Pharmacology in sports now occupies an honorable place along with generally accepted methods for achieving results in various sports, such as training theory, methodology and construction of training programs, and the use of special sports nutrition. The purpose of this article is to provide an informative introduction to the so-called anabolic steroids, which have been going hand in hand with man in sports since their invention. Let’s look at why this group of chemical compounds enjoys such enduring popularity in the “iron” sport …

What are anabolic steroids?

The meaning of the word “steroid” reveals the chemical composition for a group of hormonal drugs that have a very similar structure, the basis of which is CHOLESTEROL. Hence the name STEROID.
Hormonal drugs used in practice in medicine are divided into several groups. The most commonly used are the hormones secreted by the adrenal cortex: corticosteroids. This group of drugs is not addictive and is used to treat skin problems (dermatitis and neurodermatitis), for example, hydrocortisone. The next common group are the female sex hormones. These include estrogen (estradiol), progesterone and their derivatives. They are used exclusively by women and only as directed by a doctor. The third group of hormonal drugs are male sexual hormones, which are based on the chemical testosterone in various compounds and dosages. They are called androgens. Androgens are responsible for the timely development of secondary sexual characteristics in a man and throughout life maintain the sexual function of a man and his reproductive system in working condition. When hormonal disorders occur in a man’s body, modern medicine resorts to the use of hormone replacement therapy if necessary. Drugs that are prescribed to patients are also called anabolic steroids. The word anabolic denotes the name of the metabolic process in which cells are updated and gain structural material – in other words, anabolism. The opposite process of destruction is called catabolism. Both processes are constantly in homeostatic equilibrium, that is, one replaces the other and vice versa. Under such conditions, there is no increase or decrease in the tissue structure, the mass of the body tends to a constant value.
Weight training, carried out in the supercompensation phase, as well as the protein-rich component of the athlete’s menu, are also initially anabolic, that is, they provide an increase in muscle tissue – hypertrophy. Research scientists have also shown that when chemical compounds of testosterone enter the body, a positive nitrogen balance is observed in the cell, which leads to a sharp acceleration of anabolism and the growth of tissue structures. Therefore, in medicine, anabolic steroids are often used to quickly restore body weight in various dystrophies and loss of muscle mass, for example, after burns or major operations.
Since the synthesis of artificial testosterone in 1935, many strength athletes have directly linked the increase and growth of muscle mass with the use of anabolic steroids, which is also confirmed by research and practical results. However, the above anabolism is probably the only positive aspect of the use of such hormonal drugs. Together with muscle growth, which stops after the abolition of steroids and is difficult to maintain in the future, the athlete dooms himself to acquire a whole bunch of not harmless side effects that affect all, without exception, more functional systems and internal organs.