The finding in the NEJM study that 600 milligrams a week of testosterone didn’t produce adverse mental symptoms could be due to the brevity of the study or to the fact that not everyone responds to steroid usage – or to be more precise, abuse – in the same way. For example, in a report to the Endocrine Society in 1995, researchers noted that a deficiency of testosterone in 56 men produced personality characteristics (including anger and irritability) more commonly associated with steroid excess. When those 56 testosterone-deficient men were given supplemental testosterone injections, their personalities went from surly to genial.

A different conclusion was reached in a new study published in the Australian Medical Journal (165:222-26) that reviewed the evidence concerning the effects of anabolic steroids on the mind. Recent violent acts committed in Australia and allegedly related to steroid abuse seem to have precipitated this study.

The first case centered on a 29-year-old bodybuilder who beat his wife to death using a weapon described as a claw hammer. While he committed this horrific act, his four children were in another part of the house. He then shot himself in the head. Before this incident, his home life had been described as ‘‘happy.’’

This man had used steroids off and on for years, and seven weeks before the murder, he had used a steroid stack consisting of Winstrol-V and sustanon, both injectable steroids. A later urine test showed that he also used Valium, a muscle relaxant and anti-anxiety drug.

A second case involved a 22-year-old bodybuilder in Sydney. After taking a walk with a woman he had met in a nightclub, “something snapped” in the bodybuilder. He repeatedly bashed the woman’s head against a wall, then proceeded to kick her while she was lying on the ground. Although several experienced police investigators described the attack as the most brutal they had ever seen, the perpetrator of this deed merely left the scene and went home to bed.

This guy had just taken an eight-week course of Deca Durabolin, an injectable anabolic steroid. He said using the drug made him feel that he had “heaps more energy.” As well, he was “crankier, more aggressive, had an increased sex drive, and felt more uptight.” He had stopped taking the drug for two months, then resumed its use for three weeks before the murder. He was said to have come from a caring family and had never used drugs previously. He was also said to have never been violent. Significantly, he had drunk three liters of beer in the hours preceding the attack.

The author of this Australian review notes that steroids increase feelings of self-confidence, energy and motivation, as well as improve training ability. He also claims that the mental effects of steroids follow a continuum, often dependent on how large a dose is used or whether several steroids are taken at the same time. This continuum, according to the author, consists of the following:

• Early effects are reflected in mood changes and euphoria. Confidence increases, as do energy levels, self-esteem, motivation and enthusiasm. You experience less fatigue, sleep better and have an increased ability to train through pain. Sex drive usually increases, as does irritability, anger and a “strange, edgy feeling.”

• As doses increase or are taken for extended periods, a loss of inhibition occurs combined with impaired judgment, mood swings and grandiose ideas. This condition progresses until the user becomes suspicious, argumentative, impulsive and still more aggressive.

• Eventually, aggressive feelings reach a fever pitch, characterized by violent, hostile and antisocial behavior. This is full-blown ‘roid rage and can lead to self-inflicted injury, assault, divorce, domestic violence, child abuse and attempted murder. Not all people experience these feelings. Some researchers explain this paradox by suggesting that an underlying predisposition to such behavior can be brought to the surface by steroid abuse.

Another problem related to the psychological effects of steroids is what happens when the user stops taking them. Depression is common in former steroid users, who miss the elation brought on by the drugs. In fact, just about all positive mental feelings associated with steroid use reverse when one ceases taking them. The author of the Australian review says that, in some cases, violent behavior and moments of rage occur during the withdrawal phase.

Dependence on steroids can result when the user wishes to stave off loss of confidence as steroid-built muscles begin to atrophy. This dependence may also involve a modulation by steroids of brain chemicals, such as endogenous opioids, that control mood states.

An often-overlooked factor in discussions of the mental effects of steroids is how specific steroids modify behavior. For example, most studies that associate violent or antisocial tendencies with steroid use usually involve a more androgenic type of steroid, such as Anadrol-50 or testosterone. Animal studies in which mice were given a more anabolic, less androgenic steroid, such as stanozolol (Winstrol) documented no aggressive changes in behavior (General Pharmacology, 27:293-98).

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Partly this is due to its apparent lack of non-AR-mediated activity. This can be corrected of course by stacking with a Class II steroid such as Dianabol, Anadrol®, 4-AD, or nor-4-AD: the latter two steroids require high blood levels which are not obtained by oral use of the powders.

The other part of the reason for this is that bodybuilders make unfortunate and unreasonable comparisons when judging anabolic steroids. If say 8 tablets per day does little, then the drug is pronounced useless or weak by the user. But that is only 20 mg/day, or 140 mg/week. Does 140 mg/week testosterone give much results? No. Few anabolic steroids give dramatic results at that dose. Per milligram the potency is reasonable, but each individual tablet is weak because the dosage is small.

Because of its high price, very few bodybuilders have taken large doses of oxandrolone. There is a single case in the medical literature (Forbes et al.) where it is reported that a competitive athlete self-administered 150 mg oxandrolone per day with remarkable gains. This is of uncertain credibility because unless urinalysis was done to verify that no other steroids were taken, there is no way to be certain that the athlete did not actually take more drugs than he reported. In any case, at current prices, only the quite wealthy could afford such a dose. I personally have tried 150 mg/day and considered it somewhat effective, but not dramatically so, and not a preferred regimen.

Oxandrolone does not aromatize or convert to DHT, and has a longer half life than Dianabol – 8 hours vs. 4 hours. Thus, a moderate dose taken in the morning is largely out of the system by night, yet supplies reasonable levels of androgen during the day and early evening.

Oxandrolone shares the liver toxicity problems common to 17-alkylated steroids. At one time it was thought that it did not, but both clinical and practical experience with Oxandrin has shown that at doses of 40 mg/day and higher, liver toxicity is indeed an issue with prolonged use.

Primobolan, I believe, should be considered a superior compound, offering the same activity at (usually) a lower price and without the alkylated-toxicity issue.

Trivial name Oxandrolone
Systematic name 17â-Hydroxy-17-methyl-2-
oxa-5á-androstan-3-one
CAS number 53-39-4
ATC code A14AA08
Merck Index Number 6990
Chemical formula C19H30O3
Molecular weight 306.4442 g/mol
Bioavailability 97%
Metabolism Hepatic
Elimination half-life 8 hours
Excretion Urinary: 90%
Fecal: 6%
Pregnancy category X
Routes of administration Oral

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Anabolic steroids are classed as illegal drugs and are banned by most legitimate sports organisations. There can be no disputing the fact that testosterone boosts the development of muscle mass and aids sporting performance. Equally there is no doubt that its use can adversely affect the health and wellbeing of users.

The androgenic properties of testosterone can affect the body in many ways but often users see these as inconveniences that can be treated by using other drugs. The most common side effects of testosterone supplementation include the following:

1. Testicle shrinkage – the body responds to testosterone overload by reducing its own production of the hormone. This causes the testicles to shrink due to lack of use. When steroid usage stops, the testicles will grow again but they could take at least six months to return to normal size.

2. Addiction – despite some users trying to convince themselves otherwise, the use of steroids can result in physical and psychological addiction. Withdrawal symptoms can be severe with muscle shrinkage, weakness and loss of libido.

3. Growth of breast tissue – this affects roughly one third of male steroid users. It is caused by the conversion of some excess testosterone into the female hormone estrogen. The breasts usually disappear when use of steroids ceases but in some cases they are permanent and may require surgical removal.

4. Baldness and skin conditions – excess testosterone can be converted into DHT, a hair unfriendly by-product that is responsible for male pattern baldness and oily skin.

5. Pain, bruising, infection and scarring may result from careless or incompetent injecting.

Some people have died as a result of steroid abuse and even those who adopt a careful, pragmatic approach have to accept that these health risks are unavoidable. My advice is, follow the natural route and use nutritional supplements to boost the anabolic process.

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Anyone involved in the world of bodybuilding, and competitive sport generally, will understand the pressures that go with striving to achieve optimal performance. Sometimes athletes feel they cannot reach their peak without artificially enhancing their powers of recovery from intensive training. One way to speed up this process is through the use of anabolic steroids. In this article we’ll examine what anabolic steroids actually do.

The main active ingredient in steroids is testosterone which is well known as the major male hormone. Testosterone affects the body in two ways, either as an anabolic or an androgenic influence. The anabolic action helps build body tissue by increasing lean muscle mass and bone density. The androgenic actions are those that affect secondary sex characteristics in men.

In recent years research has provided some interesting information in relation to testosterone:

1. It affects muscle size through muscle fiber hypertrophy with an increase in the cross-sectional area of muscle fiber.

2. It takes a dose of at least 300 milligrams of testosterone to raise the body’s level above normal.

3. It acts directly on the muscle itself.

4. It stimulates the release of growth hormone.

5. It has an anti-catabolic effect.

From these facts we can deduce that testosterone is an effective aid to muscle building and that it must be taken in significant quantities to have this effect. As far as bodybuilding is concerned the science beyond this is somewhat limited as most users base their steroid regimes on little more than trial and error or the advice of ‘veterans’. Due to the illegal nature of steroid use little scientific data exists to confirm the effectiveness of the many steroid supplements in use.

It is perhaps the tendency of some bodybuilders to use a combination of powerful steroids and other drugs that presents the very real dangers that have sometimes led to tragic conquences.

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Only after you have a healthy diet, workout, sleep schedule, and the ability to keep it consistent, will supplements help you. This goes for steroids as well. Of course, some supplements, like andro products, creatine, and protein meal replacements, will be of some benefit to someone who may not have everything in place but, they are still not going to help to their full capacity. You have to help them help you. You have to feed your body well, so they can be used to their full potential.

Steroids will only be a true benefit to a person who has paid the price of time and hard work in the gym. A person who hasn’t will certainly see gains after using a steroid correctly, however, the chance of them being quality gains is very low and the person will certainly loose the bulk of them. In short, nothing, not even steroids, can change the way you look in the long run without hard work and discipline.

If you ask ten athletes how steroids are best used you will get ten different answers. If you ask for a reason such as why or how come you will get replies such as the following: “The other guys in the gym do it just the same way;” “I have heard that a certain pro is taking the same compound;” “I read in the book that with this one can obtain fantastic results;” and many more can be heard. These statements only reflect what unfortunately is not reality: hardly a athlete knows how steroids should best be used. What shall be taken in what dosage for how long? Is it better when I try this combination or should I rather try another? If I could only know whether my preparations are really originals? Despite the fact that steroids have been used to improve sports performances for more than thirty years most athletes are still uncertain. Thus they can be easily manipulated and influenced. The so-urgently needed information is missing since there are no useful published scientific exams, helpful physicians who are familiar with this subject are few, special magazines conceal the problem, and top athletes deny that they ever used steroids. Consequently, many mistakes are made which, if at all, result in unsatisfying results and the often unnecessary side effects. Although the range of mistakes made is very far-reaching, some stand out since athletes keep repeating them. Everyone taking steroids or considering taking them should read this carefully in order to be sure that he will not be one of the several thousand athletes who keep making just these mistakes.

1. The use of excessive dosages:

Bodybuilders like extremes more than any other athlete. One acts according to the classic incorrect assumption that “more is better.” If five tablets work well, then ten must double the effect. With such an attitude the door is open to potential side effects, and it is not even justified by a clearly improved effect. The effectiveness of almost all steroids is dosage dependent up to a certain degree and is achieved when the bonding potential of steroid molecules and steroid receptors is exhausted. When the receptors of the muscle cell are saturated the remaining steroid molecules begin looking for another target. Liver dysfunctions, kidney dysfunctions, hair loss, acne, high estrogen levels, reduced production of the body own hormones, and aggressiveness often have their origin in dosages which are too high. So called mega doses do not result in a distinctly higher strength and mass gain. Those who believe that 50 Dianabol and 1000 mg testosterone per day is the only way to an “ideal body” have, to put it mildly, the wrong information.

2. Duration of intake is too long:

The non-stop use of steroids is not recommended for most athletes for two reasons. First, when high dosages are taken over a long time, the risk of potential side effects increases considerable. The chances of organ damage are especially high when oral 17-alpha alkylated steroids are continuously taken. Second, such a behavior is very dubious since the effect of the administered steroids weakens after a certain time which, with a higher dosage or a different preparation, can only be stopped briefly. Everyone should know that the stronger the steroid the faster its effect decreases so that the use over a long period of time is even more foolish. Will Anadrol the gain increase usually is reduced after only 3-4 weeks while with Deca Durabolin, for example, often continuous progress can be obtained over 10-12 weeks.

3. The use of the wrong steroid preparations:

Not all steroids are the same. One must make a clear distinction between highly androgenic, potentially-toxic steroids such as Anadrol, Methyltestosterone, Dianabol, Halotestin, etc. and the weaker androgenic, predominantly anabolic and less toxic preparations, such as, B. Primobolan, Deca Durabolin, Oxandrolone, Andriol, and Winstrol, Since, above all. the First mentioned drugs are the ones which cause the several side effects it makes sense to reduce their intake to a maximum of 6-8 weeks. Especially women, young adults, and older athletes should be very cautious when selecting steroid preparations. It would also be desirable that the general public and the media consider this distinction in their future negative general opinions and articles.

4. The selection of an unfavorable intake schedule:

The effectiveness of every steroid program can be considerably increased by a clever combination of steroids since they have a synergetic effect. This means that with a low total dosage one can obtain better results. Since various receptors are attacked it is possible to delay the receptor saturation so that the steroid combination will remain effective over al longer period of time. At the same time potential side effects can be minimized. Instead of, for example, taking 50 mg Dianabol per day, the athlete should take 20 mg Dianabol/day and 200 mg Deca Durabolin/week. Generally one can say that best results can be obtained by combining an oral with an injectable steroid. The combination of two oral preparations such as Dianabol with Anadrol or Oxandrolone with Methyltestosterone makes less sense. Since the protein-building and nitrogen-retaining effect of most steroids decreases after a few weeks one should begin with a low dosage which is increased slowly and evenly during the intake interval. Athletes whose steroid cycle is longer than 6-8 weeks should usually switch to a completely different combination. Another frequently-made mistake is the sudden interruption of the steroid regime. Many side effects, a possible rebound effect, and strength and weight loss can be minimized if the dosages are decreased slowly and evenly. This also includes that at the end of the intake interval not the highly effective steroids such as Anadrol and testosterone are taken but that the athlete switches to milder preparations and includes these during discontinuance.

5. The use of fakes:

To correct this problem is very difficult for most athletes since the black market with its overwhelming preponderance of faked steroids represents the only source of supply. Unsatisfying results, often no positive results at all, and an unusual number of side effects are unfortunately common and caused by the use of fakes. Many faked steroids are impure, do not contain the alleged substances, are often considerably under dosed or contain something completely different as specified on the label.

6. Disinterest in periodical exams by a physician:

Every athlete who takes steroids should have a physician periodically check his blood, urine, ph value, liver values, and the blood pressure. As important as the preliminary implementation of these tests is the right timing. It is important that the First exam is carried out before the regime. Thus it can be determined whether the athlete has the physical condition to use steroids or, based on certain factors should avoid certain preparations. This also helps obtain reference and comparison data so that in a later exam possible changes in results can be easily determined. The second exam is recommended 5-6 weeks after the steroid intake. Further administration of steroids should depend on the result of the exams. If the results are acceptable, four weeks after termination of the steroid program another test should be made to check whether or not possible smaller deviations were normalized. Have your physician give you a written copy of your blood results and check the Various values together with your physician.

7. Negligence of external factors:

The use of steroids alone does not guarantee impressive results. Their effect strongly depends on four individual factors which together have a synergetic effect and are therefore called the magic rectangle: Training, nutrition, rest, and attitude. Especially when steroids are taken many athletes have a tendency to neglect these important requirements.

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Some of the most popular are:

*Oral steroids*:
*Anadrol (oxymetholone)*
*Oxandrin (oxandrolone)*
*Dianabol (methandrostenolone)*
*Winstrol (stanozold)*

*Injectable steroids are*:
*Deca-Durabolin (nandrolone decanoate)*
*Durabolin (nandrolone phenpropionate)*
*Depo-testosterone (testosterone cypionate)*
*Equipoise (boldenone undecylenate)*

For many, steroids are a shortcut to two main points of interest.

The first is a shortcut to peak performance in major sports, a way of cheating the odds and giving them an advantage over other players who aren’t taking or injecting them. Often it’s about pressure to win and sacrifice.

The other major reason people take steroids is to build muscle. Using steroids does many things. Among them is accelerated muscle growth through added strength and resilience. Someone using steroids can work out longer and can do more reps leading to more muscle tear. Muscles are built when the torn muscle is repaired by the body. The “scaring” tissue is essentially new muscle in its infancy. Steroids speed up the repair process giving the user an advantage of healing faster thus being able to train longer and with more impact/results.

Steroids have many different forms they can be taken in besides the main two. A user can inject them, which is considered the safest method. They can take them orally in many forms, or they can even take them through gels rubbed on the skin. There is even a patch option, much like the nicotine patch. Nasal sprays are often a covert option. The least safe option is orally as this can damage the liver. Anything ingested orally is filtered through the liver, where by injections, patches, gels, or nasal sprays bypass the liver- not that they are not damaging to other parts of the body. Oral steroids can cause liver problems including tumors which lead to serious toxicity in the body.

The liver is responsible for filtering and converting toxins to benign agents in the body. Damaging the liver can lead to a large variety of illnesses leading to death.

ANABOLIC STEROIDS

Taking anabolic steroids can cause severe problems in the body.  Some of these damaging and undesirable effects include (but are not limited to):

Infertility or worse:
Men can actually find themselves growing breasts and/or  losing fertility. To top this horror off, the testicles can shrink substantially. Women can also suffer extraordinary changes that are undesirable such as an enlarging clitoris, and a lot of body hair in all the wrong places. In addition either sex can find themselves developing baldness (like male-pattern baldness) or loss of hair on the head in strange patterns. Both sexes can find their voice deepening, although this is more detrimental to a woman.

With the rise of sex hormones and testosterone, stunted growth can occur. It is not recommended that anyone even try steroids if they are still growing.

The advanced sex hormone levels in the body triggered by steroids tends to cause the bones to stop growing, as the body thinks this is normal. The problem with steroids, especially in growing bodies, is that it tends to throw the body’s systems out of wack, which interrupts the normal growth cycles. The damage is permanent and not worth the potential gains of taking steroids. Taking steroids after you stop growing still poses several risks, but more so if you’re still growing.

The system in your body that is most negatively affected is the cardiovascular system. Risks include heart attacks, enlargement of the left ventricle of the heart which leads to heart disease and a variety of other life threatening illnesses. CVD or cardiovascular disease is a common symptom in people under 30 years old who take steroids. Serious blood clots can develop causing a blocking of blood flow which can starve the heart, damaging it to the point where it won’t pump blood efficiently through the body. I don’t have to tell you how dangerous that is. It would be a shame to have all those muscles and not being able to leave a wheelchair for fear of a heart attack.

Steroids can also escalate cholesterol levels which leads to clogged arteries. This also leads to a variety of painful and life threatening problems. If you have any type of heart problem to begin with, then using steroids is like taking your life in your hands. It would be a very dangerous move on your part.

Steroids drastically affects liver health which is a very serious condition. Steroids can cause liver tumors which leads to internal bleeding. Liver problems are incredibly painful and uncomfortable. High doses of steroids have been known to cause a liver disease called Jaundice, which has the effect of giving you the worst of flu like symptoms. You can avoid this by not abusing or using high doses of steroids. This means if you must do steroids never dive right into high doses. This is very dangerous to your health and can affect your livelihood for life! One serious life altering problem caused by steroid use is cancer. The body is already always fighting cancer.

Cancer is not something you get it is something that happens when cancer cells, that are in every body out there, even healthy bodies, controlled by the immune system, start to multiply out of control. Steroids can drastically affect the immune system either directly or indirectly (i.e. by damaging the liver which allows toxins to overwhelm the immune system since they aren’t being converted). If the immune system cannot protect the body against cancer cell replication, you will “get cancer”.

People using steroids often suffer from oily skin and hair, acne, and cysts. People using shared needles can generate infections in the injection site as well as the potential of contracting HIV, a disease that there is no cure for.

Physiological changes are not the only changes that occur. Some serious behavior changes also happen. People using anabolic steroids often suffer from irritability, aggression, and overwhelming sex drives. In high doses these things are almost guaranteed to happen. Irrational behaviors can ensue causing someone to rob someone, take things by force, fighting, and there have even been cases of aggravated rape. People have lost control of their temper and struck police officers over a simple traffic ticket and ended up in jail.

Other effects that are caused by abusing (or for some small doses of) steroids are violent mood swings (moving from calm to agitated instantly), euphoria, more energy, memory loss, and confusion.

Many athletes stack steroids which is known to increase the strength of the drug. Stacking is taking an oral as well as injection of the drug at the same time. The problem with stacking is you increase your chances of experiencing negative effects, and you can bring on intense levels of these effects compounding the problems. Often for many the potential benefits are worth the risk, but those who the risk doesn’t pay off for experience deep regret.

The more popular, and also safest way to take steroids is using a technique called cycling. Cycling is where you start taking a small dose over several weeks slowly increasing it. After about 6-12 weeks the person stops taking the drug and goes through his normal training routine for about 4 weeks before starting over. This gives the body time to build a tolerance for the drug and to work it out of the system during the off time. Some people, even after cycling become impatient and start taking large doses. For some it works out, it’s a gamble, but for many the side effects become unbearable.

I hope this article has given you ample information to decide if using steroids is for you or not. I am 100% against steroids, I’ve seen what it can do to people and would never touch the stuff, but I leave the decision up to you. My hope is that this article gives you food for thought. If you do decide to take steroids, and you suffer side effects, at least you knew what you were getting into.

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