What Is Bodybuilding Gyno and How To Treat Gynecomastia From Steroids

Is it really true that you can get gyno from steroids? Yes, it is not only possible but also very likely.

The fact that a lot of bodybuilders take steroids and abuse them is the reason why it is more common than you may realize.

While gynecomastia or man boobs is an embarrassing condition, there are ways to get rid of it.

What is Gynecomastia?

Before we go any further, let’s take a look at what gynecomastia is. Unless you know what the condition is, it’s going to be difficult to treat bodybuilding gyno.

In broad terms, gynecomastia refers to a condition whereby a man’s chest swells up and resembles a woman’s breasts, hence the term man boobs.

Man boob is not uncommon. In fact, it is a condition that you may have already seen in overweight and elderly men.

Gynecomastia is very common that many people assume it is normal and a part of growing old. But that’s not the case as there are several factors that contribute to it.

And as the topic of this article makes plain, gynecomastia affects not just the overweight and the elderly, but anyone, including bodybuilders.

To understand the link between steroids and gynecomastia we have to differentiate between gynecomastia and pseudo-gynecomastia.

Both of them cause swelling of chest tissues that simulate the appearance of a woman’s, but the causes are not the same.

Pseudo-gynecomastia is due to excess fat that gets deposited in the chest as well as other areas of the body. It is a byproduct of being overweight and as such more likely to affect people who don’t exercise regularly.

So is pseudo-gynecomastia man boobs? In spite of the term pseudo, it is a legitimate type of chest swelling and needs to be treated.

Unlike gynecomastia, however, the pseudo variant does not have anything to do with your hormones and is simply a byproduct of your diet.

By going on a healthy diet and working out, you’ll be able to cut down on the fat and replace them with muscles by weightlifting.

What Causes Gynecomastia in Bodybuilders?

So pseudo-gynecomastia does not usually affect bodybuilders, but how do they end up with man boobs?

If you want to know how to get rid of gyno from steroids, you have to realize that gynecomastia is caused by steroid use.

Yes, the substances bodybuilders take to add muscles is responsible for the swelling.

It sounds contradictory, but the truth is certain types of steroids start a chain reaction that leads to man boobs.

What happens when you take steroids is, it adversely affects your body’s levels of testosterone and estrogen.

What a lot of males don’t realize is they have estrogen too. It’s not a lot, but it is present.

However, the balance gets disturbed by anabolic steroids. It is a complex process, but basically, this is what happens.

• Your testosterone is responsible for the secondary male characteristics, such as building muscles, chest hair and more.
• Steroids are formulated to build muscles, but when you use them, the testosterone is converted into estrogen. Or it increases the level of estrogen.
• This creates an imbalance and affects your body’s production of testosterone. Due to the steroids, your body thinks there is already enough, so it stops production.
• As the production of natural testosterone stops, your body’s hormonal balance is thrown off.
• Steroids are also responsible for aromatization whereby testosterone is turned into estrogen.
• Aside from steroids, medications for ulcers, AIDS, and hypertension can cause complications that lead to hormonal imbalance.

To go into more detail, gyno from steroids directly affects your body’s testosterone and estrogen and in a negative way.

Testosterone and estrogen are what gives us male and female secondary characteristics, but they’re only going to work if properly balanced.

The natural order is men have a high degree of testosterone and low levels of estrogen, but steroids interfere with this process and cause gynecomastia.

Your body is naturally meant to produce a certain amount of testosterone. Steroids try to increase that amount to build more muscles, but once your body senses there is already a high level of testosterone, it’s going to stop the natural production.

And this is why the notion of using steroids doesn’t always work out. Instead of boosting your muscle output, they’re reduced since your body believes there is more than enough.

The synthetic elements in anabolic steroids produce a wide range of side effects that affect your health including gynecomastia.

One of the reasons why man boob is becoming more common among bodybuilders is they are unaware of the risks – or ignoring the risks – of taking steroids.

After all the idea of building large muscles quickly is enticing, but as any health expert will tell you, steroids come with a lot of side effects.

Types of Steroids That Can Cause Gynecomastia:

Steroids side effects for bodybuilders are numerous, but we’re focusing on man boobs here.

A lot of steroids can stimulate gynecomastia though the most severe are Deca Durabolin, Dianabol, Anadrol, and testosterone.

Deca is used by bodybuilders to build muscle, improve endurance, gain physical strength and keep their lean muscles.

It also comes with several side effects including gynecomastia, liver problems, intestine swelling, excessive calcium in the blood, enlarged prostate and more. 

Other anabolic steroids like Dianabol and Anadrol are taken by bodybuilders to increase muscle mass and strength.

Anadrol, in particular, is popular with a lot of fitness buffs for its muscle and strength enhancements, but its side effects are numerous.

Aside from man boobs Anadrol also causes:

• Jaundice
• Insomnia
• Restlessness
• Loss of appetite
• Difficulty urinating
• Change in skin color
• Weight gain

The side effects of Dianabol are similar to Anadrol, consisting of high blood pressure, gynecomastia, liver toxicity, acne, and hair loss.

Another common side effect of these anabolic steroids is they all lead to aromatization where your body turns testosterone into estrogen.

The way these steroids do that varies, but the end result is the same, your body’s testosterone level is reduced while estrogen shoots up.

It needs to be stressed that these are not the only steroids that may trigger man boobs. You could also get it by taking other powerful anabolic steroids and combining them with other medications and drugs.

How to Treat Man Boobs Caused by Steroids:

So it’s clear that anabolic steroids cause man boobs, but how do you deal with it? The easy answer is not to use these steroids, but what if you already used them and now suffering the side effects?

Here are some suggestions on how to deal with it:

1. Don’t Use Steroids: 

Steroid tits and other side effects may go away. Depending on how much you took, the swelling on your chest may recede and be restored after a few weeks. However, this is not a guarantee especially if you’ve been taking a lot of steroids. 

The biggest misconception in the fitness industry is that anabolic steroids are the only option.

Many will tell you that they take steroids because working out and dieting is not enough to build the muscles they want.

This is true in a way. No matter how hard you work out, it seems like you’re not bulking up the way you want. But you don’t need to take steroids as there are alternatives which we will look at later.

But if you have been taking steroids, it is essential that you check for signs so you can nip the problem in the bud.

As soon as you notice signs that your chest is swelling, stop taking the steroids and start your post cycle therapy. If it doesn’t work, then you can try the other treatments suggested here.

2. Surgery:

This is the last option and should only be considered if the other ones don’t work. For one thing, it is the most expensive, costing at least $3000, not including the cost of any medications you may have to take after the surgery.

Surgery also carries risks and possible complications. Add the side effects you’ve acquired from steroids, and it is easy to see why surgery carries many possible risks. Use this only if other options have been exhausted.

3. Gynecomastia Exercises:

You can also do gyno workouts to reduce the swollen chest tissues. Done properly these exercises can help.

How much these exercises can aid is a matter of debate, though they’re probably more effective for gynecomastia caused by excess body fat than those caused by hormonal imbalance.

There are a lot of exercises which you can do, just make sure you don’t focus solely on your chest. If you’re going to work out make certain that the rest of your body is not ignored, so your body is well proportioned.

4. Use Supplements For Man Boobs Prevention:

There are several supplements available that can prevent man boobs, but the efficiency varies. One that I would recommend is Gynectrol as it’s been formulated to reduce gynecomastia.

You can take Gynectrol as a standalone supplement or stack it with Clenbutrol for enhanced strength.

Read my review of Gynectrol here: massgainssource.com/gynectrol-review-get-rid-man-boobs/

5. Use Supplements as Alternatives to Steroids:

There are products are formulated to be alternatives to steroids. These supplements offer the same benefits as steroids but don’t have the side effects, so they are safe to use.

Some of the most popular steroid alternatives are:

• D-Bal (Dianabol): this is for rapid muscle gain, improved protein synthesis and boosts nitrogen retention
• Clenbutrol (Clenbuterol): lean muscle retention, better performance, fat burning
• HGH-X2 (HGH): reduces recovery time, stimulates fat loss, large muscle gains
• Anvarol (Anavar): maintains lean balance, improves energy, rapid fat loss
• Testo-Max (Sustanon): faster recovery time, performance enhancer, strength booster
• Winsol (Winstrol): body sculpting, performance enhancer, strength-boosting

6. Post Cycle Therapy:

Post cycle therapy or PCT is a process that encompasses nutrition, compounds, drugs, and supplements to manage estrogen levels.

PCT is also used to normalize hormone levels.  PCT is done by all bodybuilders in an attempt to normalize hormones and bodily functions after a steroid cycle.

We have already pointed out the side effects of steroids, but it will be worse if you don’t take PCT.

Unless you’ve got a pretty good PCT, the unpleasant side effects will only get worse.

There are many types of PCT, but most of them have the following:

• An aromatase inhibitor
• SERM (Selective Estrogen Receptor Modulator)
• Other types of PCT supplements and cycle support compounds and drugs. These may include herbal supplements, testosterone boosters, estrogen inhibitors and other drugs.

 The duration of your PCT depends on what type of steroids you took.

Steroid	When to Begin After Last Steroid Use	Length of PCT
Anavar	8-10 hours	2 weeks
Primobolan depot	14 days	2 weeks
Deca Durabolin	3 weeks	4 weeks
Trenbolone	3 days	4 weeks
Dianabol	6-8 hours	3 weeks
Winstrol	12 hours	2/3 weeks
Sustanon	3 weeks	3 weeks
Testosterone Suspension	6-8 hours	3 weeks
Testosterone Propionate	3 days	3 weeks
Testosterone Cypionate	2 weeks	3 weeks
Testosterone Enanthate	2 weeks	3 weeks

How Post Cycle Therapy Works:

The specific process varies a little depending on what compounds you take, but essentially what they do is block estrogen production in the pituitary and hypothalamus.

For more details read my PCT guide at: massgainssource.com/post-cycle-therapy-guide/

Some PCT supplements boost LH (luteinizing hormone) and FSH (follicle stimulating hormone). Boosting LH leads to increased testosterone production in the testes.

Crazy Bulks Post Cycle Therapy is what I would recommend. Like the company’s other products, this supplement has been tried and tested. It also reduces the side effects of steroids without causing any unwarranted effects.

Conclusion:

Gyno from steroids is difficult to deal with and can really throw a monkey wrench on your bodybuilding plans. But the good news is you don’t have to put up with it.

By using the treatments given above, you’ll be able to able to reduce those man boobs and get back in shape. And yes, just skip the steroids and take other supplements.