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/

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@ProseekOfficial

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/proseekofficial/

Where to find us:

Website | https://vitaveda.health

Youtube | https://www.youtube.com/@vitavedahealth

Twitter / X | https://x.com/drprilongevity

Newsletter | https://substack.com/@vitavedahealth

Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/drprilongevity/

Reddit | https://www.reddit.com/r/Vitaveda/

Timestamps:

00:12 Introduction

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
  - Berberine
- Lifestyle
  - Zone 2 cardio

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...