Is lean body mass inflated while "on"?

[bigtimechief]

I've been checking my body composition, and my LBM is considerably higher than I've realized. I'm curious as to how much LBM is glycogen stores and water (amongst other things), and how it effects measuring my body comp while using AAS.



Also, as a bonus, would added water weight, say from elevated e2 effect fat measuring? In other words, will the added water weight effect the measurement of my fat caliper?

 

[jozifp103]

Water, glycogen, etc would not count as LBM. The truest way to measure LBM would be the Hydrostatic method where you are submerged underwater, or a Dexa scan. Both of these will tell your true LBM, excluding water weight.

Also as far as I know, water will not effect bf measurements with a caliper. The water will disperse under the pressure of the caliper so only fat will be pinched.

 

[bigtimechief]

Thx Jozifp.

I realize LBM shouldn't include water and glycogen, etc. I'm hoping to find out how much it will effect my LBM measurements while "on." (if any)

Makes perfect sense with the body fat measurements and water.

Have you ever used the "bod pod?" A few of those are in my area and I can get it done for relatively cheap.

 

[jozifp103]

LBM measurements will not go up just because your muscles are pumped up with water. LBM is the measurement of LBM so unless actual LBM goes up, the measurements will remain the same. Your muscle measurements may increase such as your quads or bicep circumference, but that doesn't necessarily mean your LBM went up, it just means there's more water and glycogen in your muscles.

I've noticed I lose about 1/2" in my arm measurements once I come off cycle if that answers your question.

No never tried a bod pod...would like to though.

 

[bigtimechief]

I'm thinking more along the lines of body fat measurements against LBM.

Like this:

I weigh 250 lbs. For the sake of math, i'll use 20% body fat.

That leaves me with 200 lbs of LBM. How much of that weight would be added water and glycogen from AAS? How much is that number inflated by untrue weight?

I realize i'm going to need to use a more advanced method to get a true idea, but i'm working on a ballpark method so I don't have to crawl into a bod pod everytime.

Hopefully i'm not bothering here, I feel like were close.

Thanks again

 

[jozifp103]

Ahh ok...gotcha. Well if you notice, the first couple weeks of a cycle you tend to put on quite a few lbs initially, then the remainder of the cycle tends to be slower steadier gains. You can assume whatever weight you put on initially is probably mostly water weight from e2 and glycogen uptake. Depending on your diet and e2 regulation, this initial water weight gain can vary. Then at the end of the cycle, leading up to pct you tend to drop a few lbs, usually around the amount you initially gained. Take those 2 numbers (weight gained at the beginning, weight lost at the end) average them, and you have a rough estimate of how much water weight you gained on cycle.

 

[bigtimechief]

Right on.

Do we know where most of that water is stored? I don't think i'd be too far out in saying most of it is within the muscle. Do we know how much is stored elsewhere? Just curious is to how much is in my LBM.

Thanks for your help.

 

[jozifp103]

Right on.

Do we know where most of that water is stored? I don't think i'd be too far out in saying most of it is within the muscle. Do we know how much is stored elsewhere? Just curious is to how much is in my LBM.

Thanks for your help.

That's a bit too technical to be able to answer. Everyone will be different and there are so many variables. I'd assume MOST of it would be intramuscular, but to give an exact ratio is impossible.

 

[bigtimechief]

What's the meaning of life?

 

[jozifp103]

What's the meaning of life?

That's easy. Disregard women, acquire currency.

 

[bigtimechief]

Well, shit. I'm married and broke.

 

[cybrsage]

The best things in life are to crush your enemies, see them driven before you, hear the lamentations of their women.

 

[Roush]

It's not just water retention. AAS is increasing nitrogen retention, blood volume, glycogen stores and water,, The muscle cells themselves are increasing in size and volume due to this. A muscle cell is a muscle cell, so if it increases in size from size '7' to a size '10',, Then that is an increase in mass .
So very simply being the muscle cells volumize and get bigger while on cycle, then I'd say yes while on cycle there is an increases in muscle mass, in regards to size.*

* though as jozif pointed out actual LBM may still be similar to what it was pre cycle and mass my be the same in regards to weight