Q: What are anabolic-androgenic steroids and why are they in great demand among bodybuilders and athletes?A: Anabolic-androgenic
steroids, sometimes referred to as synthetic
steroids,
are man-made hormones designed to mimic the behavior of naturally
occurring hormones, specifically testosterone. Endogenous testosterone
is responsible for various and vital functions in the human body, but
as far as bodybuilders and athletes are concerned the ability of
testosterone to induce anabolism or muscle growth is the standout
quality of testosterone.
Testosterone
has been experimented on for centuries. In fact, there is a study which
indicates that use of steroid hormones as performance-enhancing
substances had been practiced as far back as the first
Olympics
in Greece with sheep testicles as the prime source of synthetic
testosterone. You’ve got to admit that these ancient chemists had been
on the right track since
testosterone is produced in the testes in men.
Q: How do steroids enhance the physique and the performance?A: As mentioned above, steroids behave the same way in your body as natural testosterone does. So when a
steroid
is introduced into the system, it travels through the bloodstream to
attach to androgen receptors in the different cells including the
skeletal muscle cells. Then it binds with the specific androgen
receptor and once the steroid locks in with the androgen receptor a
signal is transmitted to the cell center (nucleus) of the
DNA.
The signal is the stimulus for specific genes to start protein
synthesis leading to anabolism. This also results to the production of
the two primary structural proteins called myosin and actin. Myosin and
actin are contractile proteins which sustain muscle contractions
translating to muscle strength and endurance.
Q: Which steroids are best for you?A:
This is the question that is often asked by steroid users but is rarely
answered. This is because steroids are designed differently. The people
behind this group of drugs manipulate steroids’ molecular structure to
achieve desired results. As such, there are steroids that are effective
for tapering down and there are those that are great for quick weight
gains.
Oral steroids are
usually the top choices for this quick weight gains since they are
rapidly released into the bloodstream because they are generally water
soluble.
Anadrol (
oxymetholone) is one of the most effective orals when you aim for dramatic and rapid weight gain. Muscle gains with
Anadrol are described as “virtual explosion of muscle mass”, thus it
Anadrol
is often called as “A-bombs”. A burst of muscle mass is what you’re
going to get from this steroid – up to 10 pounds of gains in two weeks!
Anadrol, however, converts to estrogen, thus most of the mass gains
would be mostly subcutaneous fluid and fat retention. Take note that
fluid retention also offers some advantages to you. This lubricates the
joints, allowing for pain-free workouts. Fluid retention improves
muscle contractions, allowing you to carry heavy loads with little
muscle strain. The principal drawback of
Anadrol is its c-17 alpha-alkylation. Anadrol is notorious for being liver toxic, thus strict dosing and cycling is used.
You can opt for
injectable steroids
which are generally non-hepatotoxic. Reliable injectable mass builders
include testosterone esters. For fast muscle mass gains, testosterone
propionate is an appropriate steroid choice.
Propionate is a fast-acting ester with its peak levels occurring 24-36 hours after injection.
