Anabolic steroids.
Anabolic-androgenic steroids are synthetic hormones and they belong to a group called ergogenic or  better known as "performance-enhancing" drugs. Anabolic-androgenic steroids are substances related to male sex hormones. Testosterone is a male hormone and the most broadly known natural anabolic steroid and natural androgen. Anabolic-androgenic steroids are artificial derivatives of testosterone.
In general, the origin of the related terminology is the Greek language. "Anabolic" refers to body-building, and "androgenic" refers to increased manlike masculine characteristics. "Steroids" refers to the class of drugs. The terms have been chosen because of the properties anabolic steroids have. These include the increase of muscle strength and mass. The same hormones contribute to bone growth as well.
Anabolic steroids were discovered by chance by German scientists in the early 1930’s. At that particular time the discovery was not considered important and interesting enough to encourage any further study. Dianabol was the first anabolic steroid preparation approved by the FDA and used for medical purposes in the 1950s, since laboratorial and clinical trials had been very promising.
Pharmaceutical use of anabolic steroids.
There are several types of anabolic steroids with a wide range of anabolic and androgenic characteristics. These drugs are produced and designed to mimic the body-building properties of testosterone by boosting protein production in cells. Apart from the properties mentioned already, anabolic steroids also seem to increase appetite, blood volume and blood glucose level.
Anabolic-androgenic steroids are available legally only by prescription, in order to treat conditions that occur, when the body produces abnormally low amounts of testosterone, such as delayed puberty and some types of impotence. They are also prescribed to treat unintentional weight loss in patients with AIDS and other diseases that result in loss of lean muscle mass. Anabolic steroids are used in small amounts by physicians for treating certain types of anemia, thrombosis, breast cancers, osteoporosis, endometriosis and hereditary angioedema.
The drugs are taken orally or injected, typically in cycles of weeks or months, rather than continuously. This procedure is known as "cycling".
Cycling involves taking regular daily dosage of anabolic steroids over a certain period of time, refraining for a while, and repeating the whole process from the beginning.
Users often combine several different types of anabolic steroids to maximize their effectiveness, while minimizing negative effects. The above method is known as "stacking". Certain side-effects of anabolic steroids can lead to serious, irreversible health problems. Please see the relevant page.
Abuse of anabolic steroids.
Anabolic steroids are used by weight lifters, bodybuilders, cyclists, professional baseball players, professional wrestlers, runners and many others. For an individual, the use of anabolic steroids is a very serious issue and the health risks must be taken in consideration accordingly. It is a myth that only athletes use anabolic steroids, though. It can be any youngster with a skinny body who is in a hurry to reach maturity and become a muscular man. In fact, the figures referred to adolescents, who turn to steroids for cosmetic reasons, are in increase.
The use or the abuse of anabolic steroids on behalf of athletes aims to give them a competitive advantage and improve their physical performance against their competitors. Steroids usage which helps the individual to obtain competitive advantage is prohibited by the rules of the leading bodies of most of the sports.
Anabolic steroids were permanently banned by the International Olympics Committee in 1975. Ever since, the majority of national and international athletic organizations adopted the same policy by imposing systematic and strict anti-doping control.
However, the use of anabolic steroids is not a criminal offence, and involves only penalties for disciplinary
issues.
Anabolic steroids in the market.
As it has been mentioned above, anabolic steroids are prescribed for medical purposes in certain cases. However, they can be found in the black market without any prescription. Until recently, nearly all anabolic steroids preparations, including the ones used illegally, were of a good-quality and lawfully manufactured drugs, although large quantities were obtained
through deceitful prescriptions.
Nowadays, the black market of anabolic steroids is dominated by low-quality or counterfeit preparations. These are produced in unreliable, secrete laboratories and are smuggled worldwide.
The potential buyer must be very cautious, since these false drugs may involve a serious health risk.
The buyer must bear in mind these so-called anabolic steroids are manufactured without any control and therefore may not contain the named ingredients or if they do, the strength may be very different from what the label indicates.
Anabolic steroids
that are not meant to be used for medical purposes
are available through lateral and illegal routes. Mainly they are supplied in training centers and via overseas mail orders.
We are afraid that the provision of more extensive information and guidance about how to find and use anabolic steroids is a delicate matter and beyond the scope and the intention of this site. |
