Steroids can come with a range of benefits. They can help you pack on muscle mass quickly. Improve your recovery time, letting you make the most of your gym time allowing you to burn through fat.

But they also come with a major downside. They can convert to estrogen causing a range of harsh side effects. Thankfully, there is a way to prevent these negative impacts. You can use an aromatase inhibitor. Two of the most popular options on the market are Aromasin and Arimidex. Both have their positives. Both have some downsides to consider. Which one is best for you? Let’s find out.

Why Aromatase Inhibitors Are Important

First, though, let’s break down what an aromatase inhibitor does. Showing why it’s so important to include them in your steroid cycle.

Estrogen Side Effects

When you take steroids, they take a profound toll on your body. Binding to your androgen receptors. This increases the amount of testosterone in your body. This is good. Testosterone helps you gain muscle rapidly. But there is a dark side. The excess testosterone will be converted into estrogen. This will produce a range of unwanted side effects. Here are some of the things you might experience:

• The excess estrogen can cause males to develop feminine features. The most common example is the creation of breast tissue. Leading to the dreaded man-boobs.
• Mood swings. Hormonal imbalances can take their toll on your mental health. Some people find it harder to control their anger. Others will find it harder to get to sleep. Making it harder to focus during the day. Or you might find yourself becoming more anxious or depressed.
• If you have a history of balding in your family, you should be careful. Steroids can send your risks skyrocketing. It might also cause you to develop oily skin or acne.
• Steroids can cause you to retain water weight. Making you appear bloated. At the end of the bulking cycle, you’ll need to start cutting. Getting rid of the weight to look your best before a competition.
• Impact on your fertility. Some men report low sperm counts. Preventing them from impregnating a woman. But that’s not all. High estrogen levels can make it harder for you to develop an erection. It can also change your libido. Lowering your desire for sex.

How Aromatase Inhibitors Can Help

Many people are understandably embarrassed about the occurrence of these side effects. Sometimes, men are so ashamed of their man boobs that they don’t want to take their shirts off. Even after all their hard work in the gym, they don’t want to show off their muscles.

Aromatase inhibitors prevent this. Blocking the aromatase enzyme, which lurks in your fat tissue. This is what converts the testosterone to estrogen. Lowering the amount of estrogen in your system and reducing your chances of developing unpleasant side effects.

Do Women Need Aromatase Inhibitors?

Most of the time, a rise in estrogen level isn’t damaging for women. Because of this, they might not need an aromatase inhibitor. But there are a few circumstances where you might choose to take one anyway. Most commonly, as a way to deal with the effects of steroid use. Specifically, stopping the drugs from leaving you bloated.

If you do decide to take an aromatase inhibitor, you’ll need to be careful. You won’t need a powerful dose to feel the effects. Half of what men are taking should be plenty.

The Basics Of Aromasin

Aromasin began its life as a treatment for breast cancer. The idea was simple. This type of cancer grows faster when estrogen levels are higher. Lowering estrogen levels should help slow cancer growth. Giving treatments like chemotherapy the best chance of success.

Aromasin lowers estrogen levels by acting as a suicide inhibitor. Bonding to the aromatase enzyme molecules and killing them. Dramatically reducing the amount of estrogen in your body.

Benefits Of Aromasin

One of the biggest reasons why people are concerned about taking steroids is their impact on cholesterol levels. These drugs dramatically raise your bad cholesterol levels. Greatly increasing the chance of cardiovascular problems, like heart attacks and strokes. The good news is that Aromasin can help with this aspect. Keeping your lipid levels in check. Managing your cholesterol levels.

Drawbacks of Aromasin

Aromasin isn’t as damaging as Arimidex. But it still has some negative side effects. First, you might lose some hair. This is both the hair on your head and your body hair. How bad this will get varies. It has a genetic element to it. If hair loss runs in your family, the results will be worse.

However, the more concerning aspect is that it can replicate the effects of menopause. Even if you are a man. Here are some of the things to be concerned about:

• Hot flashes
• Mood swings
• Increased risk of depression
• Trouble getting to sleep
• Joint pain
• Fatigue

There isn’t much you can do to eliminate the risks of these side effects. You can try lowering the dose. But this might limit the effectiveness of the drug.

As always, consider the long-term impacts of taking the drug. In particular, Aromasin has been linked to a higher risk of osteoporosis. This isn’t going to prove fatal. But it will still make your old age more uncomfortable.

How To Take Aromasin

Aromasin is a powerful aromatase inhibitor. Because of this, you will only need a small amount. Inexperienced users should start at 1mg per day. Once you are used to this drug, you can increase the dose to 12.5mg. However, you shouldn’t go beyond this level. To get the best effects, take Aromasin with your food.

The Basics Of Arimidex

Now that we have a better idea of how Aromasin works, let’s turn our attention to Arimidex. This drug was also invented to fight against breast cancer. Controlling estrogen to limit the growth of cancer.

Benefits Of Arimidex

There are plenty of reasons why people gravitate to Arimidex. First, you don’t need to worry about the hair loss associated with Aromasin. It can still occur. But it’s far rarer. As we’ll discuss, you can still get some menopause symptoms. But they tend to be milder and easier to control.

It’s also important to discuss how long this drug takes to work. Aromasin tends to take a week to start to have an effect.  This can be a problem when using potent fast-acting steroids. Arimidex is much faster. You’ll be controlling your estrogen levels within a few days.

Cons Of Using Arimidex

While there are plenty of upsides, things aren’t all sunny. First, you’ll need to pay attention to your dosing schedule. Miss one dose and you’ll be feeling the effects.

You’ll also need to deal with menopause-lite symptoms. Expect to have some mental struggles. You might find it harder to go to sleep. Or struggle to keep a lid on your emotions.

But the biggest worry is the effect that Arimidex has on your cholesterol levels. It will raise your blood pressure. Steroids also raise your cholesterol levels. This has the potential to cause big problems. Heart attacks and strokes are more possible. Especially, if heart troubles run in your family.

How To Take Arimidex

You’ll need to start taking Arimidex during the second week of the cycle. Due to the shorter half-life, the effects will show up faster than Aromasin. It’s generally recommended that you take 0.5mg per week, dosing twice a week.

As always, these are general guidelines. Customize it to better suit your needs. If you are new to aromatase inhibitors or are taking a milder steroid, you might require a lower dose.

Other Elements To Consider

Picking between Arimidex and Aromasin can be tough. There are a few other differences to keep in mind:

• Perhaps, you find that one is more common in your local area. But don’t worry if you can’t find a supplier. You will often be able to get these substances online. Just make sure that you’re using a reputable outlet. Ensuring that your products are safe to use. Generally, you’ll find it easier to get your hands on Arimidex.
• For many bodybuilders, the preferred option is Aromasin. But there’s a reason they aren’t using it. It is very expensive. Almost double the price of Arimidex. Add that to the cost of buying the steroids and you’ll have a pricey cycle.
• Aromasin is the stronger option. It’ll help bring your estrogen levels down. On the other hand, Arimidex will just help you control your estrogen.
• Both of these drugs are approved for cancer control only. They need to be taken under the supervision of a doctor. Taking them for bodybuilding purposes might not be legal. Get caught and you could face harsh penalties. It also means that there isn’t any research on how to take these drugs safely.

Which Option Is Best For You?

Now comes the big question. Which one should you choose? In reality, both will do a good job. It all comes down to which one you prefer. But there are a few things to keep in mind. First, Aromasin will be more effective at controlling your estrogen. This is good for cycles with potent steroids. Greatly reducing your chances of aromatization.

But there are plenty of reasons to pick Arimidex. First, the menopause-related side effects will be milder. It’s also a lot cheaper and it’s easier to get your hands on. Just be aware that it can raise your cholesterol levels. This can be a real health threat. Consider your family history. If heart attack and stroke run in the family, it might be best to choose another option.

Before you make your final decision, though, chat with your doctor. Talk about how the aromatase inhibitor will interact with other medication you might be taking. Make sure that you aren’t accidentally damaging your health.

Other Ways Of Controlling Estrogen Levels When Taking Steroids

These drugs are effective. But they aren’t your only options when you want to control your estrogen levels. Here are some other ideas you can explore.

Using Your Diet To Control Estrogen

The food you eat will control how much estrogen is released from your system. Because of this, you can tailor your diet to control estrogen. Here are some foods that you should eat to avoid aromatization:

• Soy products
• Broccoli
• Brussel Sprouts
• Cauliflower
• Oyster mushrooms
• Turmeric

There are also some foods that you should avoid eating, they include:

• Alcohol
• Lentils
• Peanuts
• Chickpeas

Making Lifestyle Changes

Your lifestyle will impact the amount of estrogen building up in your body. Here are some things that should keep your estrogen in check:

• Getting plenty of exercise
• Having the right amount of sleep
• Eating a healthy diet

Most of this should be fairly simple for a bodybuilder. You might just need to watch the amount of sleep you’re getting. Some drugs can cause insomnia. In this case, you might need to take sleeping tablets.

Be Careful About Environmental Estrogen

Some products can cause estrogen to leach into your body. Normally, these are at low levels and don’t cause any problems. But if you are trying to balance your hormones, it’s important to keep this in mind. Avoid foods that have been wrapped in plastic. Don’t use shampoos that have high paraben levels. Be selective about the meat you eat. Don’t use those that are raised with synthetic hormone injections.

Stick To Natural Supplements

It’s a good idea to consider alternatives to steroids, like the ones provided by Crazy Mass. Made from natural ingredients, they can help you grow muscle mass safely. Without any of the nasty side effects. Eliminating the need for aromatase inhibitors. Even better, they are completely legal.

Conclusion

Taking anabolic steroids will deliver powerful effects. But you’ll need to put up with some harsh side effects. One of the ways to get around these impacts is by taking aromatase inhibitors. They can control the risk of aromatization, caused by estrogen build-up. But will introduce you to a new range of potential problems, like getting menopausal symptoms. Carefully weigh the pros and cons before deciding if this is the right approach for you.