Are steroids and anabolics the same thing or not?

Are steroids and anabolics the same thing or not?

Any person who wants to gain weight and engage in bodybuilding (and there are many of them now) will sooner or later learn about the existence of specific drugs that can significantly facilitate and speed up the process. In some sources they are called steroids, and in others - anabolic steroids. For an ignorant beginner, confusion is created - he does not understand whether these concepts are identical, or whether these are two different groups of drugs that have a similar effect. In the meantime, it's worth working out this, since you are going to take these substances, and this is what we will now do.

What are steroids?

Asking the question, what are steroids, we get a rather vague answer - this is a large group of substances of plant or animal origin, which in the body perform a certain regulatory function, helping to "tune" life processes. The concept of steroids is very broad and includes completely diverse chemical compounds, many of which are naturally present in the human body. Actually, the male hormone testosterone and cholesterol, known to everyone as a health hazard, are also steroids, and they are completely different both in composition and in “meaning”.

If the human body for some reason cannot cope with the independent production of a particular steroid, one can not only try to activate the corresponding abilities of the endocrine system, but also resort to substitution therapy. Some time ago, such therapy was quite common even in official medicine, although today the medical use of steroids is quite limited in most countries of the world. The list of steroids for sale officially authorized in a particular state is usually relatively short; the sale of such drugs in a pharmacy is allowed only upon presentation of a prescription and under strict control by a doctor.

What are anabolics?

Anabolics, or anabolic steroids, is a narrower concept. Anabolics are just one of the types of steroids, and they share a common function in the body - they are tasked with the fastest possible muscle growth and recovery. By using steroids, right now you are becoming noticeably more efficient, you can withstand unusually grueling workouts, and the result of such diligence in the form of muscles swollen under the skin also appears unexpectedly quickly.

When it comes to steroids taken by athletes or athletes, one can almost certainly say that it is anabolic steroids that are meant, and not any other types of active substances, because it is anabolic steroids that facilitate the achievement of high sports results. Since any doping is considered dishonest and unfair in sports, the use of anabolic steroids at tournaments under the auspices of officially recognized organizations is strictly prohibited - if at least traces of prohibited drugs are found in a participant's blood, he will be seriously and permanently suspended from participating in any competitions.

The most striking example of a natural anabolic is testosterone - in humans and animals, it is he who is responsible for the typical manifestations of masculinity. Due to the fact that the natural substance is not so easy to obtain, manufacturers synthesize artificial analogs. Their variety, as well as the use of additives to combat side effects, contributes to the fact that a huge number of names appear on the market with approximately the same principle of action.