There are two chemical classes of anabolic steroids.

Despite the amount of media-bashing steroids have received over the years, it may surprise you to learn that steroids do have a number of legitimate medical uses. In males testicular cancer often requires the removal of the testes. After surgery, these men are often prescribed anabolic steroids to replace the testosterone that their bodies are no longer able to synthesize. This form of replacement therapy helps preserve the mens musculature as well as such secondary sex characteristics as body hair, deep voice, and sex drive.

Adolescent males with pituitary problems can also be treated with anabolic steroids when they reach the appropriate age for puberty. The steroids are usually given for four to six months to initiate the growth spurt and development of secondary sex characteristics.

After certain kinds of surgery and cancer, most patients experience a loss of muscle tissue. Anabolic steroids can be used in such cases, with exercise and diet, to promote the regaining of lean muscle tissue.

Steroids effects, and anabolic steroid information There is research currently being conducted on anabolic steroids to see if one day they may be used as male oral contraceptive. Unfortunately the amount of negative press that steroids have received over the past number of years severely hampers this promising area of research. Steroids effects, and anabolic steroid information will determine your decision on which types of anabolic you would be most likely to use.

Once the muscle-building properties of steroids became known, it was not long before athletes began experimenting in an attempt to get bigger and stronger. At first use was limited to weight lifters and bodybuilders, but it was not long before they made inroads into such other power sports as football, track and field, and power lifting.

Steroids effects and Anabolic Steroid information. Athletes are alleged to have been using steroids in the early 1930s. In 1931 four Swedish Olympic athletes admitted to using the drug, Rejuven as a training aid. Rejuven was a German manufactured drug that contained the anabolic agent testosterone (derived from a natural source). Athletes were not aware that they were taking an anabolic steroid at the time. There were no rules against anabolic steroid use, because anabolic steroids as a class of drugs did not exist. The use of Rejuven in sports appears to have been an isolated incident. Clinical studies associating these drugs with anabolic effects first led to the suggestion in 1939 that anabolic steroids had potential for improving athletic performance. It seemed Steroids effects, and anabolic steroid information was getting very popular.

In 1954, Dr John Zeigler, was team physician to the American weightlifting team competing in Vienna. He was told that Soviet weightlifters were receiving Steroids to boost their performance. It was apparent to Ziegler that the Soviets were using steroids on their female athletes as well. Because steroids have masculinizing effects, it became difficult at times to identify an athletes gender.

The first steroid use among athletes in North America was probably in California. In 1958, successful bodybuilder, Bill Pearl (Mr. America, Mr. Universe), was told by Arthur Jones (inventor of the Nautilus exercise machines) about a new chemical that the Soviets were using. This aroused his curiosity and he began to do research on his own. At the University of California, a veterinarian informed Pearl about the anabolic steroid, Nilivar. This drug was used to promote strength and growth in cattle. Pearl took this drug for three months and gained 25 pounds of muscle mass. He also experienced a dramatic increase in strength. Steroids effects, and anabolic steroid information was beginning to cause some of the most dramatic changes of the decade.

In North America the first medically supervised studies of anabolic steroids and their effects on athletic performance, were carried out by Ziegler in California, in 1959. The drug used was Dianabol, and subjects reported tremendous gains in strength and size while using the steroid. Ziegler found that when he substituted a placebo (a medically non-active substance) for the drug, athletes reported the same results. He terminated the study when he learned that some of the athletes were taking up to 20 times the recommended dosage.