Testosterone for Bodybuilding

A hormone which comes under the group androgen, testosterone is a type of steroid secreted in the testes and ovaries in males and females respectively. It is also secreted by the adrenal glands in small amounts. Though it is secreted by females too, testosterone is primarily known as the male sex hormone. This hormone is considered to be highly important for muscle building. Secretion of testosterone is also attributed to characteristics such as deep voice, aggression, presence of facial hair, lower body fats and premature hair loss. Let us understand the relation of testosterone and bodybuilding through the following paragraphs.

List of Testosterone Products
The first thing to keep in mind while using testosterone for bodybuilding is, that the guidance of doctors in deciding the dose is necessary. Teenagers should strictly avoid taking testosterone supplements, as it may create hormonal imbalance in their body. The doses of testosterone as recommended by doctors need to be taken. Let us have a look at some of the testosterone supplement products available in the market.

Viraloid
The viraloid testosterone supplement is prepared by deriving steroidal alkaloids from plants containing high amounts of sterol. It causes rise in luteinizing hormones, which in turn increases the production of testosterone in the body. The company 'Vyotech Nutritionals' manufactures this product. The benefit of using this product is that it works better on a long term basis and still the body doesn't get used to it.

Humanofort
This product helps our body to increase the production of testosterone. It is basically an embryonic peptide matrix. Humanfort also contains different types of growth factors. They include insulin-like growth factors (IGF-1 and IGF-2), nerve growth factors (NGF), fibroblast growth factors (FGF), connective tissue growth factors (CTGF) and epidermal growth factors (EGF). The adrenal hormones like the 17-hydroxycorticosteroids (17-OHCS) and 17-ketosteroid sulfates (17-KS-S) are normalized by the intake of this product.

ZMA
It is the anabolic mineral formula designed scientifically and contains Magnesium Aspartate, Zinc Monomethionine and vitamin B-6. This mineral formula helps in strengthening muscles by raising the anabolic hormonal levels in the body.

Significance of Testosterone in Bodybuilding
The assistance of testosterone supplements is taken by the bodybuilders in order to increase the size of muscles. These external hormones help in pushing the body beyond its natural limit. The testosterone supplements come in different forms such as topical, injectable and oral.

Side-effects of Testosterone Supplements
The side-effects of testosterone supplements in men include rise in LDL cholesterol levels, decreased HDL cholesterol, gynecomastia, acne, abnormal liver function, high blood pressure, testicle shrinkage and prostate enlargement. In women, the side-effects related to high blood pressure, cholesterol and acne are the same as in men. Apart from these problems, other abnormalities that occur in women include deepening of voice, facial hair growth, baldness, etc. The long-term health problems which arise due to testosterone intake are liver failure, cancers, heart disease, neurological problems and weight-related issues.

Natural Bodybuilding
The use of testosterone sounds tempting to attain short-term gains. One should however, take up natural bodybuilding for a slow but steady growth of muscles. It should be kept in mind that over sized muscles are of no use without a healthy and strong body. It would only harm the overall health in the long term. Regular exercise, workouts and a balanced diet would help in attaining proportionate and healthy muscles.

The use of testosterone for building should be avoided as much as possible. Low testosterone is considered a problem. In such cases, supplements need to be taken as recommended under the guidance of doctors. Finally, one can say that natural way of bodybuilding is the best.