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.
What is the difference between anabolic steroids and corticosteroids?
Anabolic steroids should not be confused with corticosteroids. The latest are hormones with anti-inflammatory properties. Corticosteroids do not produce anabolic effects and do not cause myoskeletal growth and virilization which are the typical effects of anabolic steroids.
Anabolic function involves high protein production which, in turn, leads to the development of strong and large muscles and bones. Apparently, the anabolic steroids user requires large amounts of food, since the needs for protein and energy are far higher than an average person. High production of red blood cells is the necessary result of the increased anabolic function, because more oxygen is required to be transferred into the tissues that biochemical reactions take place.
Anabolic steroids have been used or abused extensively for their anabolic properties but in numerous cases the benefits coexist with the unwanted virilization and other serious side-effects. In fact, there has been huge effort on behalf of specialists to manufacture steroids with more anabolic action and less androgenic effect but the results are quite controversial.
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.
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