Aromatase


Here is an enzyme you will likely to have heard of, even if you do not know of exactly and precisely what it means.. Aromatase - the enzyme that is responsible for the removal of the 19th methyl from the anabolic androgenic steroid and aromatizes the 'A-ring'. In chemical terms, this means that three, alternating double bonds are formed in that ring. Aromatization refers to any process which produces such a pattern of bonds. The enzyme performing this transformation is called aromatase because this is what it accomplishes. It is always worth noting that the process of aromatization does not always require the presence of the enzyme aromatase. This is true in the instance of Nandrolone. However, in the case of all steroids which have a 19 methyl, the aromatase enzyme is required for the aromatization process to occur, since a double bond cannot be formed at the carbon 10th position unless the 19 methyl is removed first. You see a carbon atom can only have four bonds, and otherwise there would be five in such a case. Again, this is very practical and straight forward science.


You need to know that Aromatase and its effects upon your physique are extremely detrimental to the bodybuilder. Aromatase is the very first enzyme which we actually want to reduce its activity within the body. The quality of leanness and hardness of the physique are dramatically affected by Aromatase, so we want to inhibit its action. There are usually two types of Aromatase inhibitors, these being 'competitive' inhibitors and 'suicide' inhibitors.


So what exactly are these inhibitors and how exactly do they work in the body? Well, essentially, both compounds will effectively either suppress the action of the aromatase enzyme of block its action entirely. The competitive inhibitors work by binding to the very same site of the enzyme that the steroid molecule would. Thus making that receptor site unavailable for the enzyme to take effect and pass on its chemical message. Essentially whatever percentage of the enzyme has the inhibitor bound to it, is inactive for as long as the inhibitor is bound. These type of drugs are very popular indeed and the most popular in the states is a drug called Arimidex. A small amount of inhibitor would be successful in inhibiting only a small percentage of the enzyme molecules, whereas a large amount of inhibitor would definitely inhibit a very large percentage, reducing greatly the overall negative effects of the aromatized steroid molecule. Now, it is important to note that a lot of research has been done on sick patients, with muscle wasting diseases, as opposed to hard core bodybuilders and athletes. Where the inhibitor also must compete with the steroid molecule for access to the binding site, when one is administering a very high dosage of anabolic steroid, it is likely that the steroid may get to the site first and the inhibitor will in fact be less effective. The only way around this would be to increase the concentration of the inhibitor. You see Arimidex will do an excellent job at 1mg per day for an AIDS patient who may be using 250mg a week of testosterone, it is likely to fail to 'out-compete' a whole gram of testosterone unless the dosage is effectively increased. This is a very similar problem facing the drug Cytadren. It is quite logical and apparent that an effective dosage of an effective competitive inhibitor is directly proportional to the actual dosage level of anabolic androgenic steroid being administered at any one time, in order to reduce and suppress the negative effects of this catalytic armotaizing action.


Secondly we are looking at the other type of aromatase inhibitor - the suicide mechanism based inhibitor. This is a compound that actually goes in and literally destroys the aromatase enzyme, whilst, in the process, destroying itself, and hence the name - suicide mechanism. A good example of this type of drug is Lentaron. You will find that it's use in the bodybuilding scene is not very clear due to insufficient real world effectiveness at what athletes would want from this substance. Research does continue in this field and you will always find that there are always more and more willing aspiring bodybuilders willing to try out and experiment with new substances and drugs in a bid to see just how effective they really can be at winning them that edge.


Unlike Esterases, Aromatse only works in a one way direction - it cannot convert aramotized steroids back into an unaromatized steroid. There is no drug that can actually reverse this process. And Aromatase does not work or exhibit it effects upon DHT, Proviron, Winstrol, Oxandrolone, Halotestin or Primobolan. There is also little, to no evidence, that Aromatase can work on Trenbolone either. Which is why you will find bodybuilders switching their cocktail of drugs when attempting to diet down and strip bodyfat, as the aim is to keep testosterone levels high, with little aromatization to estrogen as possible of course.


There is unconfiemed evidence that Aromatase cannot work on Anadrol or even Anadrol metabolite. In fact there has never been any evidence that Anadrol can even aromatise directly into estrogen itself, as this drug, as is become more noted by many, has a very different pathway of action - that of being progestogenic. Progesterone is another female based sex hormone which is a good indicator that Anadrol could be a potent inducer of gynocomastia and bloating/water retention. So remember, although Aromatase may not be able to exert its estorgenic effects upon Anadrol, for the sheer fact that this drug works via the progestogenic route in the body, then it will still have a heavy cause and effect resulting into estrogen like side effects.