Mark Bell's Power Project - The TRUTH About Female Steroid Use

Starting point is 00:00:00 Which drugs are it specifically that women within those sports take that does cause masculinization? Like all of them? Yeah. Usually we try to stay away from hormone replacement therapy in a woman that's premenopausal. I love to take testosterone. That's why. There's so much information out there and you really don't know what's true and what's not. And you know what this does and what that does.

Starting point is 00:00:20 Especially women, if you're like using PEDs and lots of factor like virilization, tracking your voice is really interesting. Low dose of testosterone. I told you she's not natural. What about testosterone for women? Do women come through Merrick and they get prescribed testosterone as well? Yeah, sometimes. Usually we try to stay away from hormone replacement therapy in a woman that's premenopausal. Their hormones fluctuate so much and things can be very hard and it's probably not a wise idea to start messing with them too much until they're in that post-menopause time. Women are very tricky.

Starting point is 00:00:57 We have specialists. Aren't they? In many ways. We have some docs at Merrick that specialize in hormone optimization for females, which is great. But, yeah, sometimes we do. Oftentimes the testosterone is more for, like, the libido for them that we're seeing. We'll optimize their progesterone and their estrogen, which is pretty standard, and they'll still have some issues with, like, libido,

Starting point is 00:01:20 and that's when we'll employ a little bit of testosterone to increase the libido. That's kind of a debated subject in the endocrinology world as to whether or not it's beneficial but that is when it's used even in standard endocrinology is more for libido than anything else and then like the side effect not side effects but like benefits could also be the same like muscle growth fat loss and that sort of thing in women yeah but again we're doing a replacement and so we're replacing replacing their dosage too. So in a man, maybe that replacement is only like 100 milligrams. In a female, maybe it's like 5 or 10 milligrams. And so they're likely just going to be back to where they normally would be physiologically.

Starting point is 00:01:58 We're not going to put them into that virilization or the masculinization realm. So it's not like they're going to be, you know, growing a beard and then large clit and all that stuff that you see with like the abuse. Easier to find, yeah. I mean, the thing is, is we send it to these people and how much you use is up to you, you know. Yeah, so.

Starting point is 00:02:18 And what's the detriment of taking it pre-menopausal? So, yeah, I mean, you could just mess up your normal hormonal production, you know. Very similar to, like, men. Like I said, the body is very great at regulating these things, and so we can have some deleterious effects if we start messing around too much, and it's not needed to. A fun—oh, go ahead.

Starting point is 00:02:39 I was going to say, I wonder how that would impact if they were in menopause, having, like, a little bit of testosterone. Yeah, sometimes it can help to—the end menopause having like a little bit of testosterone yeah sometimes it can help to the in menopause is what we actually some most people are thinking like in menopause that's actually what we can kind of consider like post-menopause like they're in that um once it started when they're having we're basically giving it more for um symptom relief so if they're having hot flashes they can't sleep they're getting migraines things like that that's when it can be very beneficial to be giving them a little bit of hormones. I know some women that have claimed that they've been in it for like 10 years and I just look

Starting point is 00:03:10 at their husband. I'm like, what the fuck? Give them a merit card. Supplements or hormones that you might utilize yourself. Testosterone. You use testosterone? I use, yep, low dose dose testosterone i told you she's not natural you guys fucking didn't believe me i was like there's no way she's so jacked he's joking

Starting point is 00:03:31 i'm 108 pounds i'm not that jacked uh you do look muscular though you look great thank you and and the truth is i had two babies in two years so i was always had muscle. I've trained my whole life. It probably didn't grow. I probably lost muscle. So you asked me, what are some of the things that I have used? So I have cycled through metformin, which I don't really use anymore. I have also utilized semaglutide. Can you just tell people what metformin does for people? Yeah. So metformin is something that's been used for a very long time. It just essentially improves insulin sensitivity. And it is from, I think it's from some lilac plant.

Starting point is 00:04:09 So it was utilized and it's been around for at least 60 years. And it's typically used in diabetics. There's typically also now discussed in longevity groups because it decreases mTOR. And then of course, you'll hear the negative aspects where it's like a mitochondrial poison. But again, the dose can potentially make the poison. And you utilize it, but you don't use it anymore.

Starting point is 00:04:32 I don't use it so much for myself anymore. Didn't like it or just... You know, again, I'm pretty lean right now. I don't really need it. I'd say you're very lean. You got abs and everything. Veins, all of it. Oh, God.

Starting point is 00:04:45 Yeah, you don't need to be much leaner than that, I don. All of it. Oh, God. Yeah. You don't need to be much leaner than that, I don't think, right? No. Not at all. And so I've used that in the past. I've also used semaglutide, which is a GLP-1 agonist. It also improves insulin. Kardashian drug.

Starting point is 00:04:56 Okay. Perfect. You know, it's interesting. It's been around for a very long time. I have friends that are endocrinologists that have used it in their practice for over a decade. It's only recently been approved for weight loss. So this is an example of what I was talking about earlier, is before it was able to be used for weight loss,

Starting point is 00:05:12 it would have been considered, quote, like an off-label use. And you have to be very careful with how you are prescribing drugs. But as it goes through the rigmarole of FDA approval, now these things can be utilized and would be considered a safe standard of care. You know, of course, I'm not giving anyone medical advice on the show, but I'm just bringing attention to the fact that there are restrictions in utilization of these things. So, and I've used progesterone to sleep.

Starting point is 00:05:42 I don't really use it now. Right now, I really focus on training. I train heavy three days a week. I'm just getting back into CrossFit. Thought I'd try my hand out for some injury. It's about that time. Now that I'm done being pregnant, I might as well give the old potential injury a go. I will probably – I'm also planning on picking up jiu-jitsu.

Starting point is 00:06:04 Nice. Nice. So that is going to be on the docket for the next two weeks. It'd be a fun family thing to do. What does semaglutide do and whose radar should it be on?

Starting point is 00:06:20 Is this something that maybe should be on the radar? I mean we talked about you're very lean. Should this be on the radar? I mean, we talked about you're very lean. Should this be on the radar of some folks that just want to lose weight and they've been stuck? I believe it is one of the best drugs that I've ever seen. What have you seen in terms of, like, hormone replacement? Have you kind of talked about that before? Yeah.

Starting point is 00:06:45 Like, with women. I know there's some women that before? Yeah. Like with women, I know there's some women that will take testosterone to try to get their... Oh, there we go. Oh, God, yeah. Oh, wow. I love to take testosterone. That's why you're looking at us like that. Okay. How am I looking at you? No, I'm just kidding. Or maybe I'm not. So, bioidentical

Starting point is 00:07:04 hormone replacement, HRT or BHRT, is great for the masculine and the feminine bodies. And it's really kind of like a religious thing in a way. Some people are like totally against it and other people are like, yeah, I want some exogenous hormones. I'm in the, yeah, I want some exogenous hormones. I'm 60 years old and I am still putting on muscle and I am still kicking ass. You're not 60 years old. I am 60 years old. Get out of town. Thank you for saying that.

Starting point is 00:07:31 You look amazing. Well, I think a part of it is hormones because I take estrogen. When you take estrogen replacement, you want to take two kinds. Estradiol and Estrol and Estradiol. You don't want to take Estrone. Thatadiol and estrol and estradiol. You don't want to take estrone.

Starting point is 00:07:48 That's the one that gives you breast cancer. You can take testosterone and you have to balance it with progesterone. But you always have to work with a doctor to give you your labs so that you understand what your levels are and then what makes you feel good. So just the same with testosterone. And for men, I always think that if you take testosterone, I know the pellets are really popular, but they're sticking something in you and then it's declining over time and then you're jacking up the testosterone again and then it's declining over time and then you're jacking it up and it's declining over time because it's, I think, better to put it in a cream and just put a little bit on the end of your finger and stick it in your butt.

Starting point is 00:08:34 If a guy is not afraid to touch his butt, which why would you be? It's your body. It's your butt. You should get comfortable with your whole body. should get comfortable with your whole body. For those guys, they can titrate the testosterone to get it to the point where they feel good, where they're not taking too much. That's the same with like trochies and all the sublingual testosterone. You can take too much and then you're stuck with the prescription that is not enough or it's too much or what have you. So being able to kind of titrate it yourself is good.

Starting point is 00:09:07 I mean, you should try to make your own testosterone. Lift heavy things, right? What has testosterone done for you, do you think? Well. And how do you take it? Is it a shot or is it a cream? I rub a cream on my clit every morning. And I think that it's made me more fearless, more of a badass. It's helped me keep muscle and build muscle. It's increased my confidence. It's increased my zest for life.

Starting point is 00:09:34 It's increased my clitoral sensation and orgasmic intensity. How often do you get labs done? Just curious, like for you to know your own levels of everything. I usually do hormone labs once a year. Once a year. I also like the organic acid test. Have you guys heard about organic acid test? No. It's very interesting.

Starting point is 00:09:53 It measures a lot of your biosystems. It measures your fatty acid levels. It measures your Krebs cycle so you can see how much ATP you're making. And if there's anything, if you have any issues with making more ATP, like if you've got chronic fatigue or low energy or what have you, it checks your microbiome. It checks your toxin levels from things like mercury and molds and other things like that. It's a really big panel that gives you a lot of data

Starting point is 00:10:24 about a lot of the functions and systems in your body. And I like to get one of those every year so that I can see how I'm doing with mitochondrial health and all of that. How long have you been using testosterone for? Over a decade. And then how do you feel if it has at all? Like what has it done for your mental health? But if it has at all, like what has it done for your mental health? Oh, well, I mean, I think I've always been a little bit of a barbarian, a little bit of a like, you know, just like, ah! You know, and I love that feeling. And I think it's allowed me to continue to be the person that I am, which is just kind of a badass. person that I am, which is just kind of a badass.

Starting point is 00:11:12 So and my sex life's really incredible and I'm having the best orgasms of my life. And I definitely think between the estrogen keeping all my tissue plump and the testosterone keeping my turn on high, that because I have such a great sex life, it kind of fuels my creativity and overall my self-confidence because I kind of walk in the world as a person who feels like really powerful and rooted and sexy and confident and beautiful. And that all just makes me feel good. And I think the testosterone and the estrogen both contribute to that. And the progesterone helps me sleep at night.

Starting point is 00:11:51 So my sleep is just great. Oh, wow. So I eat organic food. I'm a fabulous cook. I get exercise. I sleep well. I have a great sex life. I've got a lot of creative energy.

Starting point is 00:12:02 I'm happy. And I think that having a good hormone balance really adds to all of that. And I think having good sex adds to having a good hormone balance and just feeling good every day. Power Project Family, how's it going? Now, we've talked about blood work and getting your labs done on this podcast with many different guests, as that's super important for understanding what's going on underneath the hood. as that's super important for understanding what's going on underneath the hood. That's why we've been partnered with Merrick Health for such a long time now, owned by Derek from More Plates, More Dates. With Merrick Health, you can get yourself the Power Project panel or you can select any specific labs you want to get.

Starting point is 00:12:34 And after you get that done, you'll be able to work with one of Merrick's patient care coordinators where they'll help you understand what type of nutritional, lifestyle, hormonal, or other type of interventions you can utilize to help fix whatever might be going on underneath the hood. Merrick is your one-stop shop to make sure that everything is going well underneath the hood. Andrew, how can they get their blood work done? Yes, we have two options for you guys. Head over to merrickhealth.com slash power project. That's M-A-R-R-E-K health.com slash PowerProject. There you guys will see the PowerProject panel that Nsema was just talking about. And at checkout, enter promo code PowerProject to save $101 off of that panel.

Starting point is 00:13:11 Now, if you want to custom select your own panel, you guys can use promo code PowerProject10 to save 10% off all labs. Again, that's at MerrickHealth.com slash PowerProject. Links to them down in the description as well as the podcast show notes. You mentioned drugs, so we got to stop there. Let's do it. Let's get into it. We got to talk about Tren and everything else, right? Yeah. Oh my gosh. So, like when a male athlete

Starting point is 00:13:33 makes a decision to do them, a lot of times we understand, okay, we might get more male-ish. We might get facial hair. We might have hair growing in weird spots that normally wouldn't grow. I used to have one hair on my chest. Literally one. Literally one hair. We might have hair growing in weird spots that normally wouldn't grow. I used to have one hair on my chest, literally one. Literally one hair.

Starting point is 00:13:49 Now you're a bear. Now I'm a power bear. I'm a full-blown power bear. So yeah, all kinds of things like that happen. But when a woman takes them, the considerations are the same, but it's vastly different because maybe that's not the route you want to go. Yeah. the same, but it's vastly different because maybe that's not the route you want to go. Yeah. How long ago did you start using performance enhancing drugs in comparison to how long you've been training? Yeah. So I decided, what was it? It was after my second

Starting point is 00:14:18 meet. I totaled 1,080 at 165. And I knew then if i had a little help that i would do something pretty special in this sport um so after that was that maybe was that maybe kind of because of the people you were surrounded with did you see other people like lifting astonishing weights not necessarily your friends and not necessarily your coaches um but the people that you were following in the sport were they in non-drug tested federations and that's what you're keeping your eye on yeah so I was watching like Mariana and Steffi and Cece and Stacey Burr you know they were all at the top at the time um and i knew then like man if i just had something to help me out i bet you i could be up there right with them and now i'm here yeah what are some of those uh and how long were you training for before you decided to do it i'm not sure if you mentioned

Starting point is 00:15:20 how many years you were training i was probably doing powerlifting for about a year. And then I decided that. But you're maybe lifting previously for four or five years? Something like that? Yeah. Cool. Yeah. And let me ask you this too. So with that being part of what you do,

Starting point is 00:15:37 you said you had a coach that helps you deal with that stuff. How does he, I guess, what was the difference before you started working with a coach that knew that stuff versus, I don't know if you did it on your own or if you just had advice. Like, what are the stuff you were looking out for? Because it still seems that that realm of things is still kind of like the Wild West. Like some people are like, hey, try this. This is dope. And this is, like, yeah.

Starting point is 00:16:00 Talk to us about that. So it is. There's so much information out there and you really don't know what's true and what's not and you know what this does and what that does um so i decided to start taking anavar when i first started um the gateway the gateway it all starts with anavar um started with a low dose of that i think it was on like 10 milligrams or something a week or something like that 20 maybe um and then after that i added primo and then um npp eventually um was this from like advice from somebody or was this like you did your research to like

Starting point is 00:16:43 or you internet scouting? Like how did you come up with that? Sadly, I did not do my own research. I kind of took the advice of the coach I had at the time. And thankfully, he didn't do anything too harsh. Like he wasn't putting me on Trin and tests and whatever else. But for this meet, I actually only did Mastron. That was the only anabolic I used for this meat I actually only did Mastron that was the only anabolic I used for this meat now you did mention because I know some women who when they have lost their period

Starting point is 00:17:13 on PrEP they're like oh this is great although there are health ramifications to that so I'm curious what are some red flags that you think women on PrEP need to be looking out for because there's a lot if you're not on PEDs but there is a few things probably extra that you need to pay attention to being on PEDs. Yeah, losing your period is a big one. Like hair loss is another big one, like, you know, as a woman. There's something when you reach a really low body weight, it's really common in eating disorders. It's like Linugo, I think it's called common in eating disorders it's like linyugo i

Starting point is 00:17:45 think it's called like when your body starts to grow like like baby hair almost to like protect you and insulate you because you like no longer have like body fat um which is it kind of going to be rare in bodybuilding but for like these bikini competitors maybe that's a goal right there. Get real hairy. But yeah, like not denying like metabolic kind of things or thinking about like your libido. I think women neglect that a lot where they don't – I think that's an important factor. Maybe they aren't like these teed up like horndogs. But it's still an important factor in your life. Like your libido is important.

Starting point is 00:18:31 And of course when you're dieting severely, you're not going to be totally interested in that. But it's something to track as well with your happiness or your desire. Desire is a big thing. When we lose desire for a lot of things, whether that's sexually but also to get up and be a human for the day. Those are big things. And maybe that's and be a human for the day. Like those are, those are big things. And maybe that's an energy balance thing for the day, but over a long period of time, you should be tracking like how you're feeling generally speaking. These are big factors to keep in mind. Like for example, my girlfriend works with Paul Revella and he, he's an amazing coach. So, but he does help her keep track of all these different things.

Starting point is 00:19:01 Whereas I've seen the things that like other coaches have done. And it's just very, it seems like it's kind of the wild west when it comes to working with NPC, not just men, men and women. It's like some people are, if you could pipe this person on enough drugs and diet them long enough, we can do magic with almost anybody. And it's dangerous. Is that like a speed thing you think? Like they're trying to like rush somebody to like get better fast so they get results right away. It's like a new jujitsu school that's starting and they want to promote people very quickly so they look like they have a lot of upper belts. So they will get a lot of people and just bag them on.

Starting point is 00:19:35 Then you go out and compete at some point. Right. And that's what happens with these athletes too, right? After the show, what happens? And a lot of times you'll see them gain 30 pounds or they have hormone regulation issues and things like that right then there's a ton of tools um amanda i know you guys had her on the podcast recently she posted something on her story that was like a voice pitch analyzer which i had never seen before which you know for people who are in any sport like especially women if you you're using PEDs and lots of factors like virilization, tracking your voice is really interesting.

Starting point is 00:20:13 I had never seen that before. Amanda posted that. But there are so many resources and things that you can be accountable for to track how your body is doing. Which drugs are it specifically that women within those sports take that does cause masculinization? All of them. All of them? Yeah. It's not certain specific ones that people need to be... Yeah, they're all androgenic in a way.

Starting point is 00:20:32 Yeah, and even the drugs that don't aromatize and people think DHTs are safe, right? We're talking like your Anabars, Winstrolls. People think those are safe. I've seen a lot of damage done by Primobolin, Winstroll, Anabar, lots, lots of damage. One of the reasons why people originally thought that is many, many years ago, Anabar used

Starting point is 00:20:54 to come in a 2.5 milligram dosage. That's not the case anymore. It's very easy to get 25 milligram dosages. So if women take a lot then of any of the steroids. Or for a very long time. Yes. And it depends on the woman. I tell people all the time, I might have done in bodybuilding a very aggressive cycle for

Starting point is 00:21:13 someone else, but listen to my voice and look at my face. I don't, I'm genetically just not inclined to, we were just talking about that with you. Some men can take Tren for, I don't know why, for six months and they can't, they won't hurt a fly and they don't get a pimple and they don't, their blood work actually looks okay. I have seen that. I have seen that in my, in my coaching. And some men take just a little, like we were saying, and they want to kill everybody and drive their car through a wall and they turn into a werewolf. You know, like back hair and pimples. So the base of it is genetics.

Starting point is 00:21:52 The base of it is genetics. Then after that is your length of cycle, I believe is even more important than your dosage. But dosage does matter. But if you're asking what drugs do women use, I think that Anivar is probably the most abused drug in the industry. I learned after I quit powerlifting I was not on the right drugs. These girls are taking the big guns, and it's making them real strong. There's a lot of drugs that are NPP. What is that?

Starting point is 00:22:25 It's a form of deca. Deca. Yeah, it's a deca derivative. The Nandrolone? Nandrolone, yeah. NPP is used heavily in strength sports and then layered with those other drugs like Anabar and Premobil and things like that. I never touched those.

Starting point is 00:22:39 I never... Which also could be why that when I started bodybuilding, I had such a good response because I only really messed with those very little drops of anivar here and there. Plus, I also get really strong from testosterone. Yes. But – Absolutely. It's a little bit more –

Starting point is 00:22:53 There's nothing wrong with that. Yeah. There's nothing wrong. And sometimes you take mild amounts and get great results. I am on three milligrams of testosterone as an HRT because I've shut myself down. Is it like a cream or something? No, it's injectable. Oh, okay.

Starting point is 00:23:05 Yeah. Cream's a little hard to gauge. And three milligrams is like nothing. It just puts you basically at a higher level of a normal woman. Do you have to take it every day? No. No. Once a week.

Starting point is 00:23:15 Once a week. Okay. Yeah. And then how old were you when you started taking anything? Second year of powerlifting. Mm-hmm. Crunching in the microphone. So that was like 31 yeah yeah

Starting point is 00:23:27 so you've already had tons of years of training under your belt you were past i guess maturity right where everything was like you know some people start when they're in their early 20s right late teens right but you were in a place where you've had years of training everything's developed well so then you start and you have decent responses. Maybe some people get bad responses because they're just starting way too fucking young. I think I agree with that. But I also think the bigger danger is they didn't treat, they didn't reach their natural potential, which is what you were looking for in that so i had reached close to my natural potential i mean i was repping out 315 in deadlift took completely natural off of like no food just a

Starting point is 00:24:13 cup of coffee you know what i mean i i was my baseline so naturally when you enhance on top of that i guess what i'm saying is i started an elite level, which I didn't recognize until probably now because I have low self-esteem. So after I got both my pro cards and stuff, I was like, I think I have a genetic advantage here or something. You know what I mean? So I think that, yes, starting young

Starting point is 00:24:37 can affect the way it, your side effects is what you were saying. And that's because you probably cycle for a long time and that goes back to that length i was saying so you're cycling for a long time or just too many because we all need an expiration date here in this sport in this lifestyle you cannot do what we call blasting and and all that stuff in in the the world that we live in forever it has to have an expiration date so like my husband says, you need to have a plan, have a goal,

Starting point is 00:25:07 and have a timeline to hit those goals. And if you don't, be okay with stepping away.

Mark Bell's Power Project - The TRUTH About Female Steroid Use

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