Steroids: The Real Facts

Now I'm sure this article is of interest to many. Not necessarily because everyone wants to go on them, but due to the fact that you want to know the truth. The problem with most of the information out there is that it's from broscience or completely altered in a negative way in the media. I believe the best way to understand things is to look at it from both sides of the coin. Of course if you know me I am somewhat pro-steroids but this in no way means I won't give a fair look at the negative effects. This article will look at the physiology of anabolic steroids, the action of the compounds, benefits, and the known possible side effects.

So as I assume, many of you would like to know what exactly steroids are. The first error that is made by people is classifying all steroids in the same category. Steroids are synthetic versions of hormones, and not all of them have performance enhancing properties. For example, birth control is a steroid and it contains synthetic versions of the female hormones estrogen and progesterone. Another example is Cortisol, which tells the body to break down inflammation in the body. The one most people are interested in, due to their performance enhancing properties are anabolic steroids. Also known as anabolic-adrogen steroids (AAS), AAS imitate the effects of the male hormones testosterone and dihydrotestosterone. The main effects from these hormones are the increase of protein synthesis inside cells, which in turn increases cellular anabolism, especially in muscles. AAS also have secondary androgenic effects and virilization, such as the maintance and development of masculine properties. Due to these reasons, women should avoid using anabolic steroids if they want to remain feminine.

AAS are fat-soluble hormones which mean they are membrane permeable and directly exert their effects on the nucleus. Below is a picture of a cell so you know what the membrane and nucleus are, as well as a few of the other cell structures.

The action of AAS begins when the hormone penetrates the membrane of the target cell and binds to an androgen receptor inside the cytoplasm of the cell.  Then the compound hormone-receptor diffuses into the nucleus, where it either activates processes that send signals to other parts of the cell, or alters the expression of the genes. Now different types of anabolic compounds bind to the androgen receptors with different effects, depending on their chemical structure. Some compounds bind strongly or weakly to the receptor. The reason for the strength of these bindings is not known.

Now the effects that AAS exert on muscle mass are cased in two ways. Firstly, they increase the production of proteins in the body; secondly, they block the production of cortisol which is a stress hormone which reduces recovery time. This means that catabolism (breakdown) of the muscle is greatly reduced and anabolism (growth) is increased. The theory behind this reduction of muscle breakdown is that AAS inhibit the action of other steroid hormones such as glucocorticoids that promote the breakdown of muscles. Another positive effect is that AAS effect the number of cells that develop into fat storage cells. The final effect they have is the reduction in body fat due to the increase in Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR), because the more muscle mass you have, the higher your BMR. Some of the important anabolic effects are: increased protein synthesis, increased appetite, increased bone remodeling and growth, stimulation of bone marrow, red blood cell production, and an increase in skeletal muscle size which in turn increases strength.


In the medical field , AAS have many important uses, and have been used since they were first synthesized in  the 1930's. They are used for burn victims, people with muscle wasting, AIDS patients,cancer patients, and even more. So according to the media, steroids kill athletes but heal those who are sick and dying. How does that even make any sense?? Well let me tell you, it doesn't make any damn sense at all if you look at the research out there. Even the American College of Sports Medicine recognizes that under the presence of proper diet, high intensity resistance training, and AAS, a person can increase lean body mass and make gains in muscular strength faster than someone not using AAS. This is why AAS are so widely used by bodybuilders, powerlifters, and any sport where size and strength are important. Although for all the benefits that they bring, there are also a long list of many POTENTIAL side effects.

Now the problem with the available research on anabolic steroids is that much of it is old and outdated, or self reported data due to it being unethical to give people steroids in the name of research. The known side effects that happen when you go on a cycle are: high blood pressure, increase in LDL (bad cholesterol) and decrease in HDL (good cholesterol), possible acne, testicular atrophy, and gynecomastia. The joy about these side effects are that most go away when you come off the sauce. The gynecomastia is the only one that can possibly stick with you due to it being to a permanent growth of breast tissue in relation to too much estrogen. The body likes to maintain homeostasis so when the testosterone increases, the estrogen increases as well. This is why many SMART athletes will use things such Aromatase Inhibitors which block the estrogen from reaching the receptors and blocks the production of estrogen as well.

Some of the POTENTIAL side effects, that have NEVER been proven are: Severe liver damage (mainly from oral steroids), cancer, baldness, heart attacks, stunted growth, prostate enlargement, kidney problems, immune system changes, and sterility. The problem as stated before, is that none of these side effects have been proven in any controlled research setting and have been all been self reported. There are too many other possible variables that aren't counted for in relation to the cause of these issues.

The thing that needs to be considered is the benefit to risk ratio. There is no safe drug on this planet and I highly doubt there ever will be. The more you take of something, the more of a chance that negative side effects will occur. If you drink too much booze you can die. If you smoke too many cigarettes, you can get cancer. If you eat too much fatty food you can have a heart attack. I could go on forever with examples, but I shall not bore you any more. The key to anabolic steroids is to DO YOUR RESEARCH! Don't just purely go off what some guy told you in the gym. Go spend the money on some legit books like the book I bought just about testosterone. It's only $158 now , but was $250 when I bought it 3 years back! You can't get more legit than a book like this. It's compiled with years of past and current research on different testosterone prepartions and is SUPER scientific.

Anyways before I get off track with this article....this article in no way is a complete guide to steroids. There are a couple of sites out there that list all of the compounds, explain their action, physiology, dosages etc etc.   I figured I would provide a basic overview to clarify some things,  and help people make decisions.

Let me say one thing though...this is NOT AN EASY WAY OUT ! If you think you can pop a few pills, stab yourself with a few needles and become a god, well you need to go do MUCH more research. These things are not magic. You need to have your diet locked down, train your ass off and be completely dedicated mentally to the task at hand. These things HELP you repair faster in order to train more often and more intensely. So these things are for the serious individuals, not for casual users. This is why I will commonly see people who use them, who have no idea what they're doing, and they look like complete shit. Then I see people who are all natural and look amazing. You know why that is? DEDICATION!

So go do some research, dedicate your life, and GET SERIOUS!