Long-term TRT, Testosterone Injections, & Muscle Strength Benefits

We'll discuss the long-term benefits of testosterone therapy and explain the different types of testosterone injections available. Scar tissue may actually be a good thing for muscle strength.

In this video, I'm discussing the benefits of testosterone injections and testosterone therapy for those looking to increase muscle strength and libido. We'll cover topics like long-term testosterone therapy benefits, testosterone injections for muscle growth through scar tissue build up.

Transcript

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Brian Mckinley: Hello, this is Brian from Alpha MD. Welcome back and today I'm with Garrett. We're going to have a discussion a little bit about scar tissue in muscles. Or both TRT users and previous steroid. Users people who do a lot of intramuscular injections. We have a couple of really interesting, thought processes behind this, and some personal experiences, so, I'm user Garrett's a TRT user.

Brian Mckinley: what's been your experience Garrett with? what you do? What you've done the areas you've injected. And what if you kind of noticed for your long-term TRT use and if you I don't know, get scar tissue or not. What's your take on it?

Garrett Soames: I mean, that was one of the things that kind of scared me the most about starting. TRT is the injections themselves before I started TRT. I worked in the emergency room for years. and I on a daily basis would see Heroin users, coming in with infections from the injection sites and so I guess since that was what I was seeing on a daily basis I was scared. how long is it gonna be until I get an infection or an abscess or whatever from injections, right? And

Brian Mckinley: Right.

Garrett Soames: and so that was my biggest fear is it's only gonna be a matter of time until I get an infection right, But, I kind of worked through that fear and never really had to deal with that. And, I guess it was an irrational fear because again, heroin is not sterile right, And

Brian Mckinley: No, no, that's not illegal thing made in a pharmacy, right? So,

Garrett Soames: Right, so they're injecting stuff that's from the street and so I just wasn't kind of taking that next step when my thought process and you're like this is of coming from a pharmacy. This is sterile, and as you alcohol,…

Brian Mckinley: Yeah.

Garrett Soames: the skin ahead of time, all is all as well. so that was my biggest fear for myself and overcoming how long is it going to be before I get an infection and

Garrett Soames: so that was but it's been More than 10 years. Now I think it's been on TRT and it's you said I've certainly got to the point where I do have some scar tissue from injects.

Brian Mckinley: I do too. I've been on it for I don't know, five or six years and I think I can certainly tell a difference. between the muscles that I genuinely injected to pretty often and those I don't

Brian Mckinley: I wouldn't say that it's a negative at least for me. I kind of feel like For whatever reason. Because I always do the same muscles. And I do cycle the areas those muscles. Almost seem bigger bulkier and maybe in some cases stronger than they would be. Otherwise I was kind of worried that scar tissue meant no the muscles gonna get all messed up and be Over a long enough period of time, but as someone who doesn't really love doing a lot of leg work and squats because I used my legs for injections pretty often I'd say that I probably have more strength there than I should. And it might be because of the injections being in that area That's very personal perspective.

Garrett Soames: I guess I've sort of had that same thought process too because I usually use the ventralateral glutes, as my injection site.

Garrett Soames: I definitely noticed, maybe an increase in size and my glutes and particular the ventilateral region. and so I guess it's possible. I don't know if there's any, real scientific studies to prove it one way or the other, but I think colloquially speaking. It makes sense if that's the spot where you're injecting androgens. Than the adjacent tissues will be the first to uptake it, right?

Brian Mckinley: Hey, yeah. I could see.

Garrett Soames: So those receptors are going to be the most saturated because they're the most adjacent and then it will spread through the body from there. So that makes some sense. I guess in my mind that You could actually inject specific muscles and those muscles might actually grow a slightly faster than the body.

Brian Mckinley: I actually had a thought of Wow, I did this for my legs. I kind of want some bigger shoulders. What if I started injecting into my deltoids for a while? Same everything but I wouldn't hate that I have had that thought ever…

Garrett Soames: Yeah.

Brian Mckinley: since I have never felt the negatives, the fear and never seemed founded for me. And like you said, I don't think I've ever really encountered. an issue with any type of infections because again it's all sterile but I will say

Brian Mckinley: The body definitely reacts outside of the size. I think I have noticed increased veins in the areas that I do inject over time and I don't really know why, but they're there.

Brian Mckinley: Yeah, and I guess they kind of I don't know. Do you think it's founded that if you inject into certain areas too often that they may Get so built up on scar tissue that it may impede the function of the muscle. Or what's your opinion on that favorite scene? Anything like that?

Garrett Soames: Yeah. again, one patient that does come to mind. I did see a patient who came into the ER, And he had swelling and redness and pain at an injection site. In his glute in his. And he admitted to me that he used the legal steroids, and he purchased the batch from China and had it delivered to him. Anyways. Yeah, He developed an infection in the injection site and due to the area and I was concerned. on the amount of swelling, I ended up doing a CT scan of the area so I could get a better look inside and see. What's the extent to this infection?

Garrett Soames: In the scan he did have, an abscess for sure. But what was interesting is, The scan included both sides and I could see almost like a cobweb of scar tissue in the ventilateral glutes in the area that he had been injecting again and again, for years and years. So, yes, I think you can say with 100% certainty that, the nature of sticking a needle into, any tissue muscle or…

Brian Mckinley: Yeah.

Garrett Soames: not, you're gonna develop some scar tissue over time. But to look at the scan It was an extensive amount of scar tissue, but the guy had no loss of function. He was a very muscular thick guy. I think even while I was draining his abscess we were just chatting about weight lifting and bodybuilding and he was It's quite like 450 and…

Brian Mckinley: Yeah.

Garrett Soames: it so, To have this amount of, scar tissue through the glutes, which obviously, are needed for squats. Yeah, you.

Brian Mckinley: Yeah. Yeah.

Garrett Soames: He had no loss of strength despite the extensive scar tissue, he had. so I definitely seen visually on a scan this scar tissue does develop with repetitive injection of the muscles. But it was also that same experience that made me think. does it matter does a scar tissue cause function loss of strength?

Brian Mckinley: Right.

Brian Mckinley: Yeah, because you've been on it for, like I said, 10 years and you've done ton of ejections and you've never really felt any of that yourself, right?

Garrett Soames: I don't.

Garrett Soames: No, no, here's the thing about it, If a scar tissue in muscle is generally not a big deal, in fact, if you really break it down, What is bodybuilding? What is hypertrophy? it's causing micro tears. tiny thousands, and thousands of tiny little tears. That scar back together.

Garrett Soames: And then that scar tissue was thicker, more fibrous. And creates increase in muscle size.

Garrett Soames: Interestingly, increase in strength and contractile strength, right? Scar tissue is not weaker.

Brian Mckinley: Right.

Garrett Soames: It's in technically scar tissue is stronger. then the native tissue was

Brian Mckinley: So, maybe it's strengthening you rather than weakening you, you…

Garrett Soames: …

Brian Mckinley: purely objective, but

Garrett Soames: all I can say is I probably have a significant amount of scar tissue in my glutes but my squats stronger than it's ever been. Right. So That scar tissue is no longer concerned. For me. I would be concerned of if someone were Somehow it, missing and injecting attendant, that's a scar tissues and tendons, a different story but scar tissue in muscle Again, I still consider it micro trauma. It's not a huge needle. It's not like you're cutting in with a scalpel.

Brian Mckinley: Yeah, it's pretty small. Yeah.

Garrett Soames: It's a tiny little poke that Bleeds heels. and lays down issue and…

Brian Mckinley: Yeah. Right,…

Garrett Soames: again that issue is more

Brian Mckinley: vacuum in there as well as it spreads out. So there is some of that to I would assume.

Garrett Soames: Right, right. So I guess my two cents on the whole matter is, yeah, you're gonna get scar tissue, if you're gonna work, repeatedly, cause micro traumas with, injections in the same area. But That's never really been an issue as far as causing problems.

Brian Mckinley: I kind of lines up with my experience. I haven't been doing it as long but if anyone out there has other experience where they've been on medications from actual pharmacies and maybe they want to share Any type of scar tissue build up or personal experiences, Leave those down below. Maybe we'll make Another video at some point in talk about some of those and maybe get into them. So please share your experiences, but

Brian Mckinley: this is kind of a subjective matter because not a lot of studies on this specifically, but it seems like at least for us Scar tissue and muscles Maybe not as big of a concern as we used to think. Yeah.

Garrett Soames: I guess I'll just mention to if that's a concern for anyone, we know now and there's plenty of studies to prove that subcutaneous injections of TRT are entirely safe. the testosterone levels are equivalent to or sometimes, perhaps even slightly higher than I am injections.

Garrett Soames: Again, they seem to work just as well as intramuscular injection. So if provided, you feel fine doing subcutaneous injections, there's no reason you can't choose that over intramuscular, not at all. and I've done both, I am and sub-q. I've found both seem to work equally as well as far as how I feel and the positive effects.

Garrett Soames: so I think as long as you're just using sterile technique, either way, you'll be fine but if scar tissues are concerningers Just pinch some fat and inject it there and there's no reason to think that you can't, do that to, alternate it up or If you are concerned you're getting sore, in the muscles from injection, you can alternate from I am to suck. the dose the dose things the same.

Brian Mckinley: Yeah, that's true. That's true.

Garrett Soames: so, Yeah, the absorption rate in fat is slightly slower. Because there's less blood flow and subcutaneous fat. But what we've found is it creates a depot of that oil so because it's a slower release. If you do repeat sub Q injections technically, You get a much slower rise but also a slower fall. so again, for those who choose to exclusively, use subcutaneous, you are, like we talked about, the waves of highs and lows after injections Subcutaneous basically is a much smoother ride.

Brian Mckinley: Yeah.

Garrett Soames: So, again as long as you Have no problems. sometimes feeling a small little lump where the oils there. that will obviously go down as the body, absorbs it, but it may be the better option for you, So,

Brian Mckinley: Yeah, so I mean there you go. I think you have alternatives. If you're worried about this, if you're someone who's been doing steroids or a TRT for a long time, our opinion are a true opinion not medical opinion. Is that, not that bad. Maybe even beneficial.

Brian Mckinley: Something to kind of be expected and it's a little bit different for muscles than other parts of your body and if you are worried about it sub-q is perfect alternative. if more science comes out we can change our opinion on that but it's kind of what we've seen through an adult evidence presented to us. But thank you for joining us today and we'll be back soon. Thank you very much.