Researching AI's, I'd like see opinions

[B~RAD]

I'm 19 years old, have my diet in check, have my training in check,I get a little stronger every workout, but still want some more help. I still want to wait before going to the dark side. I was wanting to know what you guys think about products like novedex xt as a standalone. I've done some searches and many people like it, but I'm not sure about whether someone as young as me can benefit from it or any other AI's.

 

[Dezzy]

Honestly, I think it would be a waste of money at your age, ur test is already raging! Take the $30-40 and by some steaks...or if u want a supplement get a quality creatine product to give you a boost. I'm not just sayin it bro, I don't think you will see much difference in performance from it., maybe a little acne. If you wanna make sure your test levels are on point, make sure your taking in plenty of healthy fats.

 

[B~RAD]

Honestly, I think it would be a waste of money at your age, ur test is already raging! Take the $30-40 and by some steaks...or if u want a supplement get a quality creatine product to give you a boost. I'm not just sayin it bro, I don't think you will see much difference in performance from it., maybe a little acne. If you wanna make sure your test levels are on point, make sure your taking in plenty of healthy fats.

thanks for the opinion, thats what a lot of people have told me;that i wouldn't see anything from it. Yet, one of my buddies is only 18 and is taking "androtest" (test booster, AI) and gained 8lb in a month and good strength gains.So I'm not sure what to believe haha. My diet is right on. all my fats come from evoo,milk, and fish. Usually around 300g of protein a day. I weight 160.

 

[Dezzy]

thanks for the opinion, thats what a lot of people have told me;that i wouldn't see anything from it. Yet, one of my buddies is only 18 and is taking "androtest" (test booster, AI) and gained 8lb in a month and good strength gains.So I'm not sure what to believe haha. My diet is right on. all my fats come from evoo,milk, and fish. Usually around 300g of protein a day. I weight 160.

I think lean beef is the best protein source for bodybuilders personally...

 

[Stewie Griffon]

I think lean beef is the best protein source for bodybuilders personally...

you and me both

 

[Flex2019]

Keep waiting bro...I trained/competed naturally at 19yrs old, though I had a lot of friends that suggested I do otherwise. Took me another 10 years to finally take the plunge, and I'm glad I waited as long as I did. You have plenty of time to learn how different types of diet and training affect your body before adding anything else.

I think lean beef is the best protein source for bodybuilders personally...

I agree with this-I have almost completely taken chicken and turkey out of my diet and I'm convinced that lean beef helps keep my muscles harder and more dense. I go through about 12lbs per week.

 

[donjoy]

thanks for the opinion, thats what a lot of people have told me;that i wouldn't see anything from it. Yet, one of my buddies is only 18 and is taking "androtest" (test booster, AI) and gained 8lb in a month and good strength gains.So I'm not sure what to believe haha. My diet is right on. all my fats come from evoo,milk, and fish. Usually around 300g of protein a day. I weight 160.

Understandable that you would be skeptical when you have friends taking supps that give them 8lbs. However with some of the PHs out there you might as well just be taking gear (keep in mind M1T was legal not too long ago ). That being said you might as well just wait and get some creatine or something to that effect. The size will come but it just takes a good bit of time. I would say the money would be better spent on one of the trainers we have here on the board. That way if you finally do decide to go over to the dark side you will have such a solid foundation the gear would only be icing on the cake.

I have issues with patience just like anyone else, at 19 it is a sign of your maturity that you are asking on here before jumping into something.

 

[aviatrix]

I have issues with patience just like anyone else, at 19 it is a sign of your maturity that you are asking on here before jumping into something.

Yeah, good call.

 

[B~RAD]

Understandable that you would be skeptical when you have friends taking supps that give them 8lbs. However with some of the PHs out there you might as well just be taking gear (keep in mind M1T was legal not too long ago ). That being said you might as well just wait and get some creatine or something to that effect. The size will come but it just takes a good bit of time. I would say the money would be better spent on one of the trainers we have here on the board. That way if you finally do decide to go over to the dark side you will have such a solid foundation the gear would only be icing on the cake.

I have issues with patience just like anyone else, at 19 it is a sign of your maturity that you are asking on here before jumping into something.

Thanks a lot. Money isn't too much of a problem. I've been training with phil since last october. He's helped me get stronger than shit, which is great because I do strongman, not bodybuilding. But I know my weight is holding me back so I'm looking for something that can give me an edge without going to the dark side. Thats why I was thinking about aromatase inhibitors.

 

[iprimate]

I'm 19 years old, have my diet in check, have my training in check,I get a little stronger every workout, but still want some more help. I still want to wait before going to the dark side. I was wanting to know what you guys think about products like novedex xt as a standalone. I've done some searches and many people like it, but I'm not sure about whether someone as young as me can benefit from it or any other AI's.

I think taking an AI at your age is a good idea but I wouldn't recommend Novedex XT.

Why do I think using an AI at your age is a good idea?

(1) Your epiphyses may not have yet closed and using an aromatase inhibitor may enable you to gain more vertical height. It was once thought that closure of the epiphyses was governed by androgens but it is actually governed by estrogen[1][2][3] By using an aromatase inhibitor -- assuming your epiphyses haven't closed -- you will be able to delay closure of the epiphyses which will enable you to grow taller[4][5].

(2) Using an AI will boost your androgen levels in a way that will not disrupt your HPTA or damage your liver. This will help you get the muscle mass you want.

The epiphyses close at around age 20 in most people so you may have a chance of growing a little taller.

I suggest you try Exemestane at around 12mg/day.

Using an aromatisable AAS or even a testosterone booster (other than an AI) without an AI if you are under 20 could prevent you from reaching your genetic height. Your 18 year old friend could be prematurely terminating his vertical growth period. Androtest isn't an AI, its a forumulation based on the herbs Tribulis Terrestris and Eurycoma Longifolia (I don't know about the efficacy of these herbs in elevating testosterone levels). An AI is an aromatase inhibitor i.e. a substance that inhibits an enzyme called aromatase which catalyses the conversion of testosterone to estrogen. Neither Tribulis nor Tongat Ali act as AIs. AIs act as testosterone boosters but not all testosterone boosters are AIs. Is this distinction clear in your head?

 

[gelatine]

I suggest you try Exemestane at around 12mg/day.

That seems really high! Like, that's what I'd consider a good dose while on 500mg test. I've been taking ~12mg every 3 days off cycle, and that's produced some noticeable results.

 

[Researchstop]

There seems to be a little confusion here.

I am not recommending you use an AI or not use one. I don't give advice to someone your age. No offense.

Using an AI will boost your natural Test levels. It does this because the part of your "head to testes" signal known as the HPTA measures how much estrogen you have in your blood. Because your Aromatase converts your Testosterone (Test) to estrogen you have a lot estrogen circulating at the same time. If your estrogen is lower then your HPTA reads that as a measure that you are low on Test. So it signals the Testes to starting making Test for you. Then if you use an Aromatase Inhibitor (AI) and it lowers your estrogen levels by killing off the Aromatase that would otherwise be making estrogen from your Test, the HPTA reads "low estrogen, must make Test now" and now you've fooled your HPTA because even though you really do have enough Test, it still makes more. This is how your Test levels go up above normal with an AI.

About your growth plates closing. This won't happen if you use this method. Know why? Because the rest of your body uses the same system. It doesn't measure your Test levels to determine when to close the plates. It measures estrogen. Get it? Your Test levels can rise and the plates won't close because the Aromatase Inhibitor is keeping the estrogen away.

Some of this is posted

 

[iprimate]

That seems really high! Like, that's what I'd consider a good dose while on 500mg test. I've been taking ~12mg every 3 days off cycle, and that's produced some noticeable results.

Actually its a conservative dose:

Exemestane (a third generation non-competitive, selectiveand irreversible aromatase inhibitor): a pharmacokinetic study with healthy eugonadalmen(aged 14-26 years) showed suppression of plasma estradiol levels both with the 25 mg/day and the 50 mg/day doses, and a reciprocal increase in the concentration of testosterone. With the 25 mg/day dose, time to maximum concentration is 1 hour, indicating rapid absorption. Half-life is 8.9 hours, and maximal estradiol suppression (62±14%) was observed at 12 hours. The drug is well tolerated.[6][1]

 

[B~RAD]

I think taking an AI at your age is a good idea but I wouldn't recommend Novedex XT.

Why do I think using an AI at your age is a good idea?

(1) Your epiphyses may not have yet closed and using an aromatase inhibitor may enable you to gain more vertical height. It was once thought that closure of the epiphyses was governed by androgens but it is actually governed by estrogen[1][2][3] By using an aromatase inhibitor -- assuming your epiphyses haven't closed -- you will be able to delay closure of the epiphyses which will enable you to grow taller[4][5].

(2) Using an AI will boost your androgen levels in a way that will not disrupt your HPTA or damage your liver. This will help you get the muscle mass you want.

The epiphyses close at around age 20 in most people so you may have a chance of growing a little taller.

I suggest you try Exemestane at around 12mg/day.

Using an aromatisable AAS or even a testosterone booster (other than an AI) without an AI if you are under 20 could prevent you from reaching your genetic height. Your 18 year old friend could be prematurely terminating his vertical growth period. Androtest isn't an AI, its a forumulation based on the herbs Tribulis Terrestris and Eurycoma Longifolia (I don't know about the efficacy of these herbs in elevating testosterone levels). An AI is an aromatase inhibitor i.e. a substance that inhibits an enzyme called aromatase which catalyses the conversion of testosterone to estrogen. Neither Tribulis nor Tongat Ali act as AIs. AIs act as testosterone boosters but not all testosterone boosters are AIs. Is this distinction clear in your head?

Very clear in my head. Thank you for the post. I'm familiar with the old "androtest" and know its tribulus based. The one my friend is taking is andro test "extreme" and he told me it was an AI. I havent looked at the ingredient profile to actually see if thats true.

I'm not familiar at all with Exemestane. I've never even heard of it. I plan on researching it tonight and maybe asking some questions. Thanks for the help. One question before I research though, will Exemestane mess with my libido? I heard that most people on novedex xt have ZERO sex drive, and considering I have a gf, that wouldn't be good lol

 

[B~RAD]

iprimate-

Okay, I know I said that money wasn't really an issue, but HOLY HELL! 20mg for 37$?? That's way too much money. I'm looking for something under 100$. You said you wouldn't go with novedex xt. Are there better otc AI's?

 

[John99Test]

Go with exemestane (Aromasin). It won't mess with your lipids if you chill on it for a while.

 

[iprimate]

iprimate-

Okay, I know I said that money wasn't really an issue, but HOLY HELL! 20mg for 37$?? That's way too much money. I'm looking for something under 100$. You said you wouldn't go with novedex xt. Are there better otc AI's?

ResearchStop (one of the board's sponsors) sells 1.5g for US$80. That is 120 X 12.5mg doses i.e. 4 months supply. Compare this with Novedex XT:

US$35 for 60 capsules, recommended dose is 2-4 capsules:
2 capsules X 30 days => 1 month supply => 4 month supply is US$140
4 capsules x 15 days => 2 week supply => 4 month supply is US$280

So Exemestane -- a well-studied AI -- comes out much cheaper than Novedex XT and it is well under US$100 for a 4 month supply.

 

[iprimate]

One question before I research though, will Exemestane mess with my libido? I heard that most people on novedex xt have ZERO sex drive, and considering I have a gf, that wouldn't be good lol

If you remove too much estrogen from your body you will experience erectile problems and your libido will be reduced. So sexual problems are possible with any AI. Exemestane is comparatively gentle, it does not wipe out all of your estrogen even in larger doses (ref. study I quoted). At 12.5mg/day this is unlikely but if you do experience any adverse effects just halve the dosage.

 

[B~RAD]

If you remove too much estrogen from your body you will experience erectile problems and your libido will be reduced. So sexual problems are possible with any AI. Exemestane is comparatively gentle, it does not wipe out all of your estrogen even in larger doses (ref. study I quoted). At 12.5mg/day this is unlikely but if you do experience any adverse effects just halve the dosage.

WOW.... I dont know how I can ever repay you for all the great info. I've been googling it for half an hour and the only studies I can really find are on cancer patients. But you've cleared up just about everything for me thanks so much. I'm going to do more research for a few more days and then probably place my order. Thanks a ton

 

[iprimate]

WOW.... I dont know how I can ever repay you for all the great info.

I would consider myself repaid if when you eventually start using AAS and become built like tank you don't become a tool or a violent thug. Become an ambassador for intelligent AAS use and self-responsibility.