Anabolic Steroids
Anabolics, Steroids, The
Gear, The Juice – You Know The names Do You Know Te Facts!
Who uses these drugs?
With each Olympic games the issue of performance
enhancing drugs, especially anabolic steroids, always draws international
attention. But it’s not just Olympic athletes that use these
drugs. Everyone from high school and college athletes, to professional
and elite amateur athletes use steroids to gain a competitive advantage.
Fitness buffs and bodybuilders take these drugs to improve their
physical appearance, and people in occupations requiring great physical
strength (e.g. body guards, night club bouncers, construction workers)
are also known to use the drugs on a regular basis. Perhaps the
most alarming aspect to steroids concerns their usage by teens.
Once viewed as “just” a problem among professional and
top-rank amateur athletes, numerous studies now suggest that steroid
abuse has increased dramatically among teenagers.
The Feds move in!
It was this concern over the growing abuse by teenagers,
combined with the potential for long-term side effects that led
Congress in 1991 to reclassify anabolic steroids as Schedule III
drugs. Steroids now fall under the same category of the Controlled
Substances Act (CSA) as heroin, cocaine, and hashish. The CSA defines
anabolic steroids as drugs or hormonal substances that are chemically
and pharmacologically related to testosterone (other than estrogens,
progesterones, and corticosteroids) that stimulate muscle growth.
Where are they found?
The vast majority of illegal steroid drugs are
sold at gyms and through mail operations. Most steroids are smuggled
into the United States from other countries – usually Mexico
and Europe. This market includes various types of steroids intended
for both human and veterinary use. As expected though the blackmarket
is flooded with bogus and counterfeit products.
Legitimate uses
Even though most steroids have been banned and legitimate sources
not manufactured any more, there are a couple of anabolic steroids
that have been approved for medical and veterinary use. The primary
medical use of these drugs in humans is for the replacement of low
levels of testosterone resulting from reduced or non-functioning
testes. These drugs are also used in the treatment of anemia, AIDS,
wasting diseases, erectile dysfunction, and osteoporosis. The primary
uses in veterinary medicine are to promote feed efficiency, increase
lean weight gain, and to improve hair coat appearance. They are
also used in veterinary practice to treat anemia and counteract
tissue breakdown during illness and trauma.
Why and how bodybuilders use steroids
Despite what anti-steroid groups say, when combined
with intense strength training and a high protein diet, steroids
promote rapid and substantial increases in muscle size and strength.
They also greatly decrease recovery time between workouts.
The two primary methods for taking steroids are
orally or by intramuscular injection (i.e. injectables). To reduce
the risk of side effects and cut down on developing tolerance, bodybuilders
follow cycles. A cycle is a period of drug usage, usually 8 to 12
weeks, followed by a period of abstinence or reduction in use. Users
also tend to take more than one steroid at a time in groups called
stacks. Even though the benefits of these practices have not been
medically proven, most bodybuilders feel that cycling and stacking
improve the efficiency of the drugs and reduce the risk of side
effects.
And now for the bad – side effects!
Even the most die-hard of steroid users will admit
that the long-term adverse health effects of these drugs is a gray
area. There is, however, increasing concerns for possible serious
health problems associated with the abuse of anabolic steroids,
including cardiovascular damage, hormonal imbalances, and liver
toxicity. It’s also known that stacking multiple drugs over
extended periods of time increases the risk of side effects. For
many bodybuilders an “off cycle” simply means using
fewer steroids not a total elimination.
Legal alternatives!
Because of the risk of side effects and the potential
to fall victim to steroid laws, many bodybuilders have turned to
some of the outstanding legal steroid alternatives now available.
These pharmaceutically grade compounds, when combined with healthy
eating and intelligent training, will assure you of making the maximum
amount of progress in the shortest time possible.
© Bob Howard 26,03,2006
www.steroids-help.com
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