WHAT ARE ANABOLIC STEROIDS?

Anabolic steroids are medications that are manufactured forms of testosterone. The technical term for these compounds is “anabolic-androgenic steroids” (AAS). “Anabolic” refers to tissue building (mainly muscle), and “androgenic” refers to a group of sex hormones called androgens.

Testosterone is the main androgen. It stimulates the development of male characteristics. Levels of testosterone are naturally much higher in men and people assigned male at birth (AMAB) than in women and people assigned female at birth (AFAB).

Anabolic steroids come in several different forms, including:

Pills.
Injections.
Creams or topical gels.
Skin patches.
Implantable pellets.

HOW ARE ANABOLIC STEROIDS USED ?

Some anabolic steroids are taken orally, others are injected intramuscularly,29 and still others are provided in gels or creams that are applied to the skin.35 Many users start with the oral form and then progress to injectable forms,36 since the latter causes less liver damage. However, oral steroids clear more rapidly from the body, often making this the preferred route for users concerned with drug testing.29 Doses taken by people misusing these substances can be 10 to 100 times higher than the doses used to treat medical conditions.36

Cycling, stacking, pyramiding, and plateauing
Steroids are often used in patterns called "cycling." This involves taking multiple doses of steroids over a specific period of time, stopping for a period, and starting again. People who misuse steroids also typically "stack" the drugs, meaning that they take two or more different anabolic steroids, mix oral and/or injectable types, and sometimes even take compounds that are designed for veterinary use.37,38 The belief is that different steroids interact to produce an effect on muscle size that is greater than the effects of each drug individually,36 a theory that has not been tested scientifically.

Another common mode of steroid misuse is referred to as "pyramiding," which typically involves taking them in a cycle of six to 12 weeks, tapering gradually rather than starting and finishing a cycle abruptly. At the beginning of a cycle, the person starts with low doses of the drugs being stacked and then slowly increases the doses. In the second half of the cycle, the doses are slowly decreased to zero. This is sometimes followed by a second cycle in which the person continues to train but without drugs. Steroid users believe that pyramiding allows the body time to adjust to the high doses, and the drug-free cycle allows the body's hormonal system time to recuperate.2

A technique called "plateauing" may also be used, whereby steroids are staggered, overlapped, or substituted with another type of steroid to avoid developing tolerance.36 As with stacking, the effects of pyramiding, cycling, and plateauing have not been substantiated scientifically.

WHAT ARE THE SIDE EFFECTS OF ANABOLIC STEROIDS MISUSE?

A variety of side effects can occur when anabolic steroids are misused, ranging from mild effects to ones that are harmful or even life-threatening.

Steroids can also make pimples pop up and hair fall out. They can make guys grow breasts and girls grow beards. Steroids can cause livers to grow tumors and hearts to clog up. They can even send users on violent, angry rampages. In other words, steroids throw a body way out of whack.
Steroids do make users bulk up, but the health risks are normal . It's true, on steroids biceps bulge; abs ripple; and quads balloon. But that's just on the outside. Steroid users may be very pleased when they flex in the mirror, but they may create problems on the inside.