Finasteride effect on bodybuilding?

[drybone]

I'd be very interested to hear how you find tolerating the drug at your age. I'm 43 myself and I can honestly say that all of the adverse effects I've experienced with this drug seem to be magnified as I get older. I've tried reducing the doseage because of this, but they are still noticeable. I believe this is due to my body producing less testosterone as I'm getting older.

Honestly bud its 'to each his own'. I didnt get any lasting effects from taking it at all but the younger guys complain about it all the time.

We came to the consensus that they have more testosterone so it hits them harder. At 43 maybe in your case you still have a lot.

[BigThinker]

Seems to me like I wont be jeopardizing my gains if I go on fin.

I don't really care how I feel or loss of libido; as long as my d*** works, I keep my hair and gain muscle I'll be the happiest person in the planet.

Thanks for all the input so far guys.

That's what's up with me, and I'm 25. Gaining mass and hopefully saving hair.

I feel like my drive is a little lower, but when it's put in front of me I still perform.

Good enough for me.

[Jcm800]

I'm 44 and contemplating the drug, I read so many different views on it, regarding older guys taking it, my head is spinning. To be honest also, at my age I don't feel as healthy sexually as I did in my teens, maybe I'd be asking for a limp duck at my age on the drug

[Vic12]

Seems to me like I wont be jeopardizing my gains if I go on fin.

I don't really care how I feel or loss of libido; as long as my d*** works, I keep my hair and gain muscle I'll be the happiest person in the planet.

Thanks for all the input so far guys.

[skipstah70]

I have heard Spencer K. say that it seems the older guys have better luck(less sides), than the younger guys.

This makes me laugh, because if you think about it logically... the opposite should happen. If you are producing LESS testosterone (which older men do), you are far more likely to notice the adverse effects of the drug. Once again, I think Spencer is full of shit. I think the reality is that most older men who try taking this medication purely for cosmetic reasons, quickly realize the immediate adverse side effects on their sex lives, and simply stop taking the drug. The ones over 40 who are still on this med as a solution are to be frank, the die-hards who simply won't accept bald as the inevitable... myself included. As a group, the over 40s still on the drug wouldn't be an accurate poll group, you'd have to poll all the countless others who quit the med because they couldn't tolerate it any longer for it to be truthful!!

[Notcoolanymore]

I have heard Spencer K. say that it seems the older guys have better luck(less sides), than the younger guys.

[skipstah70]

I have been on fin for 6 months and I went off it about a month ago to give myself a break. I plan to go back on it in 3 days.

I didnt notice any difference but I am 47

I'd be very interested to hear how you find tolerating the drug at your age. I'm 43 myself and I can honestly say that all of the adverse effects I've experienced with this drug seem to be magnified as I get older. I've tried reducing the doseage because of this, but they are still noticeable. I believe this is due to my body producing less testosterone as I'm getting older.

[UK_]

Any proof?

I've researched 'muscle density' a fair degree in an attempt to get 'harder' without gaining size, but that's just not how muscles work. Fibers are fibers. Muscles are harder when they're full of blood and when there's less of fat covering them. So the only way, (to my understanding), that fin could affect muscle appearance is by restricting blood flow to the muscles or causing fat to aggregate on top of them.

Correct me if I'm wrong. I had concerns about exactly what you're saying and came up with nothing. So, if you have proof, I'm very interested.

To me, this is like fin causing "shrinkage". I can't figure out the physiological pathway by which this would occur by DHT-inhibition.

Im not sure about this, but isnt DHT more active and relevant in specific areas such as the scalp, prostate and genitals?

I think muscular density and nitrogen retention/protein synthesis at the muscular level is more the job of testosterone not DHT.

I dont know, but I did read in an article that T is metabolized to DHT via 5AR at specific sites in the body, muscle tissue wasnt one of them.

[drybone]

I have been on fin for 6 months and I went off it about a month ago to give myself a break. I plan to go back on it in 3 days.

I didnt notice any difference but I am 47

[skipstah70]

Hey, so far this forum has really helped me understand hair loss pretty well so I've got some more questions for you guys.

I'm 18 and these last few months I've been watching the hair on the corner of my hairline disappear, so I've ordered Proscar which I will cut into 4ths and take 4 days on/1 off. I have no idea if it's a mature hairline forming, but I dont want to wait and find out since I'm already a NW2.

I've researched the drug thoroughly and even read some studies, but one thing I cant find much information on is it's effect on muscle building. I've read about some people complaining that Finasteride made it "harder" to gain muscle, some even claiming it made them lose muscle.

Are there any scientific studies that support this?

Also, have any of you gained significant muscle mass or strength while on Finasteride?

I've been on and off this drug for the better part of 15 years. I also lift weights and have noticed that I have quickly gained muscle mass whenever I started a new cycle with propecia. I would always notice an immediate jump in energy and would gain 5 to 7lbs in the first two or three weeks that I started taking the drug again. I personally believe that this is because it is jacking your test levels when you start a cycle.

On the flipside, the effects are short lived... and I've also noticed the opposite effect when I have decided to stop taking propecia for a few months. After say 8 months to a year of taking the drug, and then suddenly stopping... I noticed my body also goes through some sort of change and takes a while to rebound to my normal weight. I also noticed that I get more energy and have better sleep, i.e. no brain fog when I stop taking. IMO there is simply no winning with this drug. I've always felt it works for saving my hair... but at all these other costs. For those who don't believe in any adverse effects of this drug, I simply invite you to stop taking for a cycle... say 2 to 3 months... you won't believe how much better and healthier your body feels.

[LevonHelms]

Fin hasn't had any negative impact on my weightlifting. In fact I've put on 50lbs in the 10yrs I've been taking it. But I have been training consistently that entire time.

[Assemblage23]

You will be 100% fine.

Muscles are testosterone dependant not DHT dependant, plenty of bodybuilders use fin or dut along with intramuscular testostenone injections.

[chrisdav]

It didn't affect my vascularity in the slightest.

[Dan26]

I recall reading that DHT does not affect muscle hypertrophy or strength gains but it does affect vascularity. I'll try and find some sources for that info bro I just did a quick google and got nothing lol.

[chrisdav]

Vic12,

It will not affect your ability to put on size or definition. I know that from good experience. If you read some of the bodybuilding forums, this is a topic discussed on them quite often.