Needles are serious business when it comes to bodybuilding. They deliver a lot of things, both good and bad. On the good side, needles can be used to bring chemical compounds into the body which can improve stamina, energy levels, strength, blood testosterone levels, and deliver new raw muscle mass. On the bad side, needles can also be the source of infections, abscesses, and of course, plenty of pain. How is this pain caused, and what can we do to lessen its effects? Let’s look at some common injection factors.
Injection pain can be caused by a few things. The first time you inject, there is going to be excruciating pain. The muscle is completely sealed and is being pierced for the first time. As the injections pass, the pain will lessen each time as the torn tissue becomes tougher. Speed matters as well. Some bodybuilder might be eager to “get it over with” and will inject too quickly. The result is damage that could have been avoided. The type of fluid being injected matters as well. Oil isn’t enjoyable, but water-based steroids such as the ever-popular and effective testosterone suspension can be particularly painful for users. The higher the concentration of steroid in the oil, the more painful an injection will be. Certain steroids are more painful to inject than others. Testosterone propionate and acetate are both very short esters, meaning they are absorbed into the bloodstream causing T level to elevate quickly. The faster the ester, the more pain the user will feel.
There are ways to prevent, or at least lessen injection pain. Removing it entirely is probably an illusion. No matter what, you are using a sharp needle to penetrate the skin. There will always be some pain. With experience in injecting comes a tolerance to the pain, both mentally as well as in terms of the tolerance of the skin tissue itself. Slower injections help. Aim for the center of a muscle group, and work to use deep injections that reach the center mass of the muscle. Shots that find the outer bands of muscle are more painful and yes, less effective. Some bodybuilders have found that warming up the oil slightly allows it to move into the system faster, smoother, and with less pain. You obviously don’t want hot oil entering the body, but just a few degrees warmer can make all of the difference in the world. Use sterile filtered oil if at all possible. Shake the vial to break up any formations which may occur in the oil. Never ice a sore shoot zone, as this will make the pain much worse. Apply heat to a painful zone.
Finally, you should always work to assure absolute purity in the compounds you are using. Dirty oil leads to dirty shots, which leads to pain, abscesses, and infection. Clean your needles completely with rubbing alcohol, and use a very slow and methodical process when making your injections. It isn’t going to be easy at first, but over time your shots will become easier, safer, and less painful.
