terlound
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What Causes Bloating
The mineralocorticoid receptor (MR) is the body's main regulator of fluid balance, electrolyte levels, and blood pressure homeostasis, functioning as a key component of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS).
Because of this, fluid balance in the body can be directly influenced by altering which ligands bind to the MR.
Aldosterone is the main naturally occurring hormone that activates the MR. Progesterone and cortisol bind to the receptor with comparable affinity, but both appear to have weak activating effects. This is likely because progesterone gets broken down into inactive metabolites,[2] while cortisol is inactivated in the kidneys by the enzyme 11β-HSD2, which converts it to cortisone.
Bloating in steroid users is mainly driven by elevated renin and angiotensin II — both RAAS components — which in turn raise aldosterone levels. Elevated estradiol (E2) can also contribute to bloating, since estrogen increases angiotensinogen production.
Insulin contributes to bloating as well, by activating the RAAS pathway and suppressing atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP).
Several other substances can also cause bloating, including minoxidil. Fortunately, this is a manageable issue with the right approach.
How to fix this
What makes targeting the MR pathway directly so appealing is that it addresses the root cause of bloating triggered by most compounds used during a looksmaxxing journey, rather than just the downstream symptoms.
Several MR antagonists exist, including eplerenone, spironolactone, and finerenone, each differing in selectivity and overall effectiveness.
Spironolactone is among the least selective of these options, meaning it also binds non-negligibly to other receptors such as the androgen receptor (AR), progesterone receptor (PR), and estrogen receptor (ER). This lack of selectivity makes it one of the less favourable choices.
Its anti-androgenic activity is significant enough that spironolactone has been compared to cyproterone acetate, a compound used specifically for anti-androgen treatment.
Eplerenone, by contrast, was structurally developed from spironolactone. While it binds somewhat less strongly to the MR, it is considerably more selective, with minimal off-target binding to other receptors — making it the more favourable option overall.
Finerenone and other MR antagonists are worth being aware of, but eplerenone remains the strongest choice among them.
The mineralocorticoid receptor (MR) is the body's main regulator of fluid balance, electrolyte levels, and blood pressure homeostasis, functioning as a key component of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS).
Because of this, fluid balance in the body can be directly influenced by altering which ligands bind to the MR.
Aldosterone is the main naturally occurring hormone that activates the MR. Progesterone and cortisol bind to the receptor with comparable affinity, but both appear to have weak activating effects. This is likely because progesterone gets broken down into inactive metabolites,[2] while cortisol is inactivated in the kidneys by the enzyme 11β-HSD2, which converts it to cortisone.
Bloating in steroid users is mainly driven by elevated renin and angiotensin II — both RAAS components — which in turn raise aldosterone levels. Elevated estradiol (E2) can also contribute to bloating, since estrogen increases angiotensinogen production.
Insulin contributes to bloating as well, by activating the RAAS pathway and suppressing atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP).
Several other substances can also cause bloating, including minoxidil. Fortunately, this is a manageable issue with the right approach.
How to fix this
What makes targeting the MR pathway directly so appealing is that it addresses the root cause of bloating triggered by most compounds used during a looksmaxxing journey, rather than just the downstream symptoms.
Several MR antagonists exist, including eplerenone, spironolactone, and finerenone, each differing in selectivity and overall effectiveness.
Spironolactone is among the least selective of these options, meaning it also binds non-negligibly to other receptors such as the androgen receptor (AR), progesterone receptor (PR), and estrogen receptor (ER). This lack of selectivity makes it one of the less favourable choices.
Its anti-androgenic activity is significant enough that spironolactone has been compared to cyproterone acetate, a compound used specifically for anti-androgen treatment.
Eplerenone, by contrast, was structurally developed from spironolactone. While it binds somewhat less strongly to the MR, it is considerably more selective, with minimal off-target binding to other receptors — making it the more favourable option overall.
Finerenone and other MR antagonists are worth being aware of, but eplerenone remains the strongest choice among them.
