A paper that was presented at the American Society of Nephrology’s 42nd Annual Meeting and Scientific Exposition in San Diego, CA exposed a fact that was previously unrecognized.

It suggested that athletes and bodybuilders on anabolic steroids for gaining muscle mass and strength run a high risk of damage to the kidneys due to long-term and habitual use of steroid products.

From Sciencedaily.com:

Reports of professional athletes who abuse anabolic steroids are increasingly common. Most people know that using steroids is not good for your health, but until now, their effects on the kidneys have not been known. Leal Herlitz, MD (Columbia University Medical Center) and her colleagues recently conducted the first study describing injury to the kidneys following long-term abuse of anabolic steroids. The investigators studied a group of 10 bodybuilders who used steroids for many years and developed protein leakage into the urine and severe reductions in kidney function. Kidney tests revealed that nine of the ten bodybuilders developed a condition called focal segmental glomerulosclerosis, a type of scarring within the kidneys. This disease typically occurs when the kidneys are overworked. The kidney damage in the bodybuilders has similarities to that seen in morbidly obese patients, but appears to be even more severe.

This study was conducted in the laboratory of Dr. Vivette D’Agati, MD at Columbia Univeristy Medical Center. Study co-authors include Glen Markowitz, MD, Joshua Schwimmer, MD, Michael Stokes, MD, Cheryl Kunis, MD, Vivette D’Agati, MD, (Columbia University Medical Center); Alton Farris, MD, and Robert Colvin, MD (Massachusetts General Hospital).

The benefits of anabolic steroids have always impressed one and all but a paper presented at the American Society of Nephrology’s 42nd Annual Meeting and Scientific Exposition in San Diego, CA has suggested that athletes using steroids can suffer from kidney damage.

This complication was previously unrecognized and can happen when steroids are used on a habitual basis.

From Sciencedaily.com:

Reports of professional athletes who abuse anabolic steroids are increasingly common. Most people know that using steroids is not good for your health, but until now, their effects on the kidneys have not been known. Leal Herlitz, MD (Columbia University Medical Center) and her colleagues recently conducted the first study describing injury to the kidneys following long-term abuse of anabolic steroids. The investigators studied a group of 10 bodybuilders who used steroids for many years and developed protein leakage into the urine and severe reductions in kidney function. Kidney tests revealed that nine of the ten bodybuilders developed a condition called focal segmental glomerulosclerosis, a type of scarring within the kidneys. This disease typically occurs when the kidneys are overworked. The kidney damage in the bodybuilders has similarities to that seen in morbidly obese patients, but appears to be even more severe.

The study was conducted in the lab of Dr. Vivette D’Agati, MD at Columbia Univeristy Medical Center. Study co-authors included Glen Markowitz, MD, Joshua Schwimmer, MD, Michael Stokes, MD, Cheryl Kunis, MD, Vivette D’Agati, MD, (Columbia University Medical Center); Alton Farris, MD, and Robert Colvin, MD (Massachusetts General Hospital).

Clomid, which is predominantly used in the medical world for treating female infertility, is now extending its reach to bodybuilders and professional athletes. The response of bodybuilders as well as non-bodybuilders to this wonder drug with amazing results has been exceptionally well.

Clomid, which is also known as Clomifene and Clomifert, provides great benefits to bodybuilders when it comes to the restoration of natural producing testosterone, the male sex hormone.

Its primary objective is to block the inhibition of estrogen and not the stimulation of hypothalamus or pituitary besides being useful in increasing the amount of fluid during ejaculation.

From Wikiepdia.org:

Clomifene acts by inhibiting the action of estrogen on the hypothalamus. Zuclomifene, the more active isomer (see below), binds to estrogen receptors and stays bound for long periods of time. This prevents normal receptor recycling and causes an effective reduction in hypothalamic estrogen receptor number. Since estrogen can no longer effectively feedback on the hypothalamus, GnRH secretion becomes more pulsatile, which results in increased pituitary gonadotropin (FSH, LH) release. Increased gonadotropin levels cause growth of the ovarian follicle, followed by follicular rupture, otherwise known as ovulation.

Clomifene can lead to multiple ovulation, and hence increasing the chance of twins (3-5% of births instead of normal ~1%). In comparison to purified FSH, the rate of ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome is low. There may be an increased risk of ovarian cancer and weight gain.

Clomifene is commonly used by male anabolic steroid users to bind the estrogen receptors in their bodies, thereby blocking the effects of estrogen, i.e., gynecomastia. It also restores the body’s natural production of testosterone. It is commonly used as a “recovery drug” and taken toward the end of a steroid cycle.[citation needed] Some users report that taking Clomid increases the amount of fluid produced during ejaculation.

Recent medical studies have suggested that Clomid is an exceptionally useful steroid when taken at the end of a steroid cycle. This is primarily because of the fact that it considerably reduces the risk of risk of gynecomastia during a steroid cycle due to the employment of aromatizable steroids.