Victoria Felkar, PhD Candidate
More and more women are driven to present shredded, muscular physiques. From Hollywood actresses preparing for a role in an action movie to athletes competing in sports. They drive popular appeal of this new female physique that says to the world "I don't need a man to protect me". Everyday women are now adapting this look and as such are turning to performance and appearance enhancing drugs to get the job done. But do high levels of androgens posses a unique risk to women? And can that risk be mitigated by taking specific steps? This interview became so much more when the discussion about hormonal birth control pills entered the mix. So many women don't realize their birth control is doing many of the same things performance enhancing drugs are doing.
{mp3}https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/superhumanradio.net/components/com_podcast/media/mp3s/SHR_Show_2427.mp3{title}SHR_Show_2427{end-mp3}
SHR # 2427 :: Women And Anabolic Steroids: The Intersect Between Health & Performance
Show Notes:
[2:25] Why Victoria started studying anabolic use in women.
[6:00] Victoria was put on an oral contraceptive at an early age.
- She also had an early eating disorder.
- This combination had a cascading hormonal effect on her.
- These contraceptives are actually progestins.
[8:41] Length of “pill” use is correlated with the risk of dementia.
- Vicoria was diagnosed with Cushing’s and then Addison’s.
[10:02] PCOS is an inovulatory state in combination with insulin resistance.
- It is a cluster of symptoms and not actually a disease.
- Victoria eventually got help from Dr. Eric Serrano.
[18:50] What is the problem with AAS use in women.
- There is a very limited amount of research on all steroids specifically in women.
- There are other avenues to collect data such as general population use.
- There are inappropriate myths surrounding steroids… i.e. testosterone is the male hormone.
[24:10] The use of supra-physiological doses and their effect on the heart.
- The data is limited, but estrogen, test, and androgen ratios must be looked at.
[30:40] Match up in hyper androgen use and viralization.
- Leanness, however, is more complicated and can be a slippery slope.
- Androgen use may not make women leaner.
[41:32] What should women do if they wish to use AAS.
- Consult a professional.
- Consider the individual and the drug in question.
- Everyone’s hormones are different from person to person and day to day.
- Understanding the female reproductive cycle is crucial.
- Without this knowledge, everything is a moving target and can get ugly.
[47:49] High androgen level female: Is she likely to fare better with exogenous testosterone?
- No.
[1:01:35] Victoria is pro-education when it comes to AAS.
- This can help mitigate damage that will happen.
[1:15:00] Methylation in the liver.
- Methylation of drugs gives problems with thrombosis and clots.
[1:17:30] Chicken and egg relationship between hormones and the gut.
