Dianabol And Testosterone Enanthate Effects On Sperm
Blog Entry #40
By Admin – Steroidal.com
Its pretty common knowledge that anabolic steroids cause endogenous testosterone to fall when used. This is evident in almost all anabolic steroids, regardless of being oral or injectable. There are some exceptions, such as, Proviron (Mesterolone) and Halotestin (Fluoxymesterone) which don’t seem to effect testosterone production in smaller dosages, but when doses are increased there seems to be some suppression. Other anabolic steroids can be much more suppressive of natural hormone output. Popular anabolic steroids such as, Sustanon, Deca-Durabolin and Trenbolone can impact endogenous levels in a matter of days and weeks. This is discussed at length in our post cycle therapy article and each steroid profile here at Steroidal.com. As well as the effects on testosterone production, anabolic steroids can also adversely effect sperm production, count, motility, count, mortality and shape. Some anabolic steroid users, or those on hormone replacement therapy (HRT), have still managed to get their partners pregnant however. So how do two of the most popular anabolic steroids used effect the sperm after use?
Dianabol is often used at dosages between 15mg every day; up to 40-50mg every day for more advanced bodybuilders. So lets have a look to see how a relatively small dose of Dianabol can effect sperm count. In 1977 a study was done in Finland by Medica and published in Contraception. Fifteen male athletes between 20 and 48 years old were given 15mg every day of Dianabol (Methandrostenolone) for 2 months.
Although this is a low Dianabol dosage, sperm count dropped by a third or around 33%. Lower Dianabol dosages aren’t often used but it seems when they are, your sperm count may suffer because of it.
In a matter of 2 months, as well as reducing sperm count by 33%, the Dianabol reduced the number of normal shaped sperm cells by 74%, and doubled the percentage of deformed sperm.
Years ago Dianabol was touted as a compound you could use in-between steroid cycles to maintain your gains whilst recovering natural testosterone production. Although this is now seen as outdated information, not much was said about Dianabols effects on sperm count and production. The Dianabol bridge, as it was referred to, was at a dosage of around 10mg every day, usually in the morning because this is when natural testosterone production is at its highest. Although the Dianabol was administered in the morning to limit its inhibition on natural hormones, not much was said about its effects on sperm count. We don’t suggest Dianabol as a bridging compound, but instead recover your natural hormonal output as even low Dianabol dosages can affect your sperm count.
In another study done on Testosterone Enanthate in 1975 with similar parameters, seven healthy males were given 250mg per week of Testosterone Enanthate for 21 weeks. After only 6 weeks 20% of the sperm cells were still moving; after 8 weeks only a quarter of the sperm cells still had a normal shape. “The mean sperm concentration fell to values below three million spermatozoa per ml, and changes in sperm motility, the percentage of normal sperm morphology, and seminal fructose concentrations generally paralleled those of the mean sperm concentration”, the researchers write. “The mean sperm concentration showed a marked recovery 13 to 16 weeks after TOe withdrawal, but sperm counts remained below pre-treatment levels in three out of seven subjects 25 to 28 weeks after discontinuation of TOe.”
In comparison, the Dianabol affected the sperm less so than the Testosterone Enanthate study. Although the Finnish study didn’t test the subjects after cessation, the Testosterone Enanthate study proved some subjects were still experiencing problems 6 months later.
At the start of the Finnish experiment the athletes had a fertility index of 1.7. The lower the index, the more likely a man is to conceive with a woman. A fertility index of 10 is described as a seriously pathological condition. After 2 months on the steroids the men’s index was 14.7, which is a significant change.
Limitations of these studies are that they are done on limited subjects and also that we’re now in 2014. More research has been done since then and the use of Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (HCG) is common now amongst steroid users. HCG will mimic luteinizing hormone (LH) and stimulate the testes to maintain intra-testicular testosterone (ITT) even when shutdown through the use of anabolic steroids. This will help increase sperm count significantly and we’ll go as far as to suggest using it if you’re trying for a baby at no more than 1,000 ius every four days.
Source:
Contraception. 1977 Feb;15(2):151-62.Effects of an anabolic steroid (metandienone) on spermatogenesis.
Acta Endocrinol (Copenh) 1975 Feb;78(2):373-84Effect of long-term testosterone oenanthate administration on male reproductive function: clinical evaluation, serum FSH, LH, testosterone, and seminal fluid analyses in normal men.
