle. It would be wise not to stack it with another methylated compound, such as MOHN or Methyl-1-Test for fear of elevating liver enzymes too greatly. For individuals concerned with protecting their liver, supplementing with Milk Thistle or N-Acetyl-L-Cysteine (NAC) would be wise option.

The dosage of MOHT would probably be in the range of 5-15mg daily. It would be advisable to start off at a low dosage to find out how well it's tolerated, and then work up to a higher dosage. MOHT would be best taken with a meal.

1. Van Mol, Peter. Megagrisevit Mono. Bodybuilding.com.

2. Davies JH, Shearer RJ, Rowlands MG, Poon GK, Houghton J, Jarman M, Dowsett M. Effects of 4-hydroxyandrost-4-ene-3,17-dione and its metabolites on 5 alpha-reductase activity and the androgen receptor. J Enzyme Inhib. 1992;6(2):141-7.

3. Vida, J.A. Androgens and Anabolic Agents, Chemistry and Pharmacology. Academic Press, Inc, New York, 77-91, 1969.

4. Montana, Nelson. Johnny, We Hardly Knew Ye. Testosterone Nation.

5. Llewellyn, William. Anabolics 2004. Molecular Nutrition, Jupiter FL, 2004.

More Proof of the Benefit of Testosterone Therapy

A new study from the Archives of Internal Medicine finds that men older than 65 with low testosterone levels have increased chances of falling. In senior citizens, falling can be quite traumatic and lead to major bone fractures, especially breakage of the hip bones, which become more fragile with age.

Endogenous Testosterone Levels, Physical Performance, and Fall Risk in Older Men

Eric Orwoll, MD; Lori C. Lambert, MS; Lynn M. Marshall, ScD; Janet Blank, MS; Elizabeth Barrett-Connor, MD; Jane Cauley, MD; Kris Ensrud, MD; Steven R. Cummings, MD; for the Osteoporotic Fractures in Men Study Group

Arch Intern Med. 2006;166:2124-2131.

Background: Gonadal steroid levels decline with age in men. Whether low testosterone levels affect the development of common age-related disorders, including physical functioning and falling, is unclear.

Methods: This longitudinal, observational follow-up study sought to determine whether low testosterone levels are associated with physical performance and fall risk in older men. A total of 2587 community-based men aged 65 to 99 years were selected using a stratified random sampling scheme from a study cohort of 5995 volunteers. Bioavailable testosterone and estradiol levels and physical performance measures were determined from baseline. Incident falls were ascertained every 4 months during 4 years of follow-up. Generalized estimating equations were used to estimate risk ratios for the relation of sex steroids to falls.

Results: Fifty-six percent of the men reported at least 1 fall; many fell frequently. Lower bioavailable testosterone levels were associated with increased fall risk. Men with testosterone levels in the lowest quartile had a 40% higher fall risk than those in the highest quartile. The effect of low testosterone levels was most apparent in younger men (65-69 years) (relative risk, 1.8; 95% confidence interval, 1.2-2.7); testosterone level was not associated with falls in the oldest men (≥80 years). Lower testosterone concentrations were associated with reduced physical performance. However, the association between low testosterone levels and fall risk persisted despite adjustment for performance.

Conclusions: Falls were common among older men. Fall risk was higher in men with lower bioavailable testosterone levels. The effect of testosterone level was independent of poorer physical performance, suggesting that the effect of testosterone on fall risk may be mediated by other androgen actions.

Source

Reuters has reported that the authors of the study recommend HRT (hormone replacement therapy) for elderly males. They have also suggested that testosterone might possibly be involved with vision, thinking and coordination.

"Like women on hormone replacement therapy, many older men are turning to testosterone therapy to regain some of what has been lost physically and mentally in the aging process," said Dr. Eric Orwoll, a professor of medicine at the school.

The study, appearing in the Archives of Internal Medicine, said that testosterone decline is a normal part of aging in men. It also said previous studies have shown that older men with reduced testosterone who got shots of testosterone experienced an increase in muscle mass and strength.

CNN: Old-age testosterone decline leads to falls, study says

Too little testosterone causes ignorance

In a widely misinterpreted study, the media and the authors of the study have concluded that "too much testosterone kills brain cells".

Tests on brain cells in lab dishes showed that while a little of the male hormone is good, too much of it causes cells to self-destruct in a process similar to that seen in brain illnesses such as Alzheimer's.

"Too little testosterone is bad, too much is bad but the right amount is perfect," said Barbara Ehrlich of Yale University in Connecticut, who led the study.

So how much is too much and how much is the right amount? What is the object of this study if we have completely vague results being shown. The average man produces around 10-20mg of testosterone a day. However, individuals who receive hormone replacement therapy receive a larger dose, and of course the implication being directed at steroid users is that "too much is bad".

"Next time a muscle-bound guy in a sports car cuts you off on the highway, don't get mad -- just take a deep breath and realize that it might not be his fault," Ehrlich said in a statement.

This comment smacks of pencil neck scientific bias towards "big muscle bound guy[s]". What kind of response is this from a person claiming to report on legitimate science? However, what is most clear about this study is how it was performed.

Tests on brain cells in lab dishes showed that while a little of the male hormone is good, too much of it causes cells to self-destruct in a process similar to that seen in brain illnesses such as Alzheimer's.

So, we have a completely in vitro study being equated with the common mythology of the foaming mouth, muscle man steroid user - a totally unfair analogy. Anyone with any amount of critical thinking should draw the obvious conclusion that this same test would need to be performed on healthy adult males using testosterone therapy in a double blind peer reviewed study in order to make any correlation with reality. For now, this is just more hype brought onto a meaningless study by a scandal hungry press and a researcher who seems to have reveled in her 15 minutes in the lime light. If anyone wants to look up some sensible studies would have to consult Pubmed. Unfortunately, there are very few real world studies involving steroid use in humans. So, now we'll have to endure the stigma of people equating testosterone usage with smoking marijuana. If another study were conducted that showed testosterone to be beneficial, it's highly doubtful it would make front page news or a top story on CNN.

CNN.com - Too much testosterone kills brain cells - Sep 27, 2006

Dr. James Shortt Convicted and Delicensed

Dr. James Shortt, an MD in South Carolina, who dispensed anabolic steroids and growth hormone to his patients has been convicted of conspiracy to distribute anabolic steroids and delicensed by the South Carolina Medical Board. Dr. Shortt ran a longevity clinic and promoted anabolic steroids and growth hormone as a way to treat many injuries and ailments. On his homepage he has an article entitled "Steroid Use vs. Abuse". Recently many doctors who have promoted the use of steroids and other unconventional methods of medicine have come under a great deal of scrutiny in the national wide steroid scare.

Dr. Michael C. Scally, a Harvard Medical School graduate, is being pursued by the medical board of Texas for his use of anabolic steroids in treatment of conditions which would be considered "off-label" by the FDA - basically meaning using steroids to treat conditions of which they are not commonly prescribed for.

Unfortunately for Dr. Shortt, he also used another controversial treatment of chelation therapy, where hydrogen peroxide is given to patients intravenously. This apparently lead to the death of two of his patients who are now suing him. Chelation therapy is looked upon as quackery by many in the medical community.

Dr. Stephen Barrett who runs Quackwatch had the following comments:

In March 2006, James Michael Shortt, M.D.,
http://www.drshortt.com/bio.html who practiced "longevity medicine"
in Greenville, South Carolina, pled guilty to conspiracy to
distribute anabolic steroids and human growth hormone. Press reports
indicate that some of the recipients were professional football
players. Shortt's plea agreement states that over a six-year period,
he unlawfully conspired with others to distribute and dispense
testosterone, stanozolol [Winstrol], nandrolone [Deca Durabolin],
fluoxymesterone [Halotestin] and oxymetholone [Anadrol].
Based on this admission, the South Carolina Board revoked his
license and fined him $10,000, the largest fine it is permitted
to impose. Shortt's criminal indictment
http://www.casewatch.org/doj/shortt/indictment.shtml and plea
agreement http://www.casewatch.org/doj/shortt/plea.pdf are posted on
Casewatch. Shortt is also being sued by the survivors of two patients
he treated with hydrogen peroxide. One had multiple sclerosis.
http://www.quackwatch.org/11Ind/shortt.html The other had prostate
cancer. http://www.casewatch.org/mal/shortt/bate.shtml

MLB player Jason Grimsley rolls on hGH source

The Smoking Gun is reporting that MLB player Jason Grimsley turned informant after receiving a controlled delivery for a kit of human growth hormone. He apparently not only turned in the person who sold him the kit, but some players he knew of that used hGH, anabolic steroids and amphetamines.

The report is in the form of an affidavit filed by IRS agent Jeff Novitzky who also headed the BALCO investigation. In it, Grimsley details how he had used steroids, GH and amphetamines throughout his career. He is said to have used Deca Durabolin (nandrolone deconate) for recovery after surgery, the same reason he claims to have used GH on multiple occasions.

Grimsley also discusses how purportedly all major league club houses had pots of coffee for players labeled as "leaded" and "unleaded" with the "leaded" coffee being laced with amphetamines.

In the affidavit he also discusses his use of Clenbuterol and prohormone 1-AD. It is an interesting read to learn how authorities busted him because he was apparently paying for the drugs by check through his own checking account and intercepted his most recent purchase of a growth hormone kit of Serostim. Growth hormone itself is not on the federal list of scheduled anabolic steroids, but it is scheduled in some states as such. However, it is against the law to possess, purchase, or sell it without a prescription and can also be considered an adulterated drug, apparently according to the affidavit. Most amateur bodybuilders don't use growth hormone because of it's high cost and low value as a muscle builder, although it has some benefits as a topical fat loss agent.

Pitcher Spills Steroid, Speed Secrets - June 7, 2006

Preventing Androgenic Hair Loss

Male pattern baldness (MPB) or androgenic alopecia is a concern for many men as they age, and especially men who choose to engage in the usage of anabolic steroids. In this article I will go over some of the most common treatments for MPB including how they work and where to get (some) of them.

1) Nizoral shampoo (1% is fine) alternated with Neutrogena T-Gel (or generic) or some other type of OTC anti-dandruff shampoo like Head and Shoulders. This keeps your hair in good pH balance and from getting inflammed. Dr. Lee @ Minoxidil.com sells 2% Nizoral + Salicylic acid which works great also. This is the first line of defense in hair loss, and is the cheapest route to go. Since the active ingredient in Nizoral helps prevent DHT from forming on the scalp, it helps prevent MPB and in one study was shown to be as effective as minoxidil. [1]

2) Topical spironolactone applied twice daily to inhibit DHT/androgens on the scalp. The 2% is liquid, and 5% is a cream (but Dr. Lee also makes a 5% liquid, which is easier to apply). Spiro is available by prescription only. There are very few places that sell topical spironolactone online - it is mostly sold an oral version that is meant to be used as a diuretic. So, you will probably have to buy from Dr. Lee. I also recommend his, as his doesn't smell as badly as many of the other versions (which is a problem with many other topical spiros sold online).

3) Topical zinc/B6/Azelaic acid. All of these have been shown in some studies and by users to have some good ability to inhibit hairloss. Although they aren't as strong as the other items listed above in preventing hairloss, they can help. You can make your own shampoo/topical or buy one from Lee or possibly at some drug or speciality stores. I could not find this combination sold in any of the places I looked, or even zinc/b6 or just azelaic acid. However, I'm sure if you were to search Froogle you could probably come up with something.

Dr. Lee doesn't recommend combining zinc or B6 with his products, as he says that they degrade and become useless. He also says that he isn't sure whether a home brew zinc/B6 topical would work because there haven't been any studies on it. Here is what he had to say when asked about the subject.

Troymaclure asked: "hi Dr. Lee, I don't know if you are
aware of the growing interest of a topical being used whereby the
person mixes a solution (say sufficeint to fill a minoxidil bottle)
of 110mg Zinc Sulphate, 60mg vitamin B6 (p-5-p) and 60ml distilled
water...my question is do you have any thoughts on a) how well this
formula would absorb sufficiently to be effective and b) assuming
it does, what are your personal thoughts on just how effective such
a treatment could be....and if i may put one more point to you;
assuming you feel it is worthwhile, do you think it would be viable
to mix some Zinc Sulphate & B6 in with your spiro lotion, in other
words would the mixture remain stable and would it be as effective
as the distilled water version? Thanks Dr. Lee. "

Dr Richard Lee, MD answered: "I have been reading with interest
some of the accounts of patients who have been treating their
MPB using a mixture of topical zinc and vitamin B6.
Unfortunately, I don't know how well either zinc sulphate
or vitamin B6 is absorbed, when they are applied topically.
I have tried to find this information, but have not been
successful in doing so. Zinc and vitamin B6 are usually
taken in oral forms.

There is some rationale in this proposed treatment for MPB.
Very credible articles (e.g. British Journal of Dermatology
(1988) 119, 627-632) have shown that zinc in high
concentrations could completely inhibit 5-alpha reductase
activity and that vitamin B6 potentiated the inhibitory
effect of zinc. The problem is we don't know if topical
zinc has any efficacy in treating MPB. There is no
evidence that oral zinc is beneficial in the treatment
of MPB. In an excellent article (article),
Dr. Dawber of the Oxford Hair Foundation has written
about the medical history and pharmacology of zinc.
He opens his article, "Zinc supplements: a cure for
hair loss? I believe the short answer to whether zinc
is a cure for hair loss - is NO"

Vitamin B6 is a water-soluble vitamin that exists in
three major chemical forms: pyridoxine, pyridoxal,
and pyridoxamine. Your designation of p-5-p is
pyridoxine 5' phosphate, which is the primary
form of vitamin B6's biological activity.

Since I cannot find any information in regards to
the topical absorption of either zinc sulphate or
pyridoxine 5' phosphate, I can't make an educated
guess in regards to "just how effective such a
treatment could be". Sorry.

Richard Lee, M.D. "

HairLossHelp.com

However, people are still using this method with success. I searched around for some bulk zinc powder but didn't find anyone who sold it. I guess there isn't much demand for it. Bulk B6 powder is available at BAC though.

4) Minoxidil is basically a lifetime treatment for the condition of MPB. Yes, you have to use it for the rest of your life if you want to keep having the benefits of minoxidil regrowing the hair on your scalp. Once you stop using it, you can expect to lose the hair you regrew within around 4 months, so once you decide to start using it, expect to use it forever. It's not an easy decision, considering the costs, so do your research and take into consideration before you start.

5) Finasteride works by blocking the conversion of testosterone to DHT through the type 2 5-alpha reductase enzyme. It was originally prescribed for treatment for BPH (prostate enlargement) as the drug Proscar in 5mg tablets, but is now prescribed for MPB as Propecia in 1mg tablets. It eliminates approximately 65% of DHT in the body within 24 hours of a 1mg dosage. [2] There are two types of the 5AR enzyme, type 1 and type 2 and they are found in different parts of the body. The drug dutasteride (Avodart) blocks conversion through both enzymes. You would assume that this would work better than finasteride since it would eliminate all DHT, but this is not the case. DHT is a potent anti-estrogen and eliminating all DHT in the body can cause symptoms of gynecomastia, lack of libido and strength and other unwanted side effects. It seems that finasteride is a better choice since it leaves you with some DHT systematically, while dutasteride leaves you with virtually none. The best choice, however, still seems to be a topical DHT inhibitor that is site specific. Although DHT is a heavily androgenic compound, it is still necessary in the male body for many functions. Blocking it at the problematic sites would obviously better than blocking it entirely. As with minoxidil, finasteride essentially needs to be taken long term for it's effects to continue working since once you discontinue it your DHT levels would rise back to what they were prior to the initial usage of the drug.

6) Plant Sterols: Beta Sitosterol & Saw Palmetto have been shown in some recent studies to be useful in treating androgenic alopecia when taken orally [3] and applied topically. They have similar functions to the drug finasteride in regards to blocking DHT conversion, as well as working as partial androgen agonist and antagonist in different organs (such as the prostate). Saw palmetto appears to be a good choice for older men to take as it has been show to assist in reducing the symptoms of BPH and increasing urinary flow through various mechanisms. Beta sitosterol is one of the main actives in saw palmetto and can be purchased as an individual supplement. It can also aid in reducing cholesterol in some people, which is what it is mainly sold for. When buying saw palmetto always make sure it's the standardized extract and beta sitosterol should be in a strength of around 300mg per serving.

During a cycle of AAS, if you are prone to MPB, I would recommend using Nizoral shampoo twice a week along with any other OTC dandruff shampoo inbetween along with 5% topical spiro twice daily. If you have heavy shedding or major problems with MPB then you will want to look into the other methods mentioned in this article. Consult Dr. Lee or your dermatologist for more information.

Dr Lee: Which Hair Medications are Best?
Dr. Lee - MPB FAQ

There are also many other hair loss treatments I didn't mention in this article. If you are concerned with or experiencing hair loss of any type, do plenty of research. There are many sites and forums dedicated to the discussion and treatment of male and female hair loss. A doctor, such as a dermatologist, can help you make decisions about treatments for any hair loss you might be experiencing. You can also find plenty of popular hair loss products, at a great discount, including Minoxidil, Revivogen, Folligen and more at OnlyHairLoss.com - I highly recommend it.

References:

1. Pierard-Franchimont C, De Doncker P, Cauwenbergh G, Pierard GE. Ketoconazole shampoo: effect of long-term use in androgenic alopecia. Department of Dermatopathology, University of Liege, Belgium. Dermatology. 1998;196(4):474-7.

2. http://www.rxlist.com/cgi/generic3/propecia_cp.htm

3. Prager N, Bickett K, French N, Marcovici G. A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial to determine the effectiveness of botanically derived inhibitors of 5-alpha-reductase in the treatment of androgenetic alopecia. Clinical Research and Development Network, Aurora, CO, USA. J Altern Complement Med. 2002 Apr;8(2):143-52.

Survey on Steroid Usage and Mood

There is a new web based survey being conducted by Rutgers about AAS use and mood. You can take the survey here:

http://websurvey.rutgers.edu/training/

It is apparently about 30 minutes long, so be sure you have some free time before you start. This survey is being conducted to show the relationship between taking anabolic steroids and how they effect your overall mood and well being. This might help dispell some of the rumors of "roid-rage" and show that steroids actually help improve your mood and aid in relieving depression which has been anecdotally reported for years by bodybuilders and powerlifters.

You can read more about it at MESO-Rx here:
Survey on Role of Performance-Enhancing Drugs on Mood Changes Experienced by Bodybuilders and Powerlifters

Kneller Released After Posting $25k Bail - More Information Released

The Patriot Ledger is reporting that Bruce Kneller has now been released on $25,000 bail. The news is bad, as it now appears that more was found in Knellers apartment than initially reported. They reveal that the investigation into RSOC has been going on 8 years and was finally pinpointed when packages sent by Kneller were intercepted by Postal authorities. They also allege he was using expired and impure ingredients to manufacture steroids for the well known underground lab.

Bruce Kneller, 37, was freed yesterday on $25,000 bail following his arraignment in Stoughton District Court where he pleaded not guilty to charges that he possessed and intended to distribute steroids.

Officials said that when federal, state and local law enforcement agencies converged Friday on the Blue Hills Village condo complex in Canton where Kneller lives with his wife Junhua Zhang, a Chinese national, they found boxes of pills, syringes, liquids and powders that were used to cook low-grade, impure and dangerous steroids.

??It is clear given the quantity that was involved, and given the amount of money that was involved, that he was a key figure,?? said Norfolk County District Attorney William R. Keating.

[...]

While executing a search warrant, law enforcement personnel found more than 100,000 pills, bottles, unmarked labels and syringes; 10 unlicensed firearms including handguns, rifles and two shotguns; confiscated $4,300 in cash and $1,000 in Chinese currency; and froze a Bank of America checking account with a balance of $363,300.

Kneller also faces charges of violating the drug laws near a school, eight counts of possession of a firearm without a firearms identification card and two counts of possession of a large capacity firearm.

Officials said Kneller is part of a larger network that originated in Los Angeles and that advertises on bodybuilding sites and in gyms under the auspices of a fictitious company called Red Star Labs.

[...]

Keating said Kneller used unregulated and expired ingredients, possibly shipped from China, to make the product.

[...]

Scrutiny of Kneller?s steroid business took a turn on Feb. 14 when 15 packages he tried to send from the Randolph post office were intercepted by investigators.

Obtaining a search warrant, officials opened the shipment and found more than 6,300 steroids.

The investigation into the cross-country ring began in 1998.

?Steroid Guru?: Canton man allegedly part of national ring

Bruce Kneller Arrested - Updated

Bruce Kneller, the well known author and supplement creator, has been arrested by federal and local agents in Boston. He was in possession of guns and "100,000 suspected steroid pills".

Bruce Kneller has been creating prosteroids/prohormones for several supplement companies, including ALRI and Gaspari. He also writes for several online and published bodybuilding magazines.

He was formally known as the pen name Brock Strasser and was rumored to possibly run an underground steroid lab called GAC aka Red Star of China.

His arrest comes at a time when the government is cracking down hard on steroids and is the second recent indictment of a supplement company owner after Patrick Arnold - owner of Ergopharm.

I spoke to Lt. Cheryl at the Canton police who stated that the Canton police did not expect to put out a press release on the arrest and calls to the Norfolk County DA's office went unanswered. I have emailed them and will try again tomorrow. There is currently no word on whether Kneller was released on bail or what the specific charges against him were.

A user on the Meso-RX boards posted the following image of Bruce Knellers house and how close it was to a high school.




If he was in possession of illegal or unregistered guns in close proximity to a school along with facing a distribution charge he could be in serious trouble. If any of the firearms were illegally modified or assault rifles then he should be very concerned.

If you were on RSOC's mailing list or were one of their customers its highly advisable to clean your computer with a program such as
Evidence Eliminator to wipe all forensic traces of mailings and data off your computer. You would also be advised to change email addresses and discontinue use of the one receiving the mailings. If you have had a resent shipment you may also want to clean house.

I'll post more news at it comes in. Stay tuned.

Watch the video of Bruce Kneller's court appearance from WCVB Boston:

2/22 10PM - Another Update

I managed to get a copy of RSOC last list which was sent out on Valentines Day (Feb 14th) and was not going to start being sold until March 1st. I cut out most of the email that had mostly stuff about S/H, how to send money and etc. This is just the part of their mailing that contains what they had for sale.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Welcome to Red Star Chemicals. The following information is for
informational purposes only for a role playing game and is not to
be used for illicit or illegal activities.

By playing our game, you 100% *AGREE* to follow the *ALL* the
Enclosed instructions to the *LETTER*. Failure to do so may delay your
"participation" or prevent your participation. Your order will be
delayed or possibly voided if you don't follow directions *EXACTLY*.
We're not trying to sound harsh or difficult here, we're just trying
to keep you and us safe as well as ensure a smooth transaction for
everyone. We've been at this almost 7 years now and if you follow our
instructions, as requested, we 100% guarantee you will have a
positive experience with *our game*


OUR CURRENT LIST FOR March-May 2006


THE FOLLOWING ARE THE *ONLY* PRODUCTS WE HAVE IN STOCK AT THE
MOMENT -


1) WINSTROL 25 CAPULES ? These are about the best oral Winny product
being sold in America bar none. 25mg stanozolol capsules x *100*
count per bottle. We said 15 months ago that this would become the best
Winny product and it did as we sold more bottles of this stuff faster than
we have ever sold of any other Red Star product period. These kick ass
totally, 1-2 per day and come on, Winny stacks with EVERYTHING. Let?s
face it, you can buy these or deal with another UG labs ?oral stanozolol
solution? where you have to measure out shit in anti-freeze or everclear
and ?drink it?. These kick ass. They have become the stuff legends are
made of as we know that at least three guys who competed in the ?Arnold?
used our Winstrol-clone caps. This is about the most elegant and
classiest product we have ever done. And this is truly a fair price for
what you are getting. $80 each or (and this is an amazing deal) get 8
bottles for $500 (~$60 a bottle, we must be crazy!!!)

2) Anadrol 50 ProCaps ? either you love a-bombs or you hate them. By
the way these are selling VERY well, we think you guys must love ?em!!!
They are another staple of at least two people who competed in the ?O?
that we know of. Oxymetholone 50mg caps x *100* count per bottle.
Potent, this is arguably the fastest mass building oral steroid on the
planet and is known for such. We do not suggest using more than two
per day and in fact, we think one per day in a stack is perfectly fine for
most people. $80 each or (and this is an amazing deal) get 8 bottles
for $500 (~$60 a bottle, we must be crazy!!!)

3) ANAVAR 10 ? LAST CALL FOR ANAVAR ? WE HAVE UNDER 50 BOTTLES LEFT
NOW!!! Oxandrolone 10mg capsules x 60 capsules per bottle. I know I
am not doing Anavar again when these sell out (which will be very soon).
The raw material price is too high and there is too little profit in
it. When these go we are replacing it with a low-buck/higher profit item.
Anavar is expensive for a reason guys. I am starting to run VERY low
on Anavar, 36 bottles left. I suspect it will be sold out forever SOON.
6 for $600 ? this is a smoking deal on Anavar! Check with Token before
you order to make sure we have them left. First 6 people to buy them,
own them. Game over on this one, no singles being sold.

4) CIALIS 25 - Yeah, it is good for 36 hour long marathon fuck sessions
with your girlfriend, sister, mom and the entire cheerleading squad.
But Cialis is also an amazing ergogen (so is Viagra) in blowing you up and
pumping you up. We normally don?t do stuff like this but we got a
smoking deal on Cialis powder (Taladadil HCl) that we could not ignore
it. We have Cialis 25mg capsules in 100 capsule bottles. $80 each or
get 6 for $360 ($60 per bottle!!!)

5) Dianabol (methandrostenelone) 10mg caps in bottles of *200 CAPS*
(yes, not 100, these have 200 in them). Like dbol? $80 for 200 of them!!!
How does 8 bottles for $500 sound? That is like getting 3,200 of the
Thai pink tabs domestic for $500 which is about 7 cents a capsules.
Who does it for less than that?


6) RED STAR OF CHINA MASTERON 200MG. Again, simple, it is
dromostanolone propionate and at 200mg/ml x 50ml (FIFTY ML?s) for only
$135 per bottle it?s a deal and then some!. Smooth and like MOST RSOC
PRODS - ***PAIN FREE INJECTIONS!!!*** Have to call it as I see it ?
best Masteron product clone on the market, nobody has done one this
good, for this low a price ever. It is 200mg/ml and _NOT_ 100mg/ml.
Take 6 for $600 even and this is the best deal on Masteron on the
market.

7) RED STAR OF CHINA EQUIPOISE XR 200MG. Again, simple, it is
boldenone undecylnate (EQ) 200mg/ml x 50ml (FIFTY ML?s) for only $135 per bottle.
Smooth and like MOST RSOC PRODS - ***PAIN FREE INJECTIONS!!!*** Have
to call it as I see it ? best EQ product clone on the market, nobody has
done one this good, for this low a price ever. It is 200mg/ml and
_NOT_ 100mg/ml. Take 6 for $600 even and this is the best deal on EQ on the
market.


8) RED STAR OF CHINA SUSTANON 250 XR DRY. Who here remembers all the
various versions of ?Dry Test/Dry Sust? we have done? This one SMOKES
them all. Each ml (50ml vial ? that is FIFTY ML!!!) has 75mg of
testosterone propionate, 100mg of testosterone cypionate and 75mg of
testosterone decanoate. Oh did we mention it also has 0.50mg of
anastrazole (Arimidex) for that ?dry feeling? of no bloat, no gyno, no
HPTA crash. This product is not for everyone, we know it. But it is
easily the classiest and safest steroids being sold anywhere by anyone.
Ask around, the ?Dry?s? are what we are known for. $135 per bottle or
take 6 for $600 even.

(Sorry this looks like shit, my blog template wraps everything otherwise it screws up the whole page)

What I noticed about this list that's different from ones I've previously seen is that they offer a lot more conventional stuff than all the previous exotic compounds they had listed. RSOC also seems to brag quite a bit about how many pros use their stuff. Very arrogant and I'm sure it wouldn't play well during a trial.

Here is some even more damning stuff, courtesy of bigntall01, from the bodybuilding.com forums. From RSOC's list of last September, they were marketing an undetectable steroid. They wouldn't even name it. Was this a compound that ended up in the rubbish bin, or turned into a Gaspari prohormone? Hard to say...

9) Undetectabol 100mg x 20ml for $199 per bottle.
What?s in it?
Compound is on the label but we do not want to
broadcast it so it will
cost you $200 to find out. This is a very anabolic,
low androgenic,
performance enhancer/hardener that should be used
ever 2-3 days at 1ml
for most people. Will not show up on an
IOC/AAU/NCAA/MLB/etc. test as of today
(this could change you know).

Visit the bodybuilding.com forum's discussion on the case

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