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Mechanism by which AAS increase strength

BigGGG

New member
Hello,

I know that hypertrophy should be one answer, but it cannot be hypertrophy alone, some roids don't increase muscle mass but still strength goes up. Also,
the strength gains start to kick in much sooner than hypertrophy. Can someone please explain a bit more. Whats the science behind the strength gains from AAS? Are there any other known compounds that improve strength except AAS? Of creatine I know that it does, but anything else? I tried arahidonic acid , but it didnt do anything.
TY!
 
I am no scientist, but i think most of the strenght come from increased androgenicity, obviously hyperthrophy help with strenght, but i think most of the strenght gains come from the increased testosterone, decreased estrogen, and above all increased DHT, or dihydrotestosterone, a powerful T metabolite. Most AAS that increases strenght are based on this steroid.
 
I always wondered something similar, how does testosterone increase muscle mass? I asked my professor and he simply said it increases protein synthesis.
 
You guys are forgetting about cns stimulation. This is one means of increasing strength on ph/ds/aas
 
From what i know, T and DHT acts as CNS stimulators, simply because they build mostly type 1 fibers (and moto-neurons). DHT is very important for strenght. Sorry if i miss something.
 
I don't think the process is understood in full, but with that said what it converts into seems to be a big factor. The ones that convert into DHT will tend to give more strength gains, probably through CNS stimulation as the others mentioned. You also gain mechanical advantages from increasing cell size, even water retention, which can magnify strength. Power lifters don't look like grizzly bears for nothing.
 
It has to do with the effects of androgens on upstream regulators of MPS such as the protein Akt. In the presence of androgens Akt is activated and has been shown to increase contractile proteins and it's able to do this in as little as 15 minutes according to an in vitro study. Ironically, in the presence of an androgen receptor antagonist, androgens can still cause an increase in contractile proteins with out an increase in cross-sectional area (muscle growth). I'm not saying this is the case, but it might offer an explanation as to why aas can produce early strength gains without any dramatic increases in muscle mass due to their ability to increase contractile proteins.
 
Rodja

I'm too doped up to think. Doc has me on hydrocodone after my root canal today.
 
Testosterone does not increase muscle mass itself. It increases recovery. I.e protein synthasis. Testosterone is carried to the cell via a transporter. Testosterone as a lipid soluble hormone can then readily diffuse into the cell. Eventually reaching the nucleus. Once their it tells the cell to increase protein synthesis. Increased protein synthasis = increased recovery of muscle fibers. Breaking them down and repairing them much faster. It is the increased volume of training and increased recovery that increases strength. Not directly testosterone.
 
^- no. There is some truth to it but it is not the only mechanism. Also it does not tell the cell something, it mainly binds to androgen receptors wich then bind to some specific areas on the DNA either causing transcription or building a promotorcomplex making it easier for other factors to induce transcription of certain genes. For this part of the mechanism.
 
Not directly. I'm not going to go into depth of the pathway. But yes it does act as a messenger telling the cell to increase protein synthesis. What do you think a hormone pathway is used for? It's the body's way of telling something to happen
 
After testosterone binds an androgen receptor what does that receptor do... The receptor complex moves to the nucleus increasing protein synthesis... Sorry you wanted to many details of the pathway. Should we get into the many other complex mechanisms aswell? NO... I'm going to leave it as protein Increases protein synthesis. Because it's the first messenger in the pathway.
 
Ok, somewhat got that, but how can AAS (mostly orals) increase strenght so quickly??I mean strength increase purely from increased protein synthesis should take some time, correct? Can someone go a bit into depth with the DHT-CNS stimulating action part?
G
 
What is important to understand is that the proteins formed are not all muscle proteins but also enzymes etc.
Abraham67 it is important that it is not telling the cell to produce Proteins but that the transcription of certain genes is induced or suppressed by the Receptor-Hormone complex.

Its way too simplistic to say the hormone tells the cell to make more protein even though what you are trying to say is not wrong

Especially in this thread it is totally worthless to put it that simply because the quedtion aims directly at THE OTHER PATHWAYS.

Sorry for yelling but only simplify as much as possible and not more.
 
I'm not staying you are wrong either. I was just trying to give him a simple version of the complex. Because let's be honest we can go way in depth with what you are saying, It's going to affect more than just a few other pathways.
 
Also you would hold more water in your muscles with testosterone. Allowing for better cross bridges between actin+myosin causing Strength increase?
 
Absolutely. The shorter term strength increase in most heavily pronounced cases have to be a combination of the psychological effect, water retention and CNS "activation".
I would also assume there would be more creatine synthesis and other energy providing factors enhanced.
 
Probably has something to do with muscle fiber activation.....
 
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