When the liver is facing additional stress and work due to the presence of anabolic steroids buy, it releases compounds called SGOT and SGPT. When the damage stops being incurred, it stops releasing these two chemicals. Standard blood screens detect the levels of SGOT and SGPT, and those are the readings that doctors use to analyze just how much damage is being incurred by the liver.
Once the damage stops being incurred, the liver stops releasing these compounds. The liver is a remarkable organ which does have the ability to regenerate new cells, but the level as to which it can repair itself varies among individuals and is influenced by many factors, including rest times in which it isn’t being damaged. Very often, the steroid users who use heavy (damaging) levels of steroids are the same users who tend to not take recommended breaks from gear, giving their livers time to recover and let the SGOT/SGPT levels drop.
Oral steroids are very tough on the liver. As the liver breaks down the oral agents, the cells of the liver incur damage and often bleed. This affects excretion and filtration functions of the body. Injectable steroids are dangerous, but for different reasons. While the injected compounds aren’t as toxic to the liver as oral steroids are, the risk of infection from either impure compound, bacteria on the needle, or blood issues rise greatly. Steroid users who combine both oral and injectable steroids run especially high risks. They have all of the oral toxicity along with the combined risks of bacteria damage to the liver.
As the liver incurs damage, from either of these causes, small growths known as nodules appear inside the liver. When the negative influence of steroids is stopped, these nodules often clear up or remain dormant. However their long-term presence and growth, much more common in long-term steroid users who don’t take breaks, can lead to liver disease which is fatal in most cases, and responsible for millions of deaths each year. While most of these deaths are due to long-term liver damage due to alcohol abuse, steroid users face the same liver risks, as the same nodule growth occurs. Using alcohol and steroids together is especially dangerous. Alcohol weakens the body’s ability to deactivate estrogens released as the body metabolizes anabolic hormones. The negative side effects of steroids – including Gynecomastia – are far worse among steroid users who abuse alcohol. Remember that your liver is a very useful and precious organ. Anabolic steroid use should be cycled, and liver tests should be run yearly to ensure your levels are acceptable. Alcohol abuse with steroids can be fatal.
Dane Fletcher is the world’s most prolific bodybuilding and fitness expert and is currently the executive editor for BodybuildingToday.com. If you are looking for more bodybuilding tips or information on weight training, or supplementation.
