Cardiac autonomic dysfunction in anabolic steroid users

Abstract

This study aimed to evaluate if androgenic-anabolic steroids (AAS) abuse may induce cardiac autonomic dysfunction in recreational trained subjects. Twenty-two men were volunteered for the study. The AAS group (n = 11) utilized AAS at mean dosage of 410 ± 78.6 mg/week. All of them were submitted to submaximal exercise testing using an Astrand-Rhyming protocol. Electrocardiogram (ECG) and respired gas analysis were monitored at rest, during, and post-effort. Mean values of VO2 , VCO2 , and VE were higher in AAS group only at rest. The heart rate variability variables were calculated from ECG using MATLAB-based algorithms. At rest, AAS group showed lower values of the standard deviation of R-R intervals, the proportion of adjacent R-R intervals differing by more than 50 ms (pNN50), the root mean square of successive differences (RMSSD), and the total, the low-frequency (LF) and the high-frequency (HF) spectral power, as compared to Control group. After submaximal exercise testing, pNN50, RMSSD, and HF were lower, and the LF/HF ratio was higher in AAS group when compared to control group. Thus, the use of supraphysiological doses of AAS seems to induce dysfunction in tonic cardiac autonomic regulation in recreational trained subjects.

Alterações precoces no padrão eletrocardiográfico em ratos tratados com metandrostenolona

“…Nesse sentido, este trabalho mostra por meio da eletrocardiografia que o tratamento com metandrostenolona altera as dinâmicas elétricas cardíacas promovendo taquicardia, progressivamente ao desenrolar do tratamento, condição que reflete a capacidade da metandrostenolona em modificar o fluxo iônico das vias de dissipação do sinal nas câmaras cardíacas. 20 Além disso, essas alterações significativas podem ter relação com a capacidade do agente anabólico interferir no controle autonômico do coração, sendo sugerido na literatura que os anabolizantes promovem aumento nas respostas taquicárdicas e ao mesmo tempo redução nas respostas bradicárdicas, atuando de forma significativa nos centros de controle do sistema nervoso central. 21 Classicamente, tem sido sugerido que agentes anabolizantes afetam a repolarização ventricular.…”

Anabolic steroids and cardiovascular risk: A national population-based cohort study

“…Indirect evidence of an increased risk of ischemic events has been provided by observational and experimental studies associating AAS use with atherogenesis, thrombogenesis, vasospasm, and endothelial dysfunction (Thiblin and Petersson, 2005;Maravelias et al, 2005). Direct cardiotoxic effects resulting in electrocardiographic disturbance have also been reported (Maior et al, 2013) and may result in contractile myocardial dysfunction (Baggish et al, 2010) and increased susceptibility to ischemic injury. However, the importance of non-symptomatic changes, such as left ventricular hypertrophy and endothelial dysfunction, remain controversial, and the mechanisms behind the possible effects of AAS on the heart are poorly understood (Angell et al, 2012).…”

Effect of voluntary EEG α power increase training on heart rate variability

“…Accord ing to Lin Tao et al, the greatest success in activities such as musical performance, which requires a high degree of self control, is achieved by the musicians with the highest HRV values [13]. It is also believed that HRV increases after switching on the cognitive mechanisms of self regulation during adaptation, for example, to normobaric hypoxia [14], but decreases in such states as attention deficit [15], the use of anabolic steroids by athletes [16], and in depression [17,18]. It is important to note that the vector of changes in HRV depends on the emotional assessment of the cognitive activities performed [19] and the presence or absence of a feedback on the results [12].…”