Facts About Anabolic Steroids You Might Not Knew

Anabolic steroids, also known as anabolic-androgenic steroids, are used by performance athletes, bodybuilders, celebrities, and recreational users to build muscle mass and gain strength.

These steroidal androgenic include natural as well as synthetic androgenic. These are similar to the naturally produced testosterone hormone produced by the body. The steroid industry has grown over the years.

It’s a known fact that steroids are banned in many countries due to the harm they can use to the human body and their abuse and addiction, they are still available for sale. Though over the counter steroids are not available and in you will need a prescription if you want to buy them illegally, online sale and purchase of steroids has skyrocketed in this digital age.

Those who are about to take steroids for the first time must make themselves familiar with some facts about them. Without further ado, let’s check out the top facts about anabolic steroids:

Different Street Names

Anabolic steroids have a bunch of street names. These include gear, pumpers, gym candy, roids, juice, Arnolds, weight trainers, and stackers.

A Doctor Can Prescribe Steroids

In some cases, such as delayed puberty, which can only be solved by the consumption of steroids, a doctor is allowed to prescribe steroids.

Treatment for Cancer

Before being used in the steroid cycle, most anabolic steroids were primarily designed for treating breast cancer in women.

In many women, breast cancer develops after menopause because of a higher level of estrogen in the body. By taking certain steroids that act as an aromatase inhibitor, estrogen production is blocked and hence serving as a treatment for breast cancer.

Half-Life of Steroids

Every steroid has a different half-life. The length of time they stay in your system depends on the dosage taken. On average, injectable steroids can be detected in the body for 3 to 4 months whereas oral steroids can stay for 1 to 4 weeks.

Signs of Steroid Abuse

Sometimes it is hard to tell who is abusing steroids. However, there are some tell-tale signs that you can look out for.

In men, the common signs include baldness, gyn, and impotence. In women, the signs include breast reduction, deepened voice, and growth of facial hair.

Other common signs among both men and women include bad breath, trembling, aching joints, yellow skin, mood swings, and swelling of ankles or feet.

Number of people using steroids

Steroids have become a serious public health concern. 3.3 % of the people in the world take steroids. Men consume steroids 6x more than women. The recreational usage of these steroids is more compared to professional usage. Consumption is the highest in the Middle East. On the other hand, 1 million men in America are dependent on steroids.

Usage of Steroids among Teens

Over the last few years, the use of steroids among teens has increased.2 percent of the high school seniors admitted they tried taking steroids. This was a study from 2010. The percentage has increased over the years but the ratio is not significant.

Method of Ingestion

Steroids are commonly found in 3 types – injection, oral tabs, and gels. The injectable ones are injected directed into the muscles. The oral tabs are taking orally like a normal medication. The gel ones are applied to the skin externally.

Risks of taking steroids

There are minor to major risks associated with using steroids.

The minor side effects include oily skin, deepening of voice, hair growth. Major side effects heart disease, liver intoxication, fluid retention, jaundice, reduction in HDL-C, high blood pressure, and blood clotting.

In men, the common side effects are shrinking of testicles, baldness, infertility, gyn, and reduction in sperm count. Women experience facial hair growth, deepened voice, and disruption of the menstrual cycle.

Since steroids also disrupt the hormonal cycle, men tend to aggressive behavior. Similar other symptoms include delusions, extremer irritability, and anxiety.

Steroids can be addictive

Steroids can be addictive even if you are not abusing them. After your cycle is over, you might experience some withdrawal symptoms in the form of depression, severe cravings, and even sleeping disorders.

Therefore, it’s important to strive for a balance and take only the necessary amount of steroids during your cycle.

Steroids don’t change your physique permanently

It was believed that steroids could cause a permanent change in the growth of the muscles even after the usage of steroids is ceased. The human body is designed to only hold a certain amount of muscles naturally. Any muscles gained above the limit will be lost after your steroid cycle is cover.

If you use steroids again, the muscles will come back of course but steroids never change your physique permanently.

Steroids help burn body fat

Anabolic steroids don’t just help gain muscle mass, they also curb the excess body fat. There is scientific evidence that says that steroids help in lipid oxidation because of their steroids of oxidizing fat. However, only a few steroids are great with fat burning, and hence why recommended to use in the cutting cycle.

They produce red blood cells

Anabolic steroids increase the production of red blood cells in the body. The function of red blood cells is to transport oxygen to the organs and tissues present in the body. When the muscles receive more oxygen, you are able to train harder and stand in the gym for longer.

This is why many performance athletes and fitness enthusiasts choose anabolic steroids for improving their endurance and stability.

Steroids are taken through different cycles

There are three different ways bodybuilders take steroids – cycling, stacking, and pyramiding.

1. Cycling is the method by which the person ingests anabolic steroids in 6 to 12 weeks. This is followed by a period-off of 4 weeks or several months. Meaning they will be off the steroid for the particular time frame.

2. Stacking is the method of taking different types of steroids together for maximizing the effectiveness and achieve the desired results. One steroid makes the other perform well or reduce its side effects.

3. Pyramiding is to increase the dosage of the steroids gradually, making it reach its peak and then reducing the amount.

They help with muscle recuperation

Steroids regulate the production of cortisol when the body has trained hard and now stressed up. The excess production of cortisol hormones causes muscle tissue to damage, which is an integral part of the muscle-building process.

Steroids reduce the rate at which the muscles and the body recover from stress. That’s why many users in the athletic and fitness industry use steroids for recovering from injuries. When muscular strain is healed, you can head back to the gym and continue exercising with better zeal and stamina.

The working of anabolic steroids

If you are about to take anabolic steroids, it’s important to understand how they work. Steroids bind to the androgen receptors in the brain. They work similarly to the naturally occurring testosterone, influencing how the cells functions and your genes express.

It can be said that steroids regulate the pathway which determines male characteristics. They activate cells that produce protein to let you build more muscles, fiber, and tissues. This is how steroids increase muscle mass.

Steroids and steroidal supplements

Steroidal supplements differ from anabolic steroids. They are promoted and sold as hormone products and as alternatives to anabolic steroids. They convert into testosterone and claim to work similar to steroids. These products are labeled as dietary supplements. They also claim to increase strength and build mass.

Steroid supplements were available for sale in 2004. They are still available for sale but Congress passed an act to make the sale of certain supplements illegal.

Some steroid effects show up later one

Often, the adverse side effects of steroids are underreported. If you have abused steroids, some side effects show up years later. Therefore, it is extremely important to admire the dosage that is chosen by your sports doctor or that your body can tolerate.

Steroids leave behavioral effects

Physical side effects are not the only effects produced by steroids. A higher dosage of certain steroids increases aggression and irritability. This happens because of hormonal changes. Numerous studies have reported the behavioral effects of steroids generated from abuse.

Taking a higher amount of steroid result in aggressive behavior and getting into a fight is not the only side effects. Some have also reported getting involved in armed robbery, theft, vandalism, and burglary. These are severe symptoms and they are not present in every abuser.

The feeling of aggression and irritability vary between individuals and the level of abuse.

Online sale of steroids

The sale of steroids is banned in a number of countries worldwide including the United States. The only way you can buy them is via a prescription, which is only given depending on the medical condition of the user.

However, steroids are still available for sales, and buying them through the black market is not the only way. You can also purchase them online through various e-commerce stores that deliver worldwide through discreet shipment methods.

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