Liver during a steroid Cycle (oral vs injectable cycle)

Although the skin is the largest organ in the human body, the liver is the largest solid organ. Yes, it is massive, weighing, on average, about 1500 grams or 1.5 kg, forming about 2% of the total body mass.

This organ is unique in hundreds of ways. It is the chemical factory of the body. It means that it plays a vital role in producing many vital compounds, including in protein synthesis. It also produces many vital compounds needed by other organs to work correctly.

Another vital liver function is detoxification. It metabolizes foods, chemicals, medications, and toxins that enter the human body, changing them to simpler molecules that can be either used by the body or removed from the body.

Hence, when people inject anything, be it food, medication, or anabolic steroids, they first enter the liver via the portal vein. In the liver, foods and medications undergo first-pass metabolism. After that, medications and/or food items are sent to various tissues or where they are needed.

Oral vs. Injectables Steroids and Liver

Steroids are available for both oral intake and as injectables. Many athletes prefer injectables due to infrequent dosing. For example, some steroids require just a weekly intra-muscular injection, which is quite comfortable.

However, many individuals prefer oral steroids as they fear injectables. It is true that oral drugs and steroids are pretty easy to use and do not cause any pain. Many people have a phobia; thus, they completely avoid injectables.

However, injectables are not just safer; they are generally more effective, too.

As one can understand, after oral intake, steroids reach the liver. In the liver, they undergo first-pass metabolism. This means that part of orally taken steroids are destroyed even before they reach the bloodstream. Not only that, orally taken steroids cause strain on the liver, as metabolism is a complex process. Hence, some steroids may harm the liver a bit. This may be bad and contra-productive, as the liver plays a vital role in anabolic activity, energy, and protein production.

Unlike oral steroids, injectables are able to bypass the liver. It means that they can avoid first-pass metabolism. This means that injectable steroids cause less liver stress and damage. Thus, generally, they are safer.

However, it would be wrong to assume that all oral steroids are relatively bad for the liver. Ultimately, it depends on the chemical structure of the steroid. After all, whether steroid is taken orally or injected, it will ultimately undergo metabolism in the liver. Hence, if some steroids are more toxic, they will still harm the liver even when injected.

So, that means injectables are slightly safer, but that is not always the case. For liver health, it is better to prefer injectables over oral steroids. However, what steroid one uses also matters.

Another reason why oral steroids tend to be more toxic is that one needs to take them at higher dosages compared to injectables. For example, certain testosterone injections may be taken just once fortnightly, making them quite a safe choice.

Further, it is also vital to understand that many injectable steroids are chemically much closer to naturally occurring testosterone, making them a safer choice.

To give you an idea of which of the anabolic steroids are safer and which ones are relatively bad for the liver, we have created a table:

So, as one can see, testosterone is one of the safest options. This is easy to explain. Testosterone is naturally present in the body; thus, it only harms the liver at a higher dosage.

Here, it is worth keeping in mind that those with reported liver toxicity, like Dianabol and Anadrol, are also good for regular use. They cause liver toxicity in rare cases and only in some individuals sensitive to these steroids. It means that one should use special care when starting with these steroids and frequently opt for liver function tests.

Further, it is also worth noticing that liver function tests are important for all people using steroids, even if one is using steroids that are known to be very safe for the liver. This is because all anabolic steroids cause liver stress since they force the liver to produce more proteins and work at a greater pace.

Those using steroids need not worry about liver problems. Instead, they must be careful and monitor their liver health regularly.

Fortunately, the liver is extremely good at regeneration. This means that if you use steroids responsibly and in cycles, then the liver will have ample time to recover from any stress or toxicity caused by steroid use.

To conclude, steroids are quite safe for prolonged and regular use, but they must be used in cycles to provide liver and other organs some rest and recovery time. Further, it is worth noticing that injectable steroids are generally safer than oral steroids. Hence, one should try to overcome the fear of pricks and prefer injectables over oral steroids.

Tags oral, injectable, liver, health, stress, difference