According to an article in The Guardian upto a million Britons use steroids to improve their physique.

In Western society there’s a huge amount of focus placed on image… if you are good looking, and have sculpted abs you’re often rewarded with popularity, social media followers, and even fame!

Not everyone takes steroids, it’s still very much a taboo topic, frowned upon by the general public, for example it’s believed that they…

‘make you aggressive’

‘make you get lots of spots on your back!’

Whilst the above can be true in some cases it’s often just a handful of bad stories which make the press and therefore stick in the general publics opinions. 

In this post i’d like to discuss Anabolic Steroids : Are They Worth The Risk?

We’ll look at the types of steroids on the market, the benefits and also the negative side effects to hopefully give you a clearer understanding of their impact on health and performance…

What are anabolic Steroids? 

In a nutshell anabolic steroids are used to help users improve strength, size, recovery and overall performance. Whether that’s in the gym or on the sporting field, steroids will give users a noticeable advantage. 

Types of Steroids…

There are lots of steroids available, the more popular ones include:

• Dianabol 
• Trenbolone 
• Testosterone 
• Anadrol 
• Deca Durabolin 
• Anavar
• Winstrol 

The above may be taken for different reasons, for example the likes of steroids such as Dianabol, and Deca Durabolin are favoured for those trying to bulk up and gain muscle mass, whereas Winstrol and Anavar are commonly used when the user is trying to get lean i.e. on a bodybuilding stage or trying to achieve a very athletic beach body look for the summer.  

Benefits of Anabolic Steroids: 

Although each steroid may differ slightly with their benefits the common ones which run consistent across the board include…

#1 Added Muscle – It’s been said that steroids help you build muscle 3x faster than being a natural athlete. They allow users to get stronger in the gym which intern builds more muscle.

#2 Less Body Fat – steroids help users to burn more body fat, whilst building/maintaining muscle at the same time. Fat cells are more readily available for energy and muscle is built and preserved allowing users to achieve a more aesthetically pleasing physique. 

#3 Better Protein Synthesis – taking anabolic steroids increases nitrogen retention which intern allows the body to speed up it’s ability to build new muscle tissue and repair damaged tissue from heavy training. 

#4 Improved Endurance – lots of steroids will allow users to train harder and for longer as they increase the amount of red blood cells, making the body more ‘oxygen efficient’. They also improve the bodies ability to utilise carbohydrates for fuel by improving insulin sensitivity – basically the body stores carbohydrates in muscles and releases them more efficiently during intense workouts.

Negative Effects of Anabolic Steroids:

You’ve probably already heard of lots of the negative side effects of steroids, some common one’s include 

#1 Hair Loss – yes, if you are already predetermined to go bald, which is often a genetic issue passed down from your parents, then taking steroids can speed up the balding process. 

#2 Acne – Similarly to hair loss if you are prone to oily skin and acne then steroids will make your skin worse. 

#3 Lowers Natural Testosterone – when you take androgens like the steroid Deca Durabolin (read more about deca side effects here) you lower natural testosterone and create hormone imbalances which in the long run can cause infertility, depression, and weight gain. 

#4 Lowers Immunity – although not many studies have been conducted on steroids and poor immunity, it’s believed that there’s a strong correlation between disease and illness, especially with long term steroid users. 

#5 Liver Damage – steroids are well known for the damage they cause to the liver. Especially those users who take oral tablets over injections. The body finds it extremely difficult to break down steroids and the liver becomes highly toxic, in severe cases it causes liver failure and even death. 

Should You Take Anabolic Steroids Or Not? 

It’s a personal choice but in my opinion…

NO.

You should absolutely not take steroids, the risks are just not worth it. I can see why people take them, after all they do give you a clear advantage, but they also come with side effects, some of which you may not experience for years to come. 

Lots of athletes and bodybuilders take them to gain an advantage and I can see why, they want to win, become more popular and make a living from their sport, but I still think it’s a slippery slope once you start. 

For me personally the cons outweigh the pros and i’m not prepared to mess with my hormones for the sake of gaining an extra stone of muscle!

If you do decide to take steroids then make-sure you do your research, ask people who’ve taken them about their experience, get regular blood tests and read up on the subject for months before even taking the next step.

In some cases taking steroids can be fatal, recently there have been lots of people in the press who have died and steroids have played a role – Rich Piana death.

It’s a really big decision and most people do not need them. Focusing on a good solid exercise regime, and a nutritional plan will allow you to still get amazing results without the need to inject or consume unnatural steroids which place negative stress on the body.

What are your thoughts on Anabolic Steriods? Do you agree with them or not? Have you tried them and if so what was it like? 

We’d love to hear from you.

Thanks for reading,

Nick 🙂