Adam Katz always dreamed of being larger than life.
“I knew I wanted to be bigger than what was naturally possible for most people,” the Arizona-based online fitness coachThe man, who started bodybuilding at age 14, told The Post.
After seeing no results from his natural approaches, the 24-year-old turned to testosterone replacement therapy, or TRT, which supplements reproductive hormones and, in some cases, helps build muscle. It was said “testosterone-maxing“This trend has taken the fitness world by storm, partly due to its widespread use by bodybuilding influencers, Those who say they started TRT to be “more aroused” or to be attracted to women,
But like most things, the latest bulk-fast craze comes with risks that can affect fertility, heart and more.
This hasn’t stopped enthusiastic men from promoting weekly muscle injections as the holy grail for their Hulk physique, while claiming that “high level” Or “AlphaMen like podcaster Joe Rogan are on TRT.
“I think the average guy, of course, only sees big, ripped guys and they think that’s the norm,” the supplement company founder Conlan PaulThe 26-year-old told The Post that it’s impossible to look like those “huge genetic freaks” seen on YouTube or the Mr. Olympia bodybuilding stage.
michigan fitness fanatic Started bodybuilding as a teenager, going “down the rabbit hole” performance enhancersSuch as prohormone Or Selective Androgen Receptor Modulator (SARMs), without any education on the risks.
“I was like, ‘What’s the fastest possible way for me to look like a bodybuilder?'” he said.
“It completely messed me up because I didn’t know what I was doing.”
His use of performance enhancing drugs disrupted his endocrine system and caused his testosterone levels to drop, falling well below the healthy range for a 22-year-old man. That’s when she heard about TRT as a method of replenishing her hormones.
“There’s no education out there about this kind of thing,” Paul said. “I was just a kid who wanted to grow up.”
Therapy – which is used non-medically By bodybuilders who want to increase muscle mass and energy levels – usually reserved for men experiencing “low T,” which affects about 2% of men, according to cleveland clinic,
testosteroneWhich is mainly produced by the sexual organs, responsible for sperm count, sex drive, growth of hair on the body and strong bones and muscles. Men with low levels may experience symptoms such as low libido, erectile dysfunction, hot flashes, low sperm count, increased body fat and decreased stamina.
The normal range of testosterone levels in men is between 300 and 1,000 nanograms per deciliter. When Katz started TRT, his levels were about 450, while Paul’s levels had dropped to 64.
“If you’re going to do it, it should be in a controlled environment, not taken in a gym, not being sure which anabolic steroid you’re taking and how much,” says Dr. Theodore Strange, a Internists at Northwell Staten Island University Hospital, told The Post, advised the youth to consult a doctor first.
“Internally, you don’t know what you’re doing with your blood count, your heart, your prostate, your skin and your adrenal glands.”
While aesthetic appeal and the feel-good factor of taking drugs like steroids are driving young men towards TRT, bulging muscles and bulging abs come at a price.
Dan Nolan, a veteran disability attorney in Florida, spends $100 a month on testosterone shots, which are injected directly into the muscle, after starting in February.
After a month, he saw incredible results: increased energy, mental clarity, increased self-confidence, better recovery and, of course, he started gaining muscle. However, in August, he stopped taking the vaccines to see what would happen if he didn’t want to rely on them forever.
“I lost some muscle. My body was a little swollen,” he told The Post. “I deflated.”
Therefore, young people who start TRT are likely to have to take hormone injections for the rest of their lives.
“I think young people don’t think about those things long term because they’re thinking about what they want to do right now and what they want to look like,” Strange said.
“In young men who do this, the side effects are real, which can include something as simple as acne on your skin, which can lead to a reduction in the amount of sperm the man produces with the extra testosterone.”
side effects This includes shrinking testicles, low sperm count, acne and an increased risk of blood clots, heart attack or stroke, but most notable is that the body’s response mechanisms and ability to “bounce back” are “disrupted” as a result. . TRT, weird explained.
This means that men who stop therapy may see their testosterone levels drop.
Strange said, “Unless there is a medical problem as to why you’re not producing it, super-therapeutic levels … can affect the glands so that they don’t go back to the way they were before taking the therapy.” Can come.”
“If someone says, ‘I’ll be at this for 40 years,’ that’s a concern.”
This fact hasn’t fazed Katz, who has no intention of stopping TRT, which he started at age 21.
“I’ve already accepted the fact that I’ll be dependent on this for the rest of my life,” he said.
“I personally would prefer to live life with higher testosterone.”
