Huge read, very indepth & worth the time.
An interesting program from a few years back.
Some quotes with some highlighted bits that I think are very relevant.
Russian research, based on rat studies, concluded that the most effective dose of Dianabol was .5mg per kilo of bodyweight. Thus Russian sprinters began using approximately 35 mg per day for prolonged periods. This led to the discovery of a new phenomenon called receptor downgrade. Eventually, the body rebels against a continuous over-stimulation of the receptor sites and begins to shut down some of them in an attempt to regain homeostasis (its normal state).In order to maintain the same level of stimulation, it was necessary to either increase the dose continuously until side effects established a dosage ceiling, interrupt the drug protocol (making training adjustments necessary), or to change the drug or add drugs to maintain receptor affinity. The Russians never really got a handle on this problem and adopted the concept of "key performance years," sometimes taking one or two years off drugs (with the resulting performance drop) in order to have a big year when it counted.
The East Germans approached the problem very differently. They developed a protocol based on the administration of 0.125 mg of Turinabol (an East German variant of Dianabol) per kilo of lean body mass. Their optimal dose was much smaller than the Russian dose and was implemented progressively over a number of years. In addition, they cycled the administration of the drug in order to preserve receptor affinity.The typical sprint protocol consisted of five blocks of administration annually. The first cycle started in November and ran for four weeks, followed by a two week break. The second cycle started in mid-December and ran for six weeks, followed by a four week indoor competition period in February. The third cycle started March 1st and ran for four weeks, followed by another two week break. The fourth cycle, also of four weeks, led into the first outdoor competition period which ran from mid-May to mid-June. The fifth and final cycle lasted six weeks and led to the main competition period of the year in August. If the main competition occurred at a different time, the entire season was adjusted accordingly.This system gave a total administration period of 24 weeks with the rest of the year off. The dosage progressed throughout the year with the peak dose occurring during the final six-week block. As the doctors never determined an optimal time of day for steroids, they administered partial doses throughout the day to maintain an even level. This system maintained receptor affinity and, through a gradual increase in dosage, allowed top performances year after year.The maximum state-sanctioned dose recorded in the STASI files for a female sprinter was 1650 mg per year, an average of 9.8 mg/day during the administration period or, viewed another way, an average of 4.5 mg/day over the whole year. The maximum dose recorded for a male sprinter was 1850 mg/year, an average of 11 mg/day during the administration period, or an average of 5 mg/day over the whole year.
Another huge read but worth it.
