When you read the word “steroids” you either think of bodybuilders, powerlifters and athletes getting juiced up at the gym or the medicinal steroids used to treat inflammatory conditions and to help prevent extreme muscle-loss for those who have AIDS. These are two different types of steroids. The first is known as anabolic-androgenic steroids (AAC), “roids” or “juice” — which are illegal without a prescription — while the latter are called corticosteroids and are used medicinally. Both are synthetic drugs that mimic the natural hormone testosterone found in the body but serve very different purposes. For the sake of this article, we will talk about anabolic steroids, its uses, and the consequences of extended use.
Even though anabolic steroids are class-C drugs and come with serious side effects, up to one million men (and women) in the UK choose to use these in a non-medical way to increase muscle mass, lower body fat and increase strength. You may see people who look unnaturally large at the gym and wonder how they got so big. They may, in fact, be using steroids or other performance and image enhancing drugs (PIED, IPED or PED) for muscle growth. Professional athletes are also known to use steroids to enhance athletic performance to get one-up on their competition.
It’s completely possible to increase gains, muscle strength and performance naturally. But some people are not happy with the natural capabilities of their bodies and want the extra boost — so they start taking steroids. Most people experience lower inflammation from steroid use, allowing them to work out harder in the gym for longer sessions because of better recovery time. When you do resistance training, tiny tears in the muscles occur. The body repairs those tears with protein synthesis and then the muscles grow larger over time. If you can speed up this process, you will gain more muscle mass faster.
At Harley Street Medical, we will never judge or shame you for your decision to use steroids. But if you are using them, you should get the help of a professional to make sure you don’t do irreparable damage to your body and hormone levels. We can track your progress, and set you up with a post cycle therapy protocol that ensures you recover safely from steroid use.
Steroids are available as injections, oral tablets, cream or gel, or as a pellet placed under the skin. Many older men use steroids medicinally to help with sexual health problems, but those abusing steroids tend to be younger men between 20 and 30 years old. These young lads on the steroid train take anabolic steroids in cycles because taking steroids has serious side effects. When on steroids, the body stops producing healthy levels of testosterone on its own. To get testosterone production back on track — and mitigate the hormone crash you’ll experience — you must do what is called post cycle therapy (PCT).
Like with any drug, when you stop taking steroids, you could experience withdrawal symptoms like depression, headaches, loss of appetite, fatigue, nausea and more. Even though steroids do not appear to damage the brain itself, anyone who stops taking them could feel fluctuations in mood, increased anger or rage, anxiety and paranoia. Long term abuse of steroids could lead to more serious health conditions like heart and liver disease, strokes, kidney problems or failure, and damage to the reproductive system. Please consider all the side effects that come with using steroids before you dive in.
Are you considering steroids as a way to enhance your performance in the gym and build bigger muscle mass? Book a free, no-obligation consultation with our men’s health experts so we can help you through the process. We offer the best post steroid cycle therapy
Mon - Fri 9.00 - 19.00
Sat 10.00 - 16.00
Sun closed
Bank Holiday closed
