Of course, relatively few readers of this magazine are men seeking HRT. Most of the interest in Nasobol relates to its application for improving muscle mass, strength, and affecting mood or sex drive/function. There is actually some promise here, though it is highly unlikely that Nasobol would ever be marketed or approved for such use in eugonadal men (men with normal testosterone concentra- tion).15It is actually more likely that the delivery technique would be pirat- ed by elite trainers or coaches to improve an athlete’s performance in a manner that would not affect his/her ability to pass a drug test.
Recall that Nasobol provided a reli- able peak in testosterone within 60-90 minutes.11That peak could be timed to coincide with training, competition, or sexual activity to optimize perfor- mance.16If used in a drug-tested event, it is unlikely that a single spike would result in an elevated urine- based drug test. If use is restricted to pre-event only (once-per-week or less), it is unlikely that natural produc- tion would be affected or the testos- terone:epitestosterone ratio would be elevated. If illicit formulators followed the example of Patrick Arnold’s ‘cream’ product, pirated nasally- administered testosterone formula- tions could be formulated as a blend of testosterone and epitestosterone, allowing for more frequent use with- out exceeding the WADA testos- terone:epitestosterone cutoff. However, it is unclear what effect chronic (long-term) use would have on a eugonadal adult. In all likelihood, maintaining a supraphysiologic con- centration of testosterone via nasal administration would be expensive and inconvenient. This fact may actu- ally play in favor of the product, as it lessens the likelihood of abuse for muscle-building purposes.
One area where both pirated and prescribed products may be used is in sexual enhancement, for both men and women. Testosterone con- centrations are believed to be criti- cal in promoting sexual arousal and libido in both men and women.17,18
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MDCurrently, there is no FDA-approved product for increasing testosterone for the purpose of restoring sexual desire or arousal in women; testos- terone patches designed for this purpose have not been approved by the FDA.
Viagra, and similar drugs, are effec- tive for the majority of men with erec- tile dysfunction. However, the combi- nation of a testosterone spike, timed appropriately with one of the approved erectile dysfunction drugs (e.g., Viagra), would be very effective in both enhancing the ability to develop and maintain an erection, as well as supporting sexual desire.
Unfortunately, there is no data from the M et P Pharma AG studies to con- firm or reject this hypothesis.
For the athlete or bodybuilder seeking to enhance his physique, Nasobol does not appear to offer any advantage over the time-proven orals and injectables— other than possibly allowing one to pass a drug test (assuming use is not chronic, or the product is blended with epitestosterone; also, isotope
testing would reveal doping if such test is applied). The primary advan- tage to a eugonadal male seeking a training or performance advantage would be a brief surge in aggres- sion, drive and competitiveness; as well as possibly improving recovery. Many more men and women would be interested in the potential this product would have in promoting sexual desire and/or arousal.
M et P Pharma AG is not devel- oping Nasobol for the purpose of performance enhancement, sports or sexual. It is seeking to develop another option for male HRT that offers a unique advantage, that being testosterone delivery in a physiologic pattern. Whether this product is accepted by consumers and professionals once it passes FDA approval remains to be seen. It would be interesting to see if Nasobol is useful as a sexual aid, either alone or as an adjunct to cur- rent erectile dysfunction drugs. Perhaps that is an area where researchers might also direct their efforts.
testosterone
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By Robbie Durand, M.A. www.musculardevelopment.com June 2009