Dr. Pri sits down with Sai V, a bodybuilding professional and founder of Proseek to discuss the various peptides, meds, and supplements bodybuilders use to optimize human performance and increase longevity. We emphasize when to use these compounds and what blood work to monitor to make sure it's being done safely
Where to find our guests:
Website - https://proseek.org/
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/proseekofficial/
Where to find us:
Youtube | https://www.youtube.com/@vitavedahealth
Reddit | https://www.reddit.com/r/Vitaveda/
Timestamps:
06:38 Sai's Journey Into Bodybuilding 10:07 Building Proseek: From Idea to Launch 14:50 The Phases of Bodybuilding: Bulk, Cut, Recovery 17:41 When and Why to Get Blood Work Done 22:20 Testosterone Side Effects: The Cardiovascular Rundown 32:36 Managing Cholesterol: Ezetimibe, PCSK9 Inhibitors & More 38:19 Cardiac Imaging: Calcium Scores, CT Angiograms & Echocardiograms 50:01 Blood Clotting Risk: Nattokinase, Aspirin & Donating Blood 56:23 Protecting Your Liver: NAC, TUDCA & FibroScan 1:08:27 Mood, "Roid Rage" & Coming Off Compounds 1:21:56 Growth Hormone, Insulin Resistance & GLP-1 Drugs 1:36:12 Dementia Screening, BPC-157 & Emerging Peptides
Bodybuilding Competition Cycle
- Off-season / Bulking: Primary muscle-building phase. Can last several months to a full year or more depending on how much size the athlete needs to add.
- Health / Recovery phase: Back off compounds, lower training volume, get blood work done. Typically 4–16 weeks (average around 8 weeks).
- Prep / Cutting phase: Diet down to lose body fat while preserving muscle. Length varies by athlete.
- Competition → restart cycle
Recommended Blood Work Timing
- During or just after prep (peak stress) - see how much damage the compounds are doing
- End of recovery phase (8–10 weeks post-show) - confirm biomarkers are returning to baseline
- Ideally: test as often as practical.
- More data points = better decision-making.
Cholesterol
- Ezetimibe - first choice in bodybuilding.
- Generic, ~$10/month, virtually no side effects, no muscle issues.
- Blocks cholesterol absorption from the gut.
- Supplements - citrus bergamot, berberine (also helps blood sugar), garlic (may raise HDL), niacin, high-dose fish oil (caution: slight AFib risk)
- Statins - effective but potential muscle side effects make them a poor fit for athletes
- PCSK9 inhibitors (e.g., Repatha) - for people who can't tolerate statins.
- Reduces cholesterol up to ~70%. (~$500/month without insurance) but often covered after documented statin intolerance.
- Boston Heart test - determines if you're a hyper-absorber vs. hyper-synthesizer of cholesterol, helping guide whether ezetimibe or a statin is the better fit, as well as how much dietary cholesterol may be impacting levels
Liver
- NAC (N-acetyl cysteine): 1.2–1.8 grams/day - shown anecdotally to reduce AST/ALT from the 200–300 range down to under 100 when using oral anabolics
- TUDCA: Supports bile flow, prevents biliary stasis
- Milk thistle: Commonly used, less evidence
- Injectable anabolics are far less hepatotoxic than oral compounds (orals pass through the liver twice due to first-pass metabolism)
- Oral anabolics (e.g., Winstrol, Halotestin) are typically limited to the last 4–8 weeks of prep
- Long-term athletes (5+ years): consider a FibroScan (liver ultrasound measuring stiffness/scarring) - liver fibrosis is irreversible
Blood Clot Prevention
- Nattokinase - breaks down fibrinogen (end of clotting cascade), mixed results
- Baby aspirin - prevents platelet clumping (separate mechanism), commonly used in patients with serious heart disease
- Donating blood every 8–12 weeks - directly lowers hematocrit, which can build up with anabolic steroids
- Watch for easy bleeding/bruising as a sign you've overdone blood thinners
- Be extra cautious with head trauma while on any blood-thinning protocol
Managing Estrogen Side Effects
- Don't take aromatase inhibitors (anastrozole) or tamoxifen preemptively - estrogen has neuroprotective and cardioprotective benefits
- Start only when symptoms appear: water retention, nipple sensitivity, acne, libido changes
- Some compounds (Masteron, Primobolan, Equipoise) naturally lower estrogen when stacked with testosterone, serving double duty as anabolics and estrogen managers
- Ideal approach: base decisions on blood work (E2 levels) rather than guessing
Growth Hormone Dosing & Insulin Resistance
- 1–2 IU/day: longevity-oriented dose, typically well tolerated
- 4–6 IU/day: muscle-building range, some athletes see insulin resistance
- 8–12+ IU/day: high performance range, insulin resistance is very likely
- Secretagogues (CJC-1295, Ipamorelin) raise IGF-1 only within natural limits - not comparable to exogenous GH for muscle growth
- Ways to manage insulin resistance for anyone (not just those on growth hormone)
- Medications
- Jardiance (empagliflozin
- Pioglitazone
- Metformin
- Retatutride and other GLP1 agonists
- Supplements
- Lifestyle
BPC-157 Caution
- Very effective for tendon/ligament healing and gut health
- Mechanism involves angiogenesis (new blood vessel growth) - continuous long-term use raises theoretical cancer risk
- Based on the mechanism of action it’s a lot more risky to use long term, so Dr. Pri recommends it as-needed for specific injuries in defined time windows (e.g., 4–6 weeks), not year-round, but there is limited data here
- Local injection near the injury site likely reduces systemic side effects vs. oral or distant injection - this is a general principle
Disclaimer
This audio and video podcast are for general informational purposes only and does not constitute a practice of medicine, nursing or other professional health care services including the giving of medical advice. No doctor patient relationship is formed. The use of this information and the materials linked to this podcast and video cast are at the user’s own risk. The content on this podcast and video cast are not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Any listener or watcher of this information should not disregard or delay in obtaining medical advice from any medical condition they have and they should seek assistance of their healthcare professionals for any such conditions. We take all conflicts of interest very seriously. For all disclosures and companies we invest in or advise, please visit our website.