Public health experts estimate that up to one million people in the UK use anabolic steroids to improve the way they look. This statistic is staggering to some but unsurprising to the people involved in the use and distribution of steroids.
What’s truly surprising is how many people get on an anabolic cycle without knowing too much about the effects and consequences. This article aims to clear up the confusion by listing some of the proven, scientifically-backed data that you must know if you want to take anabolic steroids.
Table of Contents
They’re Not Completely Safe, but the Side-Effects Can Be Minimized
If somebody tells you that you can use steroids without suffering any side-effects, you should probably stop taking their advice. Like any drugs, there are undesired effects that you’ll get from steroids.
In severe cases of misuse and abuse, these side-effects can be as extreme as organ failure. However, there are ways to use steroids conservatively and with minor side-effects, especially for short periods.
As a rule of thumb assumes that for every benefit you’re getting, there’s at least one drawback that must be addressed. The way to do that is to stack properly, dose correctly, and seek the advice of trained professionals. Ideally, you’d get the counsel of a physician before starting a cycle.
Even the first oral anabolic steroids ever developed, Dianabol steroids, UK users’ preferred steroid, can have severe side-effects if abused
They Don’t Work If You Don’t Work
The benefits offered by anabolic steroids won’t happen on their own. They generally increase the body’s ability to gain muscle but they don’t produce it out of thin air.
Resistance training is essential to gain muscle mass, whether you’re using anabolic steroids or not. There are some studies that show an increase in muscle gain by anabolic steroid-users who didn’t exercise over participants who don’t use steroids and also didn’t exercise.But that’s hardly representative.
If you want to experience the muscle gains that anabolic steroids “promise,” you’ll have to work for them. Don’t think of steroids as a way to gain muscle with less work, rather think of them as a supplement that allows you to work harder and recover faster.
They Can Be Addictive
Steroid use disorders aren’t unheard of either. If someone continues to use a substance despite obvious adverse effects, that’s categorized as an abuse disorder. About 32% of steroid users appeared to become dependent on them in a literature review from 2014.
Symptoms of the dependence include tolerance, fatigue, and restlessness along with other mood alterations. One of the most insidious side-effects is depression, so consider seeking the counsel of a mental health professional if you’re using anabolic steroids.
They Have Many Clinical Applications
Anabolic steroids are a form of medication after all. They’re used to treat a variety of muscle-wasting disorders and chronic conditions. Testosterone replacement therapy is also very commonly used to treat many of the symptoms of ageing in men.
Even in sports, external sources of testosterone are used to help athletes recover in cases of overtraining. There’s also the question of using testosterone for athletes to increase their levels to those considered normal if they’re deficient.
They Are Legal to Own in the UK
Anabolic steroids are a Class C drug. There’s no ownership offence associated with the anabolic steroids UK users have access to. However, their sale, manufacture, and distribution are criminal offences without a license.
Knowledge Is Power
The importance of approaching anabolic steroids with reservations can’t be overstated. Think of them as any other medication – and you wouldn’t take a course of medication unless you knew what it did and what the side-effects were.
However, if you do the research and get professional help, you can have amazing results. And, of course, make sure you use a reliable supplier such as Steroids UK to get your anabolic steroids.