What aromatase inhibitors do and which ones to buy
When it comes to supplementation and your lifting journey, there are a lot of different routes that you can go. From protein powders to creatine, there are many different over-the-counter supplements that you can try that are aimed at putting on muscle mass, losing fat, and overall keeping you healthy. Maybe later on in your career, as you get into more serious supplements, you have heard of aromatase inhibitors, and maybe you have even tried them.
In this post, we do a deep dive into what aromatase inhibitors are, what they are used for, and which one is the best option for bodybuilding.
What is Aromatization?
Aromatization is the process that converts testosterone into estrogen, which is a natural process that your body goes through to maintain homeostasis, as your body has to have a good testosterone to estrogen ratio. For example, if you are using exogenous hormones that will increase your testosterone levels, your body naturally makes more estrogen to balance everything out and keep you healthy. The reason this process is called aromatization is because the chief enzyme involved in the conversion of testosterone to estrogen is called the aromatase enzyme.
Higher estrogen levels in men can lead to unwanted side effects, such as difficulty putting on muscle mass, mood swings, low sex drive, increased body fat, and so on. High estrogen levels mimic that of low testosterone levels. These are things that make the lifting journey that much more difficult.
It has actually been found that about 80% of estrogen in men is from testosterone, through aromatization.
What is an Aromatase Inhibitor?
Aromatase inhibitors are used for the blocking of the enzyme aromatase, which turns the hormone androgen into small amounts of estrogen in the body. Typically, you will see the use of aromatase inhibitors to treat hormone receptor-positive breast cancer that relies on estrogen to grow. They do not work on hormone receptor-negative breast cancer.
While they are typically used to treat breast cancer, aromatase inhibitors are typically used by women, right? Well, they actually have a place in bodybuilding, and are used more often by men than you think. (1)
Aromatase Inhibitors for Men
Believe it or not, aromatase inhibitors are often used by males, specifically in the bodybuilding industry, Many times, they will be taken alongside an anabolic steroid cycle, to prevent estrogen levels from rising and side effects like acne and gynecomastia (growth of female breast tissue) from arising.
Estrogen is a hormone in men as well, and when on a steroid cycle, estrogen levels will rise to match the spike in testosterone levels, which can cause unwanted feminine issues. Not only that, but aromatase inhibitors are even prescribed alongside medically prescribed testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) to help mitigate the side effects of a rise in estrogen levels.
Aside from exogenous hormone usage, men can have high estrogen levels. Recent studies are finding that the foods we eat and even things that we drink can raise estradiol levels in men. This can cause an array of unwanted side effects, such as higher levels of body fat, an offset libido, erectile dysfunction, difficulty putting on muscle mass, depression, weak bone density, and others. For that reason, you may see doctors prescribing aromatase inhibitors to combat those effects.
Aromatase inhibitors alone can help to lower estrogen levels and even raise testosterone levels, which would in turn help to counter those side effects of higher estrogen levels, such as irregular sex drive and difficulty putting on muscle mass. (2)
The Downsides of Aromatase Inhibitors
Aromatase inhibitors can also cause a few unwanted side effects. Some of those side effects include:
- Night sweats
- Headaches
- Nausea
- Joint pain
- Too low of estrogen levels
These are all unwanted side effects, and things like joint pain can really inhibit your workouts. Not to mention, while aromatase inhibitors are designed to block estrogen, having too low of estrogen can cause similar side effects to high estrogen and low testosterone.
Another downside of aromatase inhibitors is that insurance may not always cover them, and they can be pretty hard to get. Even though you may have too high of estrogen and too low of testosterone, doctors are not going to be so quick to prescribe these products to you, and they are not always cheap.
That being said, are there any good, over-the-counter options of aromatase inhibitors?
AROMATEST
Whether you’re a natural athlete or an enhanced athlete, if you want to get the best results and build hard dense muscle, you should understand a process known as aromatization, and how to gain control of it.
AROMATEST is a potent and natural aromatase inhibitor that contains OctaPren, a proprietary prenyl flavonoid extract of Xanthohumol (XN) and 8-prenylnaringenin (8-PN), formulated in a super-bioavailable lipophilic delivery system. AROMATEST reduces the conversion of testosterone to estrogen by binding to and disabling the aromatase enzyme. Thereby, helping to naturally increase testosterone levels and lower estrogen for enhanced muscle building and male performance.
Let’s take a look at the specifics.
Who Should Use AROMATEST
Natural athletes looking to boost their testosterone levels as well as improve their testosterone to estrogen ratio can take AROMATEST, as this is an all natural aromataste inhibitor that also boosts testosterone. Some natural testosterone boosters also can convert to estrogen, so AROMATEST is good for men taking these as well, to inhibit the estrogenic conversions.
Even though it is a natural aromatase inhibitor, individuals using PEDS can also benefit from using AROMATEST, to reduce the testosterone and other anabolic androgens they are taking from converting testosterone to estrogen throughout their cycles. AROMATEST is also able to be used as a post cycle therapy (PCT) to help prevent off-cycle crashes in testosterone and spikes in estrogen.
AROMATEST can also benefit men over 40, because as men age, their testosterone begins to decline. They can also experience shifts in their testosterone to estrogen ratio. AROMATEST offers men a natural alternative to medically prescribed aromatase inhibitors.
Servings and Price
AROMATEST contains 500mg of OctraPren per serving, and each serving size is one gel capsule.
When it comes to price, you are getting a testosterone booster mixed in with an all natural, but potent aromatase inhibitor, so it is basically a two-in-one product. With 30 servings, you will pay $59.99!
Many other aromatase inhibitors are that price on their own, and testosterone boosters are not cheap either, so you are getting both together for a great price.
Our Verdict on AROMATEST
No Generation Iron review is complete without a review from our experiences. With the all natural aromatase inhibitor, AROMATEST, we noticed a few different things.
- Leaner, drier physique
- Increased sex drive
- Higher libido
Aromatase Inhibitors for Bodybuilding Wrap Up
Hormones are not something that you want out of whack. Too much or not enough of one thing can really be detrimental to your physique and progress. Too high of estrogen and too low of testosterone can make or break your physique and mental state, and that is why products like aromatase inhibitors exist.
Unfortunately, medically prescribed options are not always the easiest to get, nor are they the cheapest, and they can also give you an array of side effects. AROMATEST is a product that we can firmly recommend as a natural aromatase inhibitor.
Will you be giving it a try?
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References
- Aromatase inhibitors: Benefits, side effects, and more. (n.d.). https://www.breastcancer.org/treatment/hormonal-therapy/aromatase-inhibitors (1)
- de Ronde, W., & de Jong, F. H. (2011, June 21). Aromatase inhibitors in men: Effects and therapeutic options. Reproductive biology and endocrinology : RB&E. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3143915/#:~:text=Aromatase%20inhibitors%20may%20be%20used%20to%20treat%20or%20prevent%20gynecomastia,and%20thereby%20increase%20adult%20height. (2)
- Breast cancer prevention: Aromatase inhibitors. Breast Cancer Prevention: Aromatase Inhibitors | American Cancer Society. (n.d.). https://www.cancer.org/cancer/types/breast-cancer/risk-and-prevention/aromatase-inhibitors-for-lowering-breast-cancer-risk.html
- Aromatase inhibitors in men: Effects and therapeutic options. (n.d.). https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3143915/
