Anabolic steroids

Anabolic steroids are pharmacological medicines which imitate effect of male sex hormone - testosterone and dihydrotestosterone. Anabolic steroids accelerate synthesis of protein in cages that leads to the expressed hypertrophy of muscular tissue (in general this process is called as anabolism) therefore they have found broad application in bodybuilding. Action of anabolic steroids is conditionally divided into two directions: anabolic activity and androgenic activity. The word "anabolic steroid" comes from Greek "anabolein" that is translated how "to increase", the word "androgenic" comes from the words "andros" and "genein" that it is translated as "to do by the man" or "look like a man".

Synonyms

• Anabolic steroids have a large number of synonyms:
• Anabolic steroids
• Androgens
• EXPERT (abbreviation Anabolic Steroids)
• AAS (abbreviation Anabolic-Androgenic Steroids - the official name in foreign literature)
• Steroids
• Vitamins (the slang name in bodybuilding)
• Chemistry (the slang name in bodybuilding)
• Pharm (the slang name in bodybuilding)

The history of anabolic steroids

Use of anabolic steroids began even before their identification and allocation. Medical use of extract of testicles of animals began at the end of the 19th century. In 1931 Adolf Butenandt was succeeded to isolate 15 mg of an androstenon from 10 000 liters of urine. This anabolic steroid in a consequence was synthesized by Leopold Ruzicka in 1934.

In the 1930th years it was already known that extract of testicles contains more powerful anabolic steroid, than adrostenone. Three groups of scientists financed by three competitive pharmaceutical companies from the different countries: The Netherlands, Nazi Germany and Switzerland began search of more powerful components.  So, in May, 1935 Karoly Gyula David, E. Dingemanse, J. Freud and Ernst Laqueur was succeeded to emit crystal testosterone. Hormone received such name proceeding from the origin: dough - a small egg, styrene - steroid structure, and the termination - it which says that substance is ketone.

Chemical synthesis of testosterone from cholesterol was made same years later by Butenandt and G. Hanisch. In a week after this event, the third Ruzicka and A. Wettstein group placed the order for patenting of a new method of chemical synthesis of testosterone. Ruzicka and Butenandt got for the inventions a Nobel prize in 1939.

Clinical tests in public, including oral reception of methyltestosteron-Depotum and injection of Testosteroni propionas, began in 1937.

The first mention of an anabolic steroid in the history of strength sports is dated 1938, so far as concerns Testosteron-Depotum propionate in the letter to the editor of the Strength and Health magazine. There are rumors that in fascist Germany anabolic steroids were applied on soldiers, for the purpose of rising of aggression and endurance, however now these facts have no official confirmation. However, Adolf Hitler received injections of anabolic steroids, according to his personal doctor. Anabolic steroids were used by Nazis in experiments on prisoners of concentration camps. In other countries anabolic steroids were applied to treatment and recovery of the exhausted prisoners which were released from camps.

Modern history

Enhancement of anabolic properties of testosterone was carried out in the 1940th years in the Soviet Union and East Blok's countries, such as East Germany where anabolic steroids began to be applied to improvement of indicators of the Olympic weight-lifters. In response to success of the Russian weight-lifters, the doctor of an Olympic team of the USA, Dr. John Ziegler, began work with chemists on development of an anabolic steroid with smaller androgenic activity therefore Metandrostenolon was received. New medicine was approved by FDA in 1958. Most often it was appointed for treatment of heavy burns, and to elderly people, however the most part of Metandrostenolon was consumed in bodybuilding and other strength sports. Dr. John Ziegler appointed only small doses for athletes, but later it noticed that athletes who exceeded a dosage had a hypertrophy of a prostate and an atrophy of testicles.

In 1976 anabolic steroids were forbidden by the International Olympic Committee, on it the history of their legal application in sport comes to an end, and in 10 years special tests were developed after that for determination of anabolic steroids in urine.

Search of new anabolic steroids

Now all variety of anabolic steroids and their modification is under construction on four main ideas:

Alkylation in alfa-17 positions metilny or ethyl group, for prevention of destruction of medicines in a liver that does possible oral administration in the form of tablets.

Esterification in beta-17 situation which does medicine soluble in fats, and allows to create depot in fabrics which resolves a long time, thus, considerably increasing action duration (up to several months) anabolic means.

Change of ring structure of an anabolic steroid belongs to oral medicine, is connected with the aspiration to raise an anabolic index.

Change of structure which interferes with conversion of steroids in estrogen.

Also now active development of a new class of selective modulators of androgenic receptors is conducted.

The mechanism of steroids action

The mechanism of action of anabolic steroids isn't similar to effect of peptide hormones. Getting to blood, molecules of steroids are carried on all body where they react with cells of skeletal muscles, the sebaceous glands, hair sacks determined by sites of a brain and some endocrine glands. Anabolic steroids can be dissolved in fats therefore can get through the membrane of cages consisting of fats; in a cage anabolic steroids interact (contact) androgenic receptors of a kernel and cytoplasm. The activated androgenic receptors transmit a signal in a cellular kernel therefore the expression of genes changes or processes which send signals to other parts of a cage are activated. It is resulted by stimulation of synthesis of all types of nucleonic acids and process of formation of new molecules of protein is started.

The effect of anabolic steroids on growth of muscle bulk is caused by the following mechanisms:

• acceleration of synthesis of protein
• decrease in time of restoration
• reduction of influence of catabolic hormones (cortisol, etc.)
• shift of a differentiation of cages towards muscular, reducing formation of fatty cages acceleration of metabolic reactions at the expense of what there is a fat disintegration
• muscle memory

Effects of anabolic steroids

Effects of anabolic steroids are divided into two main categories: anabolic and androgenic.

Anabolic effects:

• Considerable surplus of muscle bulk (5-10 kg a month)
• Increase in power indicators
• Increase in endurance and performance
• Increase in number of erythrocytes of blood
• Strengthening of a bone tissue
• Reduction of fatty inventories

Androgenic effects:

• Masculinization
• Virilization
• Prostate hypertrophy
• Atrophy of testicles
• Loss of hair on the head, and activation of growth on the person and a body

From what it is visible that in bodybuilding only anabolic effects are pursued. Now development of steroids which have the expressed anabolic effect and low androgenic is conducted. The indicator which reflects this ratio is called an anabolic index. At the moment practically all anabolic steroids have the expressed androgenic effects.

Additional effects:

• Appetite strengthening
• Increase in self-confidence and self-assessment
• Increase in sexual desire

Side effects of anabolic steroids

Read the main article: Side effects of steroids and how to reduce harm of steroids

Side effects are listed in the list given below according to emergence frequency.

During a course:

• Irritability or "steroid rage"
• Rising of arterial pressure
• Acne (acne eruption)
• Rising of a libido (in certain cases is considered as useful effect)
• Differences of mood
• Liquid delay (at flavored)
• Rising of level of a cholesterin (as a result - an atherosclerosis)
• Gynecomastia (cause only those anabolic steroids which are converted into estrogens or those which have progestinovy activity - trenbolone and Nandrolonums)
• Masculanization at women
• Liver lesion (it is peculiar to those drugs which have metilny group in alfa-17 positions)
• Myocardium hypertrophy with development of an ischemia
• Stunt at young age
• The hair loss is (very rare)

After the course:

• Decrease in a libido
• Impotence
• Psychological accustoming (desire to repeat a course)
• Decrease in products of sperm
• Infertility
• Atrophy of testicles (in case of overdose and long rates)
• Depression

The picture of complications is in many respects determined by a pharmacological profile of medicine, one are safer, others less. Risk minimization requires strict observance of the mode of administration and control of the medical specialist.

Exaggeration of danger of steroids in media

Despite variety of side effects of anabolic steroids, it should be noted that now information on them is exaggerated. In a press and on television it is possible to hear often that reception of anabolic steroids carries to inevitable infertility, impotence, damage of a liver and so on though in practice even excessive doses of steroids not always lead to irreversible consequences.

Besides, it is necessary to distinguish the concept "use" and "abuse". So, according to National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) reception of anabolic steroids according to the instruction in 80-95% doesn't cause complications and collateral responses, at the same time the most part of ghost effects has completely reversible character. You can also like Phenotropil pills

Abuse assumes reception of steroids in heavy doses or the excessive duration of courses. The risk of ghost effects significantly increases in this situation, the frequency of irreversible complications increases. As a rule, steroids are represented to media against the background of "abuse" therefore the false pattern of extreme danger of use of anabolic steroids is created.

Preventing of side effects

• Don't exceed the recommended doses
• Don't combine several anabolic steroids if it isn't provided by course
• Don't exceed course duration
• Women generally aren't recommended to accept anabolic steroids, or to make a choice from medicines with a high anabolic index.
• Don't apply anabolic steroids aged 25 years are more low
• Surely include in PCT course, it will allow to lower or prevent many ghost effects significantly.

These recommendations allow to reduce the frequency of ghost effects to 1% and below, and also to save the gained muscle bulk and results.

Anabolic steroids in bodybuilding

Anabolic steroids can apply in bodybuilding first of all for the purpose of increase in muscle bulk and power indicators. Besides, steroids help to keep muscle bulk during the drying and work on a relief, promote increase in productivity of training, due to increase in endurance and force. Read in more detail: how to make a course of anabolic steroids.

Combination

At a set of muscle bulk reception of anabolic steroids should be combined with systematic power trainings, high-calorific food. From sports food at the same time with steroids it is desirable to use a protein, BCAA as they it is required on creation of own proteins, besides it is possible to accept creatine, a vitamin and mineral complex, and also additives for PCT.