Steroids form a very popular category of drugs manufactured artificially to cause the stimulation of body's growth and tissue repair in the human body. Some steroids are primarily derived from testosterone and are found in the market in various forms such as tablets, syrups, powder form and injectables. At one time steroids were prescription drugs employed for the treatment of myriad diseases such as breast cancer, anemia and muscle wasting caused due to conditions like AIDS, cancer and due to surgery.
However, a few decades has seen these drugs being more popular among non-medical users aiming at muscle building or other added benefits that it offers such as body strength. Other reasons may include improving ones appearance as well. It is precisely used by people belonging to all the segments of society as well as age groups such as youngsters, adult males as well as females. Most importantly, steroids are employed by bodybuilders to chisel their muscles and develop high density muscle mass. These include both amateurs as well as professionals. In fact people belonging to professional sports such as athletes and power lifters also use these drugs to enhance their performance skills. Athletes use it to make themselves stronger, bigger and better. Other sportspersons include those involved in competitions like swimming, track and field and cycling. A word of caution here is that if any sportsperson is tested positive for the presence of steroids in his body, he can get banned from his sport for the rest of his life.
Let's talk about types of steroids now!
There are two main types of steroids present in the human body. The first group is commonly called corticosteroids and is released adrenal gland located above the kidney. Some of the major hormones among them include aldosterone which aids in the regulation of sodium concentration in the body. Cortisol plays an important role in serving the stress response mechanism of the body for decreasing inflammation. They are also medically prescribed for curing many conditions like asthma, rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease, and systemic lupus erythematosus. These include prednisone, prednisolone, and dexamethasone. They may be administered in the body orally, intravenously or through intramuscular injections. They are popular for curing dermatitis for which skin ointments like triamcinolone and betamethasone are employed.
The second category is more talked about and is referred to as androgenic anabolic steroids. These are precisely hormones known for regulating the production of testosterone in the testicles of makes and ovaries of females. The androgenic properties of testosterone are responsible for the development of male sex characteristics where as its anabolic features lead to the enhancement of the body's tissues by increasing the rate of protein synthesis taking place in the body. This testosterone and hormone production in the body is regulated by the pituitary gland which is located at the bottom part of the brain. Among these hormones are the Growth hormone and the follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) which causes the stimulation of the testis in males and function of the ovaries in females. Medically, the anabolic androgenic hormones are primarily prescribed when the human body stops making enough and hence needs supplementation. Among few hormones which contribute in the pathway are the Growth Hormones and Testosterone itself. They usually form legal set of prescriptions by health experts and medical practitioners but in recent times are also employed illegally by bodybuilders and sportspersons to increase their performance. The weight gain that people witness especially when their body is already well nourished is because of the increase in muscle mass that takes place as a result of intake of anabolic steroids.
The types of anabolic steroids available are many. Advances in steroid manufacturing technology have made it possible for man to produce many kinds of synthetic anabolic steroids to suit different purposes in the body. Some steroids mimic the action of testosterone directly where as other simply boost its production in the body there by interfering with its natural release in it. In the market, you will find these compounds available under different trade names. What is important to note is that one must have a detailed idea of the affect of every drug when administered in the body such as its chemical properties, its behavior inside the body, benefits, like side effects, right manner of taking it, the time period it should be ingested for and a safe and a secured place to buy it from.
This is because taking abnormally very high quantities of anabolic steroids for a prolonged period of time can disturb body's system and the person may develop conditions like high level of cholesterol, high blood pressure, liver toxicity, acne, baldness and sometimes aggressive and violent behavior. Depending on the type of steroid employed, they might also increase the level of estrogen in the human body. This might lead to conditions like enlargement of breasts which is called gynecomastia in males. However, there are anti-estrogen drugs as well that help in lowering down the risk to a great extent. Similarly females who consume excessive amount of steroids without sticking to the prescribed dosages for them might develop certain male characteristics like hirsuitism, deepening of the voice and clitoral enlargement in extreme cases.
Some well known anabolic steroids include, Anabol, Android, Androstenedione, Winstrol, Deca-Durabol, T3-Cytomel, Testosterone Cypionate, Testosterone Enanthate, Testosterone Phenylpropionate, Testosterone Propionate, Testosterone Suspension, Trenbolone Acetate and Trenbolone Enanthate, THG , Genabol and HGH. Like mentioned earlier according to the type of the steroid and its chemical behavior in the human body, they are administered in the body either in the form of tablets, syrups or injections. To avoid detection in the body in case of sportspersons, it is imperative to take them in the form of cycles. These steroid cycles are employed at a time, then stopped and then resumed again for days or weeks later to cover these purposes. Since these medications are metabolized, they need to have recovery time after the steroid cycle is over and so doing a post cycle therapy is a must after its completion.
